Snowdon Rocks, the annual walking and music event set up by local rocker and cancer patient Mike Peters nine years ago, is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever before with home-grown musical talent performing for free in venues across Llanberis on June 20.
Local singers and music groups of all ages and all genres will be playing throughout the day in Llanberis’ Electric Mountain Centre, The Heights Hotel, and Penceunant Isaf café and families across North Wales are being encouraged to come along and enjoy the day.
Over 400 people are expected to summit the highest peak in Wales as part of Saturday’s Snowdon Rocks Festival. Walkers, who will be joined by sporting and music legends as well as Welsh media personalities, will enjoy intimate performances along the way from the Alarm front man.
Seventy four people whose lives have been touched by cancer and who are unable to take part in the walk will meet the walkers on the summit of the mountain. These ‘Strength Train’ passengers have registered on the specially commissioned Snowdon Mountain Railway train which has been sponsored by local Rotary Clubs.
A further 56 people now also have the opportunity to take part in the ‘Strength Buses’, two VIP Electric Mountain Bus Tours that will go into the heart of Elidir Mountain on June 20. These complementary bus tours have been provided by Electric Mountain for those people that weren’t able to get a place on the fully booked and extremely popular Strength Train.
Snowdon Rocks has raised over £300,000 for North Wales’ three Cancer Treatment Units and local hospices since being established in 2006.
This year all monies raised will support new facilities in Ysbyty Gwynedd’s Alaw Unit and new equipment for both the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre and the Shooting Star Unit in Wrexham Maelor Hospital.
Mike Peters says he’s particularly excited about this year’s event:
“We’re joined every year by people from across the world for this special day, but this year we wanted to make sure that more local people who actually stand to benefit from the money we all raise through the event could take part.
“I’m incredibly grateful to all the singers and groups that are taking part on the day and I’m so thankful that groups like the Rotary and local companies have come on board to help us to create a more inclusive event.
“We heard last week that three families had to drop out of the Strength Train because they weren’t well enough. It was a real reminder for us all of why we’re doing this.
Asked why the day is so special, Mike says:
“Snowdon Rocks is a chance for us to come together to have fun, enjoy music and our beautiful scenery. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate, show our thanks to the great nursing and medical teams we have here in North Wales, and remember loved ones lost.”
