Llanberis is the town at the foot of Snowdon, and it carries slate in its bones. Behind it, the huge terraced scar of the Dinorwic quarry climbs the mountainside in steps, a reminder that for most of the nineteenth century this was an industrial valley, with thousands of quarrymen blasting and splitting rock that roofed half of Britain. The quarry closed in 1969, and the old workshops beside Llyn Padarn are now the National Slate Museum, with working water wheels and a foundry. Inside the mountain across the lake, a vast hidden power station, Dinorwig, known as the Electric Mountain, can supply Britain's grid at short notice.
The town itself is a long, straggling street of grey stone, with outdoor shops, cafés and chip shops catering to walkers, climbers and families heading for the summit. The Snowdon Mountain Railway, a rack-and-pinion line opened in 1896, climbs from here to just below the top of Wales's highest mountain, at 1,085 metres, and in summer its little steam and diesel trains chuff past the end of the high street. On a quiet morning the lake, with the ruined tower of Dolbadarn Castle, built by Welsh princes in the thirteenth century, makes a fine photograph.
For riders, Llanberis is the starting point for the Llanberis Pass, one of the best mountain roads in Wales. The A4086 climbs east out of the town, following a glacial valley between the Glyderau and Snowdon, with rock walls rising on either side and boulders scattered across the valley floor. The road is narrow and winding, with tight corners and sheer drops in places, and the surface is generally good, but the weather is the key. Rain is common, cloud sits on the tops, and the wind can be strong. On a clear day, the views are magnificent, but even in summer, bring waterproofs. Weekends and bank holidays are very busy, with walkers' cars parked along the verges.
Nature here is Welsh mountain nature: sheep on the road, red kites in the sky, ravens on the cliffs, and a smell of wet slate and bracken. The Snowdon lily, a rare arctic-alpine plant, grows on a few high rocks. Welsh is widely spoken in the town, and you will hear it in shops and cafés.
Llanberis has what a rider needs. There are cafés, pubs and shops, and a fuel station in the valley is possible, but it is safer to fill up in Caernarfon, about ten kilometres to the west, or Bangor. Parking is available by the lake. A bacon sandwich and strong tea in a walkers' café is the right way to start the day.