Snowdon/YR Wyddfa

Movers and Shakers FC Snowdon Challenge went ahead on Saturday 10th October 2026. 

The line up was slightly reduced due to health issues and other commitments. 

In a car driving through the early hours of Saturday morning were Steve Olsen, Liv and her brother Joe, Gary Blackham and me, Simon Osborne, aiming to start the walk around 8am from Pen Y Pass. 

Paul Harrison awaited us there, having made the smart move of staying in a local hotel the night before. 

As car doors were flung open on arrival, the occupants were blasted by a cold, wet blast of Welsh air. My first thought was - Well, never mind, we can't walk in these conditions - but everyone else seemed intent on getting their boots and extra layers on. It seems we were going to go ahead with the walk. 

The plan was to ascend on the Pyg Track and then decide on which way down once we'd reached the summit. 

The wind continued to batter us as we made our way up the mountain. Mercifully, there proved to be be very little in the way of precipitation for most of the day, just a few very light showers. 

Progress was slow. We're Parkies - we do slow very well - but we gradually made progress, and as we crossed to the inside of the horseshoe, the wind subsided for a time and we were able to focus on the relentlessly steep ascent.

By the time we reached the point where the Pyg Track joined the Miners Path, we were all feeling the impact of the effort expended so far. At this point, Paul made the difficult decision to abandon the remaining ascent, recognising the need to keep some fuel remaining in the tank for the descent. He found himself a sheltered place to wait for us and we continued.

Whenever Steve was asked how much longer it would take to reach any point, the answer always seemed to be half an hour (a bit like a cure for Parkinson's always being five years away!).

This delusion did at least motivate us to keep going. 

As we reached the top, the wind came back stronger than ever and we gritted our teeth and continued our march to the summit. At this point, Gary was struggling badly with freezing of gait, disturbed vision and speech problems. We headed for the cafe to get everyone warm and seated while we contemplated the options for the descent, giving Gary time to consider what he would be able to manage. The descent was clearly going to be slow and tricky. 

We all agreed to take the Miners Path down, meeting up with Paul again, and then starting a fairly steep and rocky descent to the top lake. The path down to the lower lake continued to be rocky and uneven, but a more gentle gradient. 

Finally, we reached the bottom lake and the path became an easier surface for tired legs to negotiate. However, we still had a fair distance to walk from that point back to the car park. 

Not wishing us to have it too easy, the rain started around this point and continued to soak us until we reached the car park, exhausted and relieved to get in the car and head for home. 

It had been a long day but it showed us how much courage and determination we all had, how much support we all could rely on from each other, and the strength of the friendships we had developed within this wonderful football club. 

We raised a lot of money for the club, to help it to continue to provide support for Parkies and people with similar neurological conditions in Worcestershire and beyond. 

Thank you to everyone who has sponsored this challenge, for your generosity and support.

I think we're all agreed though,

NEVER AGAIN!