Although Snowdonia is not as prettily dressed up with pastures oakwoods or cottage gardens as the Lake District & it's not as wild & spacious as Scotland it shares many of the best attributes of both places
- & in just the right measure. & yet while the Lake District & Scotland have been well served by mountain guide books there has never been a comprehensive illustrated guide to the mountains of Snowdonia. The Pictorial Guides to the Mountains of Snowdonia by John Gillham changes all that. Influenced in his early years by the works of Poucher & Wainwright Gillham has adopted a unique style of 3D mapping that proved popular in his long-running TGO magazine series ' Way to Go'. In a brand new series of four books he uses the drawings to good effect charting ascents up almost all the Snowdonian mountains whether they be well-known or seldom-trod. The books are sumptuously illustrated by the author's colour photographs which have been taken in all seasons & in all weather conditions. The Pictorial Guide to the Mountains of Snowdonia Vol 1
- the Northern Peaks is the first in the series of four books. This volume encompasses the Carneddau the Glyderau & the Nantgwynant ranges. Mountains famous & not-so-famous large & not-so-large are brought to life by the author's panoramic 3-D sketch maps. In the north the Carneddau are the Cairngorms of Wales with a great expanse of long broad ridges rising from the Irish Sea. In the north they are remote & a serene quietude reigns while in the south the more celebrated peaks such as Carnedd Llewellyn are higher & more bouldery with their northern faces scoured by glaciers into cliffs crags & gullies. The Glyderau peaks face the Carneddau across Nant Ffrancon & the Llugwy valley. They're compact rugged & more random in their sculptural makeup: more Giacometti than Henry Moore. But all the great mountain features are here: corries jagged spurs tarns ridges & waterfalls. Both the scrambler & the walker will be in their element. Less well known are the mountains of Nantgwynant which lie to the east of Snowdon. Moel Siabod the northern bastion is a mighty peak with two fine ridges & a rocky spur providing a sporty ascent to the summit. The peaks to its south are knobbly grassy in some places: heathery in others & have jewel-like tarns made secretive by the rocky bluffs that protect them from the elements. Northern Snowdonia awaits your discovery...