A family whose house is located on the highest mountain in Wales say they are happy with their lifestyle and would not want to change their life in any way.
Standing at 3,560ft Yr Wyddfa is Eryri's highest peak and the most famous mountain in Wales.
The landmark sees around half a million people climb its peak ever year. Although there are several mountains standing taller than 3,000ft in the national park the popularity of this mountain is far and above the rest.
Every year walkers come in their thousands to climb the summit, take a selfie on its peak, and enjoy the fantastic views that the area has to offer. But perhaps little do some of these visitors know that this corner of north Wales, and in fact the mountain itself, is a place that someone calls their home.
Nearly halfway up Yr Wyddfa you'll find a quaint traditional farmhouse where Eira Morris and her family have lived for more than 20 years.
Living right at the heart of the national park the family home is surrounded by rocky mountains, sprawling hills, sheep, and nature.
The family live off-grid meaning that lights and home appliances are powered by their own generator. They have never had a telephone landline which up until recently meant that the family would have to answer mobile phone calls by standing near a window.
Council worker Eira, 49, admits that living in such a unique place does come with its challenges but she adds that she wouldn't have it any other way. Originally from the Brynrefail area, which is only a few miles away from where she lives now, Eira come to live in this farmhouse after meeting her husband Geraint Rees Morris.
"I met Geraint while I was working for his dad," she said. "He had a catering van that was selling ice cream near Yr Wyddfa and that's how I met him.
"His family bought the Llanberis side of Yr Wyddfa in 1984 and had been farming on the land ever since. No-one lived in the house and it had been empty for 50 years before we decided to take it on and restore it bit by bit over a matter of years.
"The idea of moving to a place like this never concerned me. I always liked the idea of living in a detached house and living somewhere so unique – there is nowhere quite like it. We moved in back in 2002 and have lived here ever since.
"My husband was a farmer and we sadly lost him 11 years ago. He was 32 years old when he was diagnosed with leukaemia. It wasn't the aggressive type of cancer and he lived for eight years with the condition. We lost him when he was 40 years old. This place and the house meant the world to him."
Throughout the years the house has been a home for Eira and her husband as well as their four children. By now Eira and three of her children continue to live there with the eldest having moved out. While life in the family home has changed over the years Eira notes that the surrounding area and its popularity has altered too.
"A lot has changed over the years," she said. "The surrounding area has become a lot busier. A few years back they would only come here in the summer but now they come here in the summer and the winter. Once it snows people want to see this place.
"In the summer we have to drive through the thousands of motorists and people that are walking up Yr Wyddfa. The Llanberis path doesn't directly pass our house but we have the occasional walkers that go the wrong way.
"Sometimes in the middle of the night or early in the morning you hear the dogs bark and know that someone is there. Sometimes I have to help them out. I'll wake up from my bed, open the window, and tell them where to go – I'm more than happy to help them most of the time.
"But other times – especially when I'm tucked in bed and know we have a big sign right next to the road leading up to the house telling people that this is not the path to the mountain – it can be frustrating. Obviously they don't think anyone lives around here and go completely the wrong way."
Last year Openreach announced they had started work on installing broadband to the top of Yr Wyddfa in time for this year's summer season, making it the highest full fibre broadband connection in the UK. Among those local residents that would benefit from this work was the Morris family.
"Before last year we could have broadband by sticking a phone outside the window and then this would carry the broadband to the laptop," Eira explained. "If anyone had work to do we would travel down to the village and access wifi at Llanberis centre. Whenever someone tried to call us you'd have to stay by the window and stay there for the whole time.
"Say it was foggy, you wouldn't have the best signal. But now the broadband has made our life so much easier. The most exciting prospect for us as a family was trying out Netflix. Now I can make a phone call through the wifi and can do it anywhere in the house."
Like anywhere however, Eira says, where they live does have its "pros and cons" with bad weather being a particularly negative at times. She said: "As I work every day I can pick stuff from the shop with no issue. But when I know the weather is going to be bad I have to consider that I need enough supplies – tea, bread, and stuff for the freezer – in case things get bad.
"But if it gets terrible my water will freeze so before now I’ve had to move down and live with my mum and dad in Brynrefail. I haven’t had to do it in a long time but the last time we had terrible weather was Beast from the East in 2018.
"The last snow we had in the winter that’s just been I had to walk for a mile to reach Llanberis and then my boss would pick me up and take me to work in the mornings. My boss would bring me back in the afternoon and I would have to walk back home. Luckily it didn’t last too long."
While seasons come and go, and the influx of visitors that come with them, one thing remains the same and that is Eira and her family's love for the place they call home. Despite it challenges Eira admits she wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
"Whenever I tell people where I live they are shocked that a house exists in such a place," she said. "Some people think I’m out of my mind but others say they would love to live here. It’s not easy living here but I love it.
"And my children absolutely love it here as well because they were raised here and they don't know anything different. They are used to living on a mountain.
"The best part about living here is, of course, the scenery. It can be so quiet here – there is nowhere like it and I feel so incredibly lucky that I live here."
