Ceri Norton-Jones Continues Outdoor Adventures While Raising Two Sons

Ceri Norton-Jones, after traveling the world, chose to embrace Wales and continue her outdoor adventures with her two young sons, combining family life with her passion for hiking and camping in beautiful Welsh landscapes.

Outdoor Adventures Remain Central to Life

Spending time outdoors in the mountains has always been a passion for Ceri Norton-Jones.

After traveling extensively around the world and living abroad in places such as Nepal, South America, and New Zealand, the teacher from Ruthin returned to Wales for a period, intending to resume traveling.

However, something changed her plans; she fell in love with Wales and the mountains of Snowdonia once again.

Outdoor activities brought Ceri and her husband Gai together - they now want to pass on the same interests to their sons.

Disgrifiad o’r llun, Daeth gweithgareddau awyr agored â Gai a Ceri at ei gilydd - maen nhw nawr eisiau pasio'r un diddordeb ymlaen i'w meibion

After meeting her husband, Gai, their dates often involved walking up mountains and camping at sunset.

It made sense for them to want to raise their sons – Gruff, who is two, and Wilff, three months old – to enjoy outdoor adventures as well.

"We were still talking, 'do you think once we have kids, will we be able to do this? Camping in the mountains with a baby?"

"I was quite determined thinking 'I don't see why not'. You don't want to lose who you are.

"Before having children, everyone was saying 'enjoy it while it lasts, because everything will change'.

"That worried me, that everything I enjoy doing would have to stop. Our life was lovely before having children, so why change it?

"It hasn't – I can do it all with them, I just have to carry them!"

Enjoying Fresh Air in Beautiful Locations

Ceri and her family regularly go for walks across North Wales, aiming to enjoy fresh air and explore the beautiful locations of Wales.

Ceri has always shared photos of herself hiking mountains, staying fit, and completing triathlons on her Instagram account. The content still shows the same activities, she explains, but now with two little people joining her!

Fitness and outdoor exploration have always been important to Ceri, and she was determined for this to remain part of her life even during pregnancy.

"I've always loved fitness, feeling healthy, feeling good. The midwife said at the first check, if you've been doing it, carry on. So I did.

Ceri a'r teulu — Disgrifiad o’r llun, Mae'r teulu yn mwynhau'r awyr iach mewn lleoliadau hardd

On the summit of Foel Fenlli with Gruff, a few weeks before Wilff's birth

"I think it helped with recovery, to get back on my feet sooner, and helped me feel like myself again.

"I had a C-section with Gruff, and it was about four weeks before I felt like I could walk properly again, which was a really frustrating time. But after that, I was more determined to carry on as I was.

"I ran 5k on my due date with Wilff – by the end I was trying to do whatever I could to get him out! Days after he was born, we were out walking, and went down to Newborough for a day at the beach."

Ceri a Gruff — Disgrifiad o’r llun, Ar gopa Foel Fenlli gyda Gruff, ychydig wythnosau cyn genedigaeth Wilff

The Tent, Food... and Essentials

Ceri and Gai's adventures may not be quite as extreme as before having children, naturally, and the nature of family days out walking has changed somewhat.

"Before, we would have gone up Snowdon or Garnedd in Snowdonia at sunset – we don't do that now! Now we go around Cwm Idwal, or for more local walks like Wepre Park.

"Shorter distances, shorter time outdoors, carrying more, and thinking about food and rest, and what they enjoy doing. Gruff likes playing with water, so we try to think about going to rivers or lakes. But just being outside is what's important.

"Hopefully they will grow up loving Wales and the beautiful places we take them to."

Thankfully, Gruff is starting to walk more now, as carrying both children and all the necessary equipment is quite challenging, she says.

"Last year, Gruff had just turned one, and Gai was carrying Gruff on his back, the camping gear on his front, and I was carrying another bag of camping things – because there's a lot to take, like nappies, wipes, snacks, water.

"But he slept well, and we got to sit outside enjoying the sunset – it was lovely. And it was amazing to wake up and see the dawn and the mountains."

Gruff, Ceri a Wilff — Disgrifiad o’r llun, Taith i'r traeth am y tro cyntaf, a Wilff ychydig ddyddiau oed

First trip to the beach, with Wilff just a few days old

The family of four have been on short camping holidays near home – the challenge now is to go further afield with all the gear!

"The plan now is to try to do it with both of them. There's a spot we want to camp at. It's about 1.5km and with carrying camping gear... we're trying to build ourselves up to do it now.

"If Gruff can walk a bit, and we can carry the camping gear, and I carry Wilff, I think it will be possible – that's the goal this summer, to try camping in the mountains."