On day 11 of the Olympic Torch Relay, crowds of onlookers gathered to cheer mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington as he carried the Olympic torch to the summit of Snowdon.

Sir Chris, 77, only carried the Olympic torch a short distance up Wales’ highest mountain as the flame travelled in a miner’s lantern on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. “The honour of carrying this torch, and joining other torchbearers around the United Kingdom, the whole thing is wonderful,” he said afterwards.

Sir Chris began his climbing career on Snowdon 61 years ago, but the occasion was a still a notable first for him. “I find it quite emotional as this is to do with so much of my climbing heritage. I started my climbing here 61 years ago. This is huge and I’m very, very proud”, said Sir Chris.

Before reaching Snowdon, the torch was raced along the Menai Strait to the Menai Suspension Bridge in 15 minutes after making early start in Beaumaris Castle, with the first torchbearer Lorna Price. A convoy of four RNLI lifeboats transported torchbearer Elen Evans. They were escorted by an RAF Sea King rescue helicopter and an RAF Hawk jet.

After returning from the top of Snowdon, the torch was taken by cable car up the Great Orme, the limestone headland on the Creuddyn Peninsula in Llandudno. Later, the flame will reach the Welsh border at Saltney, where Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle will carry it.

The Olympic torch will travel along the North Wales coast to finish the day in Chester, before coming back into Wales to visit Wrexham and Welshpool tomorrow.

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