Snowdon Mountain Railway carries Olympic Torch

[John Ashworth]

Olympic relay: Bonington carries flame to Snowdon summit

29 May 2012 Last updated at 07:13 GMT BBC

Mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington has carried the Olympic torch to the summit of Snowdon as the relay travels from Beaumaris to Chester on day 11.

The flame traveled in a miner's lantern on the Snowdon Mountain Railway and Bonington took a torch to the summit.

Crowds gathered at the summit in sunny weather to see the flame make its trip to the top of the highest mountain in Wales.

It travelled on a lifeboat across the Menai Strait at the start of the day.

Also carrying the flame will be gymnast Beth Tweddle and jockey Jason Maguire, who will ride the final leg in Chester.

Maguire's entrance into The Roodee Racecourse on 2011 Chester Cup winner Overturn will signal the end of Tuesday's 79-mile journey, with the flame having been passed on by 125 torchbearers.

The day began at Beaumaris Castle, with the first torchbearer Lorna Price carrying the torch on to a lifeboat for a 15-minute trip across the Menai Strait.

After her journey on RNLI Annette Mary Liddington she left the Isle of Anglesey along Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge - which was the first of its kind in the world when it was completed in 1826.

On a day when the torch will utilise various forms of transport, it headed for the top of Snowdon by train on a narrow gauge, rack and pinion mountain railway.

There it met Sir Chris, 1,085 metres above sea level, at the place he began his climbing career 61 years ago.

Elsewhere, the torch will take a lift in a cable car to scale the Great Orme - the limestone headland on the Creuddyn Peninsula in Llandudno.

At about 17:45 BST the flame will reach the Welsh border at Saltney, where Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle will carry it.

Upon leaving Saltney, the torch will be escorted by actors playing Roman soldiers, who will join the convoy at the Old Dee Bridge to welcome it to Chester.

The escort is a tribute to the heritage of the city, which was founded as Deva Victrix in the year 79 by the Romans, who stayed until the 5th Century.

"Gladiators" will stand at the Amphitheatre to greet the torch as it enters the city streets, and Canon Jane Brooke from Chester Cathedral is expected to meet torchbearers at its West Door.

Also among the day's torchbearers is 16-year-old Alex Staniforth, who is the youngest person to complete the Three Peaks Challenge solo, and Ian Powell, a 26-year-old wheelchair sports coach.

And in Hawarden, Vladimir Tolstoy, the great-great-grandson of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, will carry the flame.

The evening celebration at Chester includes performances from rock band Kids In Glass Houses and dance act Twist & Pulse, while world champion and Olympic rowing medallist Rebecca Romero will also be welcomed on stage.

A total of 8,000 people will carry the flame on its 8,000 mile, 70-day journey around the UK to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on 27 July.