One of the many joys of living in North Wales is a very unexpected one, Food. I’ve always known Welsh lamb to be the best in the world but what I wasn’t expecting is actually how good the restaurants, cafes and takeaways would be.  This foodie blog entry came about after a weekend of eating the most incredible food after a family visit to North Wales and so it is my pleasure to share below Crashpad’s favourite eating spots for your next visit to North Wales.

Mafon Cafe

Within walking distance of Crashpad in the village of Llanberis the best coffee for miles around is to be found at Mafon ran by vegan cake and food expert Leah. Every week Leah and her team experiment with different recipes and occasionally hold food nights from around the world, most recently Mexico which was booked out.  Follow the Mafon Instagram to find out what is cooking that day and get yourself down their early before it sells out.

Every January and February we close Crashpad Lodges.  Not because of the cold weather or because guests don’t want to stay in the depth of winter. And not because we go on holiday. For 2 months at the start of every year we do a health check on the Lodges and do improvements that we have planned and saved up for from the previous year takings.

As I write we are almost finished ‘tending to the roots’ for the up and coming guests of 2019. ‘tending to the roots’ meaning we are working on making sure that the fabrication and the foundations of the lodges are in tip top condition by getting our hands dirty and doing the work that actually no-one can see.

Have you ever heard about or even tried wild swimming? Think of all the bodies of water you may have walked by, lakes, seas, streams, waterfalls - instead of just walking past would you ever consider taking the plunge and stripping and dipping!

Wild Swimming can be quite addictive and I’ve been told that swimmers find ‘the nip of the water and the zing of a wild swim exhilarating.  Also know as “Open water swimming”  it is classed as a discipline which takes place in outdoor bodies of water such as open oceans, lakes, and rivers with more people seem to be “going swimming” but not in traditional indoor swimming pools but in the great outdoors.  Most say this is due to the best selling book “Wild Swimming” by  Kate Rew, also the founder of the “Outdoor Swimming Society”

Llanberis, home to Crashpad Lodges is recognised as the adventure sports capital of Wales and with many people’s new years resolutions to get fit, why not enter one of the amazing sporting events taking place this year.  From the Rat Race, The Scott Snowdonia Trial Marathon to The Brutal Extreme Marathon in September, there is something for everyone with some races for ages 10+.

 As Crashpad Lodges is based at the foothills of Snowdon it is very near the race path for many of these sporting events making it a great base for you and your fellow participants or supporters.  It also makes a great place to stay and watch the event take place if that’s more your idea of fun.  Either way Llanberis is full of energy with a great atmosphere and will leave you with fond memories of North Wales. To find out more about Llanberis and its surrounding areas visit:-

As the year comes to a close, one evening this week I decided to sit down with yet another mince pie and look at the business plan Josh and I crafted out in 2014 to see if we had managed to stay with the original premise.

Our original mission statement was to provide “quality accommodation for friends and families in the most wonderful setting from which to enjoy Snowdonia and the surrounding area” This statement has not changed, the bones of our business plan has remained the same. Phew.

As Christmas approaches, Crashpad Lodges has had its final clean of 2018 ready for a group of guests arriving for 5 days to celebrate their New Year in the beautiful mountains of Snowdonia.

 I love the run up to Christmas and Christmas day itself but my favourite time is the period between Christmas and New Year.  It’s a time when you can sit back, relax and reflect on the year gone by and make plans and goals for the year ahead.

Last year at Crashpad Lodges we’ve had some great successes and met new and interesting people.  We invested in 2 new low energy

A business is like a best friend, a pet, even a loved one.  When it goes quiet you start worrying,  it can get you wondering “what have I done, or what am I doing wrong” and you ask “how can I make this better”