We had a particularly beautiful, though treacherous (gradients of over 20%) drive, into the mountains to what is Wales' highest farm, to a riding school situated in woodland and pastures near the border. We were expecting that our session would involve a sedate amble around a paddock to learn some basics, and maybe a short wander on some trails. This wasn't the case. After making friends with the two farm cats (who followed us) we met Harry and Rudi, the two beautiful horses we would be riding. We were given thirsty seconds of instruction, then we were on hour horses, and immediately on a trail outside of the farm. What followed was the most magnificent ride through fields and on trails in the Welsh mountains, the ground with a light dusting of snow, and our horses happily ambling along following our guide on her sprightly pony.
The scenery was stunning, snow capped mountains in the background, and bemused sheep and woodlands in our immediate surrounds, a brilliant way to spend two hours outside on a freezing (1 degree) morning. We did get up to a trot, but Rudi was a bit lazy and didn't fancy keeping it up for long. It was a fantastic experience, one I'd do again in a heartbeat.
We were freezing and hungry after our ride, so we made our way to Dolgellau for lunch, a tiny village recommended in our guide, had a tasty lunch, and a wander around the town. Time was getting away from us, and with less than an hour of sunlight left, we hopped in the car for a last drive through the mountains to drink in the scenery. We saw pheasants, hares, a robin, and an owl. As an aside, sheep here have a death wish, as they frequently get out of their pastures and decide that the best place to graze in on the road, preferably ones with a high speed limit and narrow lane widths.
We're back in our room now, we'll head out for dinner in a minute, but today has been brilliant, not least because it was bright and sunny.
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