I must admit whenever I thought about a great destination for adventure travel Wales never came to mind. Sure, I had been to Wales many times but it was always to visit someone. I never came to Wales just to visit Wales.
Then a friend told me that the world’s fastest zip-line was in Wales. I would never have thought the fastest would be so close to my home! Ok, so Snowdonia isn’t exactly down the road but it’s easy for me to get to. All I had to do was grab a friend, jump on a bus from London to Cardiff, rent a car in Cardiff and drive 3 hours across Wales.
Where to Stay in Snowdonia
Snowdonia offers a wide variety of accommodation options from luxury hotel and spas, to cute bed and breakfasts, to private apartments. But to truly get in to the adventure spirit I recommend going glamping.
If you’ve never heard of the term ‘glamping’ before it means glamorous camping. It’s the perfect way of combining the luxury and comforts of a hotel with the sense of adventure you get while camping. That’s why it’s the perfect accommodation choice for an adventurous weekend.
We stayed in the gorgeous glamping site at The Slate Caverns. I’ve gone glamping a few times and this was definitely the most luxurious glamping tent I had ever stayed in. In fact, their glampsite was awarded a prestigious Gold Star award from Visit Wales and it’s not hard to see why!
Heading Underground for Bounce Below
The great thing about staying at The Slate Caverns is it’s close proximity to Zip World’s Bounce Below. This enormous underground net adventure is the perfect place to let out your inner child.
Bounce Below has 6 nets spread across different levels. Some are a little more hidden away which gives you the perfect excuse to explore the area. The best part is there are slides connecting the different levels which add to the fun. It really is a great place to feel like a big kid.
You get 1 hour to bounce your heart out which may not seem like long but trust me when I say it’s plenty of time. After half an hour I was exhausted! While it’s fun to let your inner child out, I certainly don’t have those crazy child energy levels any more! But while you’re bouncing around there is disco music playing so you chill out on the side and enjoy the music.
Exploring Underground on The Deep Mine Tour
Looking for an adventure underground? Also on site at The Slate Caverns is the Llechwedd’s Deep Mine Tour. You’ll head 500 feet underground in Britain’s steepest cable railway and the clock will turn back 160 years.
I loved the way they had set up light projections, props and special effects to transport you back in time. It really helped you imagine what it would have been like working in these mines.
For the tour we had the most amazing guide, Rich. Not only was he good fun, he also was great at bringing the mines to life. I took away a lot from this tour and this was mostly due to him.
Taking on The World’s Fastest Zip Line
While Zip World does have a zip line at the Slate Caverns it was their Velocity 2 zip line we wanted to take on. This is because it is Europe’s longest zip line and the world’s fastest zip line! Located at the Penryhn Quarry which is only about a 40 minute drive away from where we were staying at The Slate Caverns.
I was so excited to try this zip line which is 1555 metres long. You can soar across the stunning Penrhyn Quarry at speeds over 100mph! It was sure to be the most amazing zip line I had ever been on. Once we had been suited into our very sexy Zip World outfit it was time to soar across the quarry. Before heading up for the big zip line we first took on a smaller zip line at the bottom of the quarry. This was our warm up zip line and it definitely got me excited for the big one.
Once we successfully mastered the little zip line we were taken to the top of the quarry for the Velocity 2 zip line. The views from the top of the quarry were spectacular and I just couldn’t wait to be soaring over the quarry.
The zip line over the quarry is truly spectacular and if you want to keep the memory forever you can rent head cams from Zip World which will get strapped to your helmet. You can also take your own go pro (or equivalent) but these can not be attached to the helmets. If you want to use your own camera you either need to bring your own helmet strap for it or rent one from Zip World. Because of how your arms are strapped up it’s unfortunately not possible to hold a selfie stick while zip lining.
If you don’t want to worry about taking your own pictures or videos you can also purchase the official Zip World photos and videos. We had great fun watching our videos once we had reached the bottom.
My Official Zip World Photo
Taking on the world’s fastest zip line can certainly work up your appetite. Luckily there is the modern bistro Blondin Restaurant located at the quarry that’s the perfect pit stop after your zip line. They also have their own Zip World Lager on site. Sadly since I was driving I wasn’t able to try this but it seems like the perfect excuse to come back
Exploring the Sygun Copper Mine
Before we left Snowdonia we couldn’t resist checking out one last mine. Located north of The Slate Caverns in the cute town of Beddgelert is the Sygun Copper Mine.
A tour of the mine is self guided so you can take as much time as you want to go through it. As you walk through the winding tunnels there will be audio points along the way.
The audio presentations include special lighting and sound effects so that information is provided in an enjoyable way. You get a real glimpse into the life of a Victorian copper miner and it’s great fun exploring the mine.
One thing to note is that there are a few steps along the way. I was a little worried when I saw the sign saying there were 186 steps but these aren’t all in one staircase so it’s a lot more manageable than it sounds.
It is worth climbing those steps though because once you leave the mine you’ll be treated to some spectacular views of Snowdonia. We couldn’t help but stand there enjoying the view.
Other Activities in Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a stunning area of Wales with so much to do that we just couldn’t fit it into our short trip. Some of the other activities available include Zip World’s newest attraction Plummet 2. Sadly for us this opened just days after our visit so we just missed out on it. However, it is now open so if you fancy plummeting 100ft through a trapped door this is another reason to head to Snowdonia.
If you’re planning on staying in Snowdonia for a few days it might be worth getting the Snowdonia Pass. This pass will give you up to 20% discounts.
Please note that while I was a guest of Visit Snowdonia and Zip World, the reviews and experiences written about in this post are 100% genuine. I value you guys too much to lie to you. This blog would be nothing without you and your continued support!
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