Travel review: Snowdonia, Wales

Three, two, one... go! And with that all too short countdown and every sense of self-preservation screaming 'don't do it' inside your head, it's time to place your faith in a harness and an inch-thick piece of steel wire.

But by now it's too late. You can't go back. It's time to sit back and enjoy the ride.

The ride in question on this occasion is a huge zipwire down the side of a Welsh mountain.

With butterflies dancing the fandango in your stomach, the metal frame disappears and it is just you, the screech of the zipwire and 100ft of air between you and terra firma below.

And my oh my, what a feeling, what a buzz.

Within a second those initial fears evaporate and the adrenaline rush takes over.

Screaming over an old slate mine in Blaenau Ffestionig you're almost as free as a bird. This is pretty much as close to flying as you can get short of growing wings and taking off. And too soon you reach the bottom of the zipwire. Ear-to-ear smiles spread across the faces of myself, wife and the kids as we are uncoupled from the harnesses attaching us to the wires.

"We have to do that again!" is the consensus. And fortunately, this is Zipworld Titan, and there are another two runs to go before we're at the bottom.

Bring it on.

This four-person zipwire is the first of its kind in Europe with thrill-seekers hitting speeds of up to 70mph.

Believe me, this zip is well worth the trip.

But this corner of north Wales is not just about flying through the air, there's plenty going on beneath your feet too.

Not least a trip back in time to experience the gruelling lives of the slate miners' whose endeavours shaped this incredible landscape with its scarred mountainsides and vast subterranean caverns.

And what a life it was for those men. A life lived almost completely in darkness, they worked from dawn till dusk underground, more often than not in the pitch black as candles cost money - and they had to provide their own. It's tough to imagine the life of a slate miner but an underground tour at the Llechwed slate caverns shed some, erm, light on their incredible toil.

We were guided through the warren of tunnels, chipped and blasted out of the slate as men followed the rich seam of slate down through the earth.

It was a toil that cost most their lives by their early forties. If not from accidents underground then the lung diseases that followed.

Sat cheek-by-jowl with Snowdonia and some of the most stunning landscapes on these islands, Blaenau Ffestiniog is a raw reminder of how families once eked a living out of the ground beneath their feet.

And it has its own eerie beauty.

And everywhere around this town are reminders of the graft which saw some 13,000 people drawn to the industry at its height in the 19th century - more than double the current population of the town.

If not the mountains half cut away, then it is the waste rock dumped on the sides of the hills.

And every piece of rock was put there by hand. The scale is incredible. The sights are stunning.

It is more moonscape than landscape and leaves an indelible mark in the mind.

But a weekend in Snowdonia is all about ups and downs and we were on track to see some of the sights of this stunning landscape close up.

It was time to hop on Ffestioniog Railway back to Porthmadog.

This delight on rails follows the route of the slate to the harbour from the mines and, from there, to the roofs of myriad buildings around the world.

Now, however, it is part of Snowdonia's new major industry and carries tourists rather than slate.

And what a journey it is. Wending its way along mountainsides it hark back to an era of glamour. Pay the extra for a seat in the first class carriage if you can, it's well worth it - you can almost imagine yourself on a miniature Orient Express as the train chugs towards its destination.

Past lakes and valleys, it's a mini marvel.

And that's not where the tour ends.

This is Wales' self-styled big country. A good night's sleep and it was time to scale the heights to the summit of Snowdon.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not averse to dragging myself up a mountain under my own steam but this time we did it the easy way aboard the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

And this cracking little loco makes short work getting to the highest point in Wales.

• Russell Youll and his family visited courtesy of Attractions of Snowdonia.

• They stayed overnight at in a three-bedroomed holiday bungalow at Pen y Berth holiday park on the Llyn Peninsula.

• Attractions of Snowdonia have recently launched the Snowdonia Pass, the national park’s first hospitality and leisure discount card.

• Snowdonia Pass cardholders will have access to savings at more than 40 participating attractions, activity providers, eateries and accommodation providers across North Wales.

• Each pass costs £5, allowing customers to use it on multiple occasions and trips.

• To purchase a Snowdonia Pass, click here[/breakout]

Stunning vista follows stunning visits until eventually the train eventually disappears into the mountain cloud and we are shrouded in mist. The occasional break in the cloud offers a glimpse of the scenery as we travel onwards and upwards, eventually reaching the summit station.

On a clear day, we're told, you can see England, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

This, unfortunately, was no clear day.The odd shaft of sunlight broke through but the views were denied us.

Yet the disappointment was tempered by the knowledge that we'd be back, and soon. If not on the train the courtesy of our hiking boots. Stunning Snowdonia has so much to offer. Our weekend snapshot was a glimpse leaving us needing to see more.

To return to screech down another zipwire, climb another mountain, ride another train. And soon.

By Russell Youll