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Something like this is good for an energy fix which doesn't weigh anything. Nuts are good if you want to be healthy. Although IIRC I took a few Sandwiches, a packet of the Cadbury boost chocolates and 2 Lucosade Sports with 4 litres of water. Borrowed my old mans 30 litre bergen so it strapped up well to distribute the weight.

To be honest if you eat well the night before and have a reasonable breakfast you'll be fine if you reasonably fit. It's not an overwhelming feat my problems were generated by the fact my old man is a Royal Engineer and kept a strong pace throughout as he's done Snowdon a dozen times in his service (including a 8 hour hike from the base at Capel Curig and via the Crib Goch route where one sapper carried an ironing board for a laugh). He's fast approaching 50 now but we are both competitive so went up quite quick.

One key bit of advice if you do take the miners. Don't be fooled and burn yourself early. The first third is a lovely slow winding path, the second is a steeper path made of shaped boulders which are a little precarious to walk on. But the last third is literally climbing about 400m in what feels like less than a km in distance . It's hard on the joints and will need likely need rest stops. The best bit is it's even less fun in reverse as you come back down.

However please don't be put off as it's incredibly rewarding and feels like a huge sense of achievement.

Have you done Pen-Y-Fan before?

Not really sure about any historical fiction... though our history makes Game of Thrones look some what... average. No real Dragons no... but beyond that... heroes and villains-a-plenty.

Gwynfor Evans Land of My Fathers

John Davies A History of Wales

Also Kari Maund's The Welsh Kings: Warriors, Warlords and Princes

I've also read a few things by David Thornton which I find quite interesting. :)

Also Gideon Brough's Rise and Fall of Owain Glyndwr if you want something a little more precise. Though I think it was /u/KaiserMacCleg who directed me to that one and may also have more suggestions for you. :)

After reading a few things though... essentially the history taught in schools is British history which is naturally in favour of the events which created our nation today... Henry VIII is important for his dissolution of the monasteries. Where as Welsh history... when our star has risen its usually been the the detriment of England... and in return when their has risen its been at ours. Whether it was Parliament of Owain Glyndwr's day calling the Welsh "bare footed idiots" or the Treachery of the Blue Books in 1847.

Da iawn! / Very good!

May I recommend this, as the best introduction to cynghanedd? It's written in English by a great Welsh poet and will set you on your way. It also contains a CD to help you get the sounds right.

Pob lwc gyda'r barddoni! / Good luck with the versifying!

EDIT: Forgot the link!

I haven't come across many that I've thought worth reading, unfortunately. Those that are readily available at bookshops tend to be reference works with a few paragraphs (or a page or two for the larger castles) set aside for each. That may be exactly what you're looking for, but they all tend to retread old ground - ground I'm already familiar with.

I did appreciate Castles of the Welsh Princes for its slightly more focused scope and the wonderful reconstructions it provided for some of its castles.

The website Castles of Wales is, despite its aged appearance, a great resource that covers everything you're likely to get from such reference books and then some.

The Welsh Rare Beat compilations are pretty damn awesome. Check it: Welsh Rare Beat and Welsh Rare Beat 2 - Digital copy

Also, Gruff Rhys (of the already mentioned Super Furry Animals) has a good solo album, Yr Atal Genhedlaeth, that is completely in Welsh.

I'm pretty sure a book is a source and generally a highly regarded source in both media and academia.

Not obscure - The BBC: Myth of a Public Service https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1784784826/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5OAPDbFGME8F6

Amazon have it good to go for your kindle or soft and hardback books are available.

If you think I'm going to disseminate a 288 page book on the subject for you, I don't think you've got much chance.

I'm no Medievalist/Early Modernist (my MA is in Modern History) but as someone with two history degrees who teaches this stuff every term, I honestly don't know where to start with your reasonings, so I'll just leave you to it.

If you're genuinely interested in the history of the Reformation in Europe and Britain, get a copy of Peter Wallace's The Long European Reformation. It's starts in the mid-14th century and is a bit heavy in parts, but it'll help you to put some of what you're saying into a wider context and realise that it really wasn't brought about because of the reasons you give.

I actually envy people who are just starting out with Reformation scholarship. The singlemost fascinating, tragic, bountiful and misunderstood period of human history.

Wow. They completely missed Deep Country, which is astonishing considering that I bought it on The Guardian's recommendation only a few years ago.

Here's a link - I highly recommend it: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-Country-Years-Welsh-Hills/dp/0141049324

Looks similar to this: http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0407/0685/products/snake-necklace-entwined_grande.jpg?v=1496504219

https://smile.amazon.com/Celtic-Intertwined-Snakes-Sterling-Pendant/dp/B07BLR2DHC

They have an accompanying book if that helps, or you could get the DVD (bit pricey though!)

Do you speak Welsh? If so, this is one we read in school. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Owain-Glyndwr-Cyfres-Gymru-Wonder/dp/1859029043

I like the story of Hywel Dda ("the Good") who gave property rights to women more than a hundred years before the English French arrived and rolled back his laws. It's vaguely reminiscent of Prasutagus (or whatever his real name was), who tried to challenge Roman inheritance law only for his wife to be beaten and his daughters raped as a result of his progressive thinking.

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