 ALMOST all visitors to North Wales feel the urge to walk at some point during their holiday. When the sun lights the high mountain ridges at dawn and the woodland resonates with birdsong, only the incurably lazy are able to resist the temptation to leave their cars for a while. The remarkable variety of scenery and landscapes in such a small area has been commented on by visitors for hundreds of years. It is this variety that draws lovers of the outdoors back to the area year after year. Centre stage inevitably belongs to Snowdonia (Eryri) itself. This magnificent mountainous region covers 838 square miles (2,171 square kilometres) and was designated a national park in 1951. Now, it is one of the most popular walking destinations in Europe. The crowds that result from this popularity give the walker a great advantage over the car-bound visitor. When the roads get too busy in the height of summer - and the motorist fumes in his vehicle - the walker is free to explore the remoter regions of Migneint or the northern Carneddau.
 Shackled only by the limits of their imagination, walkers in north Wales can take full advantage of their freedom to exploit the best each area - and each season - has to offer.
 The possibilities are endless. The more adventurous will want to sample the famous scrambles: along the Crib Goch ridge to Snowdon, perhaps, or up the ridges of Tryfan and the Glyderau. Those who prefer long and gentle hillwalks will favour the Carneddau, the Moelwynion or the Nantlle ridge. But if you break out into a feverish sweat with the mere thought of struggling up hills, do not despair - plenty of other options exist. The short walk to Llyn Idwal from Ogwen cottage has been done by thousands of otherwise car-bound tourists over the years, ever since Charles Darwin made the trip and famously failed to spot the evidence for past glaciation that lies all around. If you enjoy this gentle walk, head for Betws y Coed, where beautiful easy walks abound: fairy glen is as romantic as it sounds, an idyllic wooded gorge through which the River Conwy threads its way. | 
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