Welcome to my blog!!

Inspired by Alistair Humphries MicroAdventures I want to challenge myself and add to my knowledge and understanding of the wonderful area in which I live - Snowdonia - via a range of new experiences.  Alistair Humphries is one of the National Geographic's Adventurers of 2012, who advocates bitesize, local, cheap adventures on your door step.

I too want to spend this year having adventures on my doorstep, as well as giving something back and encouraging others to do the same.  I am also hoping to achieve the John Muir Conserver Award as a result of my endevours.

I have been mountaineering on and off, since I was 16 and joined a local Venture Scout Unit in my home town of Crewe, Cheshire.  I love the great outdoors and love to share it with others.  Whilst living in Conwy I have walked extensively in Northern Snowdonia, both on my own and with a variety of groups.  I have a good knowledge of the Carneddau, Glyders and Snowdon's tourist paths.  I have walked Cadair Idris via 2 different paths and some of the Berwyns, but that was over 15 years ago.

This year I want to push myself!  I want to do something worthwhile, different, challenging and above all, have FUN doing it.  I want to find out more about Snowdonia National Park, it's wildlife, it's flora and fauna, and it's past, present and future.  I want to explore areas of the Park into which I haven't yet ventured and take part in new experiences.  I will be using this blog to record my exploits.

So what adventures am I planning??

Adventures thinking of so far:

• Circumnavigate the following lakes in a kayak - Llyn Geiryonydd, Llyn Padarn, Llyn Tegid, Llyn Gwynant (I've never kayaked that far before)
• Bivi on top of a mountain, so that I can see the sun rise on the morning of the summer solstice
• Find a cave and sleep in it
• Find a mountain shelter and spend the night in it
• Start walking at dusk and walk till morning
• Find an easy fell running route and complete it (not a race that might be one step too far!)
• Complete some sort of cycle route within the park (I don't do cycling, so this will be a challenge in itself!)
• Blind fold selection!  Blind folded, point to a spot on the map within the Park and get there.

Where possible I want to use public transport to get around the Park.  My adventures will take place mainly at weekend, unless I can mange to take time off work, and I will do them on my own, or with my family and friends - although they don't know it yet!!!

So let the challenge begin!!!