When one of our Margate regulars, Granny, told us she'd been to Snowdonia with her hoomans we had to find out more! Turns out this pint sized adventure pup isn't just a mountaineer but can also count paddle boarding, bicycle riding and even been hiking in Sweden amongst her skills - all whilst looking super stylish in her Hiro + Wolf accessories of course! We interview Granny's hooman Carey about the trip.
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So tell us bout your trip to Snowdonia!
We originally planned to climb Snowdon, however we ended up climbing Cader Idris due to weather as we wouldn’t have been able to see anything from the Snowdon summit. Cader still took us 5 hours, which included a swim in the lake. It’s a more arduous path than the path that we were going to originally take up Snowden.
When did you decide to go on this adventure and why?
We decided to staycation in Snowdonia to celebrate my birthday this year as It’s full of adventure, wild swims, stunning scenery and epic mountain walks! If you love driving and road trips then you will fall in love with Snowdonia and it’s many soaring mountains, lakes and sweeping views. We decided to stay at an eco glamping site called Graig Wen, as it was a perfect mix of sustainability along with some creature comforts like hot showers, log burning stoves and hot water, plus you can take your pooch and we never leave Granny behind so it was the perfect place for us.
How long did you take to climb and how hard was it?
We originally planned on climbing Snowdon but were advised to climb Cader Idris due to the sheer footfall of climbers this on Snowden this year and the lack of parking around the mountain. I can honestly say that we were not disappointed. There are three routes that you can take but none of them are classed as easy. At 2,930ft Cader is the second highest mountain in Snowdonia. We took the Minffordd path which is 6 miles to the peak and takes about 5 hours there and back and is also the shortest route but the steepest. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it all the way to the peak due to the weather conditions changing; the lack of visibility due to fog would have made it tricky and unsafe. So, we walked as high as we could and then walked back down and had an icy cold swim in the lake and explored the waterfalls. Granny zipped up and down the path - she is an agile little dog! We have a K9 dog rucksack, which we put her in for about 10 minutes on our descent as the slate was pretty sharp in some parts.
What was your greatest joy in doing the climb and what did it feel like to reach the top?
Our greatest joy was experiencing this climb with Granny and our friends. The scenery is absolutely stunning, and the clear crisp wild swim was the icing on the cake!
What motivated you to take Granny with you and did she enjoy it?
We only go away to places that allow pooches! I am always surprised by how many lovely hotels around the world are dog friendly. We drove to Sweden this year and were amazed that so many luxury hotels cater for dog stays.
Will you go on to climb bigger and higher mountains? Maybe Kilimanjaro and you can fly granny there!
She is always by my side no matter what I do from paddle boarding, riding on my scooter or bike so yes I would climb more mountains but I’d start with exploring the rest of the U.K. first and then venture further afield. If we can drive there in an electric car - she is coming!
Can you recommend mountain climbing with your pooch to other dog owners?
I can definitely recommend it to other dog owners! I think it’s important if the dog is small to have some kind of dog carrier. There were all sorts of dogs with owners on the mountain enjoying themselves.
Thank you so much, Carey, for taking the time to talk to us today! We can't wait to see what adventures Granny gets up to next and you can follow more of her adventures on instagram. If you have a Hiro + Wolf loving pup who also loves exploring as much as Granny, make sure to tag us in any photos on Instagram @hiroandwolf!
