The Cathedral at the Edge of the World

The Cathedral at the Edge of the World

The cathedral itself stands venerable and solemn. Its old stones, worn and weathered by time, seem poised to tell stories of ages past, like a monk awaiting a calm moment to impart wisdom. Standing here, at what seems like the very brink of the British Isles, I can feel the boundaries between history and legend blur. The cathedral, magnificent, grave, regal and austere, anchors the town in its medieval past. It is not merely a structure but a sentinel watching over the coming and going of generations.  Continue reading The Cathedral at the Edge of the World

The Heights of Crib Goch

The Heights of Crib Goch

The rock step towers above us. It is very steep, almost vertical, but doesn’t look impossible. We clamber up to the base of a narrow crack between two buttresses. The rock is sound and there are good hand- and footholds in the crack. I volunteer to lead the pitch. Placing my feet against each side of the crack, I reach up past an overhang and feel for a handhold. There is a notch that I can fit my hand into. I make a fist and squeeze tightly, creating a friction hold in the notch. This is the point of no return. Once I commit to this move there will be no going back. I tense my legs against the rock wall and pull myself up and over the outcrop. Continue reading The Heights of Crib Goch