Snowdonia Adventures - Beaumaris

Tom S.

An absolutely great couple of days doing the winter skills course with Mark Handford as our instructor.
He is so knowledgeable, has so much varied experience to draw from and his calm and relaxed way of teaching made it super easy to learn. We had a wide range of mountain weather which Mark made excellent use of to teach with. Thoroughly enjoyed it, I've definitely come away having got what i expected/wanted from the course and a lot more on top. The group of people we did it with were absolutely great which made the weekend even more enjoyable.

Mark N.

My son and I had a fantastic two days on the novice navigation course. We love hiking in the mountains, but like most people have come to rely on technology too much. Mark is superb and very experienced instructor with an unrivalled knowledge of the mountains. He was also very patient when required and gave you the tools to work things out yourself. I would really recommend for anyone who wants to brush up existing knowledge or start from scratch on land navigation.

natalie A. G.

Mark is FREAKING AWESOME. If you want someone who is not only knowledgeable but also an amazing human being, book Mark. I learned so many new things, gained confidence in my skill set and had an amazing time whilst doing that. Mark is very calculated and was essential to planning a trip in pretty terrible weather. He built upon skills each day- I could go on & on. Do yourself a favor and book Snowdonia Adventures if you want to get after it in Wales.

Wenallt C.

Kim and I have travelled to Nantlle lots of times over the past couple of years, and ever since we first set eyes on the Nantlle Ridge, we dreamt of scaling it.

We weren’t however brave enough to do it on our own. Knowing that it’s a full day’s hike, we didn’t want to risk spending time trying to find the starting point or getting lost (which is how hiking a new route can sometimes go).

So we were ever so pleased to discover Snowdonia Adventures and find that they did a guided tour of the Nantlle Ridge.

On Thursday 3rd October we successfully hiked the Nantlle Ridge with our Snowdonia Adventures tour guide Mark.

I hadn’t had a guided hike before, so wasn’t sure what to expect, but we couldn’t have asked for a better experience than the one that we had with Mark.

His knowledge of hiking, climbing, and Wales is fascinating and in depth; it was fantastic to reach a summit with someone who knew the name and history of every town, hill, mountain and beach that you could see from up there, provide you with interesting and useful information about your surroundings, and answer any question you threw them.

All throughout the day we were made to feel incredibly safe in Mark’s competent hands. He’s got 25 years’ experience running his business, climbs, hikes and skis on his own time, and has been involved in mountain rescues. There’s no doubt when you’re with him that he’s going to keep you on a safe path. Not only did he keep us safe, but he also tailored the hike to our skill level and needs, which made for an exciting day while keeping the level of challenge to just the right amount.

Mark was also incredibly entertaining. Witty, with enough stories and laughs to fill the entire day if you want them. Really great company.

We were so pleased that we’d booked a guide for our dream ridge walk and that we didn’t try to chance it on our own. Mark was a fabulous guide, and we wouldn’t have wanted to complete it with anybody else. In-fact I don't think we would have completed it without him.

We highly recommend Snowdonia Adventures for an incredible adventure and exceptional value for money! Book yourself in and get up there!

Mountain T.

I recently completed a two-day NNAS Silver Navigation course with Mark, and it was an incredibly informative and enjoyable experience. The course not only helped me fill in some gaps in my knowledge but also allowed me to brush up on existing skills in a structured and practical way. Mark is a fantastic instructor - very patient, thorough, and always willing to explain concepts clearly. His passion for teaching really shines through, and he has a great sense of humour, which made the learning process even more engaging. It is clear he genuinely enjoys helping people develop their skills. I came away feeling much more confident in my abilities, and I would highly recommend Mark to anyone looking to book a course. Thank you, Mark! Ula

Kelcy D.

Had a brilliant weekend with Snowdonia Adventures. Thanks to Mark for a great experience and lots of new know-how re winter mountaineering. I'll definitely be rebooking for future trips.

Toby F.

10-12th March booked a 3 day winter skills course with Mark. Mark was a fantastic instructor/guide.

Local knowledge allowing us to make the most of the Welsh winter conditions! I came away with a real appreciation of what it takes for spend time in cold conditions. As well beginning to build some basic building blocks of winter hills/mountain work!

Some of the things we covered, included weather, avalanche dangers, planning, navigation, heat management, winter tools work, footwork and scrambling techniques. As well as answering all queries and questions and passing on his personal knowledge and experience.

All while still exploring Ogwen Valley, (Carnedd Dafydd, sub - cneifion rib and Moel Siabod)

I would not hesitate to book again for future skills courses.

Ashley H.

Used Snowdonia adventures to navigate up Snowdon and Mark our guide was a great guy! Full of knowledge and what a laugh he is. I would highly recommend using this if you have no idea where you need to go and what path to be on. Mark was great and knows Snowdon like the back of his hand he even knows what certain rocks look like on specific paths. Next time I want to climb a new mountain or ridge I'll definitely be keeping him in mind!