Leading in Nature

19/06/2026

A huge achievement for our intrepid and speedy group, who summited Yr Wyddfa today in some pretty challenging weather - you were absolute stars ✨🤩✨

Here are the before and after photos - the first two before the torrential rain set in, and the last one speaks for itself, I think 😂

So much water coming down the hill made for some spectacular waterfall views 💚

Always a pleasure to guide for RAW Adventures - everything was really well organised as always 👍

18/06/2026

Here's a really special event for Wales Nature Week on 11th July: Mapping Your Eryri Journey!

Join me - Mia - for a fun and creative day in Bethesda, where we'll geek out on maps, nature, contour lines, and being outdoors. We'll use simple materials like pencils and watercolours to play around with the colours and shapes of the Eryri landscape. You don't need any experience, and you don't need to bring any materials unless you want to. All you need is to bring yourself and your joy, wonder, curiosity and desire for exploration 💚

TICKETS: https://tickets.leadinginnature.co.uk/events/join/2216377

Can't make this one? Here's full list of the Wales Nature
Week events happening from 4-12 July: https://linktr.ee/natur_eryri (or link in bio)

These events are brought to you in partnership with Partneriaeth Natur Leol Eryri Local Nature Partnership , Y Bartneriaeth Awyr Agored - The Outdoor Partnership North Wales and Pen Y Bryn Outdoor Learning CIC. Diolch pawb!

Photo credit for image 2 Willis, diolch 🙏

17/06/2026

This looks like a great evening at Plas y Brenin - I'm looking forward to it. See you there maybe? 😊

📅Sat 18 Jul 2026 7pm
Widely regarded as one of the UK’s most accomplished traditional climbers, James has spent decades pushing the boundaries of climbing while also becoming a passionate voice on climate change and the future of our wild places.
During this special event, James will introduce his powerful new book, exploring themes of climate change, resilience, and our relationship with the natural world. Through stories, insights, and personal reflections, he’ll take us on a thought-provoking journey before opening the floor for a live audience Q&A.
Whether you’re a climber, outdoor enthusiast, environmentalist, or simply curious about the challenges facing our planet, this promises to be an inspiring and engaging evening not to be missed.
Book a free ticket today!
https://hubs.ly/Q04lbkNy0

17/06/2026

Fantastic day guiding on Yr Wyddfa on behalf of RAW Adventures yesterday 🤩

14/06/2026

It was a pleasure to work with this school group from Lancashire yesterday! For a team from a deprived area, with little experience of the outdoors, they took to the hills like fish to water. It was a joy to overhear things like "oh wow, scrambling is so much easier than just walking!" 😍

It's always lovely to work for RAW Adventures and we had a fab team of MLs too! Absolutely ace day despite a windy and cold summit 🌞 💨 💛

Plus some absolutely gorgeous cotton grass in bloom 💚

12/06/2026

Intermediate level Welsh exam ✅
Knackered but happy ✅

Looking forward to working on the hill tomorrow for a change of pace from exam revision ☀️ ⛰️

Dw i wedi sefyll fy arholiad Canolradd heddiw a wnaeth o fynd yn iawn... dw i'n meddwl 🤔 😅

11/06/2026

Join me for another fab Wales Nature Week event! This one's a leisurely walk from Pen y Pass to Glaslyn and back, with plenty of time for local folk tales and simple nature connection activities on the lower reaches of Yr Wyddfa.

Come and hear tales of King Arthur and Excalibur, giant who’s buried on Yr Wyddfa, and the fairies who guided local miners. We’ll contemplate how these traditional tales can help us reflect on our own relationship with the land, and we’ll enjoy some peaceful time connecting with nature. It’ll be a relaxing and restorative day with plenty of breaks to enjoy this stunning valley in the heart of Eryri.

TICKETS: https://tickets.leadinginnature.co.uk/events/join/2216142

Can't make this one? Here's full list of the Wales Nature
Week events happening from 4-12 July: https://linktr.ee/natur_eryri (or link in bio)

I've been lucky enough to organise these events in partnership with Partneriaeth Natur Leol Eryri Local Nature Partnership, Y Bartneriaeth Awyr Agored - The Outdoor Partnership North Wales and Pen Y Bryn Outdoor Learning CIC. Diolch pawb!



This is a bilingual event but if you don't speak Welsh, don't worry - you'll still learn a couple of words and have a lovely time! Os ydych chi'n siarad Cymraeg, byddwch hefyd yn ei fwynhau 😊

10/06/2026

Yesterday I learned about all the amazing work being done to benefit nature across Eryri National Park, at the Eryri Nature Partnership meeting. So many inspiring initiatives from organisations like North Wales Rivers Trust -Ymddiriedolaeth Afonydd Gogledd Cymru, North Wales Wildlife Trust and many others.

I learned about the Welsh Artic Char, a fish left over from the ice age, which lives in just three lakes in Eryri now - one being Llyn Padarn! It's mind-blowing to think that like the arctic alpines growing in the upper reaches of Cwm Idwal, we also have ice-age animals here 🐟🐟🐟

Having the meeting at the Centre for Alternative Technology was a special treat for me. I just LOVE this place, and how you can wander around and be inspired by things like their miniature downpipe garden and the drought garden 🌱🌿🏵

It was also a nice opportunity to promote the events for Wales Nature Week - our flyers were on each table!! If you've not heard about these, check them out here: https://linktr.ee/natur_eryri

Huge kudos to Partneriaeth Natur Leol Eryri Local Nature Partnership organising such an interesting and enjoyable day!

07/06/2026

Here's my first experiment with super-healthy hill food! These savoury energy bars, inspired by my friend Ana of Hike with Soul and Anastasia Eden at Kind Earth, are based on chickpea flour. I wanted something compact, nutritious, tasty and easy to cut into pieces, that would freeze well and not crumble - and I'd hoped this would fit the bill.

Being in the menopause now, and unable to take HRT, I need to load up on nutrients that keep my bones strong and help my muscles recover, while powering me up Yr Wyddfa, Moel Siabod and other favourites in Eryri. These bars contain - amongst other things, dark leafy greens, tahini, tofu, carrot, nutritional yeast, and sundried tomatoes 😋

I tried them on the hill yesterday for the first time!! I froze and defrosted them in order to subject them to a "full stress test". Texture was good and they didn't crumble despite me rummaging around in the pack. Flavour was great! They were super-dense, so I needed to eat them with water. Which is no bad thing, given that I tend not to drink enough when I'm guiding 😅

I've yet to find a good solution for the wrap-freeze-defrost-carry business. This first time, I froze them wrapped in tinfoil. All fine until they made contact with my pack - the tinfoil was quite fragile; in fact it was more fragile than the bars themselves! But I'm really not sure if you can freeze wax wraps, and I don't want to use clingfilm. Bit stumped on this 🤔

Do you have some homemade hill food tips and tricks to share? Comment and let me know 🤩

06/06/2026

I was honoured today to help guide a lovely group raising money for by walking up Yr Wyddfa. Among them were four incredibly inspirational uni students who'd come all the way from Glasgow - young people studying immunology, mathematics and neurobiology. They give me hope for humanity's future and I'm proud of them 👏

Huge thanks to Leon from for the chance to be part of this, and for putting together such an awesome team of Mountain Leaders ❤️