Mistar Urdd reaches dizzying heights to celebrate the Urdd’s centenary

Mistar Urdd follows in James Bond’s and Lara Croft’s footsteps

Today, as part of its centenary celebrations, the Urdd has placed a full-sized statue of Mistar Urdd sitting on a park bench on the Wyddfa, next to the picturesque Llyn Llydaw. The bench offers an opportunity for individuals, friends and family to take a seat, enjoy the view and take a selfie with Mistar Urdd, as part of a competition to win the bench for a week for a school, charity or organisation. The bench is a temporary installation and will tour other locations across Wales this summer. 

The imposing Grib Goch and the Wyddfa peak are the backdrop to any selfies taken in this spot, which is 1,430 ft above sea level. It’s the highest point that Mistar Urdd has been to on earth, although he did make it to outer space in 1998 when he travelled with the Welsh Canadian astronaut Dafydd Rhys Williams to the International Space Station.

A group of year 5 children aged between 9 and 10 from Llanrug Primary School, were amongst the first to be pictured with Mistar Urdd, as they participated in a Wyddfa trek with one of the Urdd’s Outdoor Service Officers. The Llyn Llydaw location sits on an accessible and well-trodden path, Llwybr y Mwynwyr, The Miners’ Path, and sits on land owned by the Baron Hill Estate, who kindly gave permission to Mistar Urdd and his bench to remain on the Wyddfa for the duration. Baron Hill Estate is the very same estate that permitted access to those filming James Bond’s The World is Not Enough, as well as Lara Croft and the Cradle of Life (Tomb Raider), onto the iconic rocky peak. 

Siân Lewis, the Urdd’s Chief Executive said: “Yr Wyddfa was the perfect place to launch our Mistar Urdd selfie bench competition because we wanted one Welsh icon to meet another, and as part of our work to help safeguard the Urdd for another century we wanted to raise Urdd awareness to new audiences.

“I’d like to say a big thank you to the children of Llanrug Primary School for joining us on our short Wyddfa trek today, and to be the first to have their photographs taken with Mistar Urdd. We’re also very grateful to Snowdonia National Park and Baron Hill Estate for accommodating Mistar Urdd on Yr Wyddfa. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone’s Hunlun Mistar Urdd competition entries throughout the summer. Happy summer everyone.”  

The selfie bench will remain on Yr Wyddfa until the early hours of Monday 18 July. It’s next port of call will be The National Library of Wales, before it will take pride of place in Team Wales House, at the Commonwealth Games, Birmingham. The Urdd is Team Wales’ official third sector partner and Mistar Urdd is its official mascot for the games. The bench will then return to Wales in time for a few days at the National Eisteddfod, following which the bench will go to the new Newport Indoor Market. And once it’s spent a week in a school or community in October to coincide with the Urdd’s National Centenary Jambori, the bench will move to its permanent location of one of the residential camps. 

Ailish Harker Roberts, Snowdonia National Park Authority’s Young People’s Officer said: “We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to work together with the Urdd to celebrate the centenary and to promote outdoor opportunities for a new generation of children and young people. This will contribute towards their understanding of the importance of the area and the environment towards their health and wellbeing.

“We want to ensure that Eryri’s fragile landscapes are protected for future generations, and we will only be successful through education and working together. Giving the opportunity for people to climb part of Yr Wyddfa to take a selfie with Mistar Urdd will also encourage more to learn about the history, heritage, culture, wildlife and the varied landscapes of this special part of the world.”

The Mistar Urdd installation was created by the Welsh company Wild Creations, the brainchild behind the infamous Rugby World Cup ‘ball in the wall’ at Cardiff Castle as well as Visit Wales’ EPIC letters from 2016. The Urdd is urging everyone to share their selfie moments by using #HunlunMistarUrdd on social media to be in with a chance of winning the Mistar Urdd bench for a week in the autumn to coincide with its national centenary ‘Jamborî’. Competition and location information, as well as further location announcements, can be found on the selfie bench webpage: www.urdd.cymru/hunlunmistarurdd