Stori Sydyn: Cymry Mentrus

Inspired to strive in 2013?

Cymry Mentrus, one of this year’s Stori Sydyn/Quick Reads titles, focuses on the lives of extraordinary Welsh individuals who have successfully challenged nature – from the Antarctic to Everest.

Maybe the most famous of these is Madog – the son of Owain Gwynedd who lived in the 12th century. If the tales are true, Madog discovered the Americas three centuries before Columbus claimed that honour. According to John Meurig Edwards, the Porthmadog-based explorer sailed westwards across the Atlantic twice, returning to north America the second time with families from Wales, and giving credence to the claims that Mandan, a native Indian tribe, spoke Welsh.

Another extraordinary feat is recorded in a chapter on Eric Jones. A mountaineer from Tremadog in Gwynedd, Jones successfully climbed the North Face of the Eiger solo in 1981. During a twenty-year climbing career, Jones graduated from climbing the mountains of Snowdonia and the Lake District, to conquering the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc in the Alps, before reaching the summit of the South Col on Everest.

The North face of the Eiger holds a fascination and is a challenge to international climbers. Many have died trying to reach the top. Eric Jones successfully climbed the North Face twice. The first time Jones was one of three climbers with Leo Dickenson, who not only climbed the North Face but also filmed the whole venture. In 1981 Jones returned to climb the North Face on his own, successfully overcoming the rock and ice overhangs to reach the summit.

Elin Haf Davies is another featured explorer. Born on a farm in the village of Parc, on the shores of Bala Lake, Elin engaged with a very different stretch of water when she and a friend entered the Woodvale Challenge. This is a rowing race across the Atlantic. James Cracknell, the Olympic rower, and Ben Fogle, the television presenter, won the race in 2005 – a year when 26 other boats had to be rescued when weather conditions turned extreme. None of this affected Elin’s ambitions. Two years later, after 77 days, 7 hours and 37 minutes, she became the first Welsh rower to successfully cross the Atlantic.

Lowri Morgan is another individual who has travelled far and wide. Born in Gowerton and educated at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr and later Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, Lowri is now a well-established television presenter on S4C’s Ralïo+ series. Encouraged by her parents to be adventurous, Lowri played rugby for Wales, before sustaining a career-threatening injury to her knee. Overcoming medical doubts to ever being able to run after such an injury, Lowri turned to marathon running and ironman competitions.

In 2009 she achieved one of her lifelong ambitions – competing in the 125-mile-long Amazon Race. Entrants had to be self-sufficient over the week-long jungle race. Lowri’s preparation for the challenge involved training with the Royal Marines, and spending time in a special chamber in the University of Bath, to help her acclimatize to running in the heat and humid atmosphere of the Amazon jungle. One hundred and twenty six runners started the race, seventy dropped out, but Lowri came home in the first group of ten runners. Some feet – sorry feat! ~Publisher: Y Lolfa