‘Lone Ranger’ job opening in Welsh mountains after 40 years

A rare vacancy to work in a remote mountain range in the U.K. has emerged after the “Lone Ranger” who worked there for nearly 40 years retired.

The position — dubbed a ”dream job" by some British media — offers a salary of £30,000 for a lead ranger to look after the 20,000-acre Ysbyty Estate in Snowdonia National Park in north Wales.

It was until recently filled by Andrew Roberts, 60, who began working in the park in 1983 as an assistant forester and eventually became the longest-serving ranger in Wales. During his four decades at the park — known for its dramatic river valleys and wild open moorland — he established a Celtic rainforest, a type of rare woodland found in temperate climates, and in more recent years looked after 29 Welsh mountain ponies.

“Farms and knowledge have been passed on through generations of families, and I’ve been fortunate enough to absorb some of this,” said Roberts, who was nicknamed the “Lone Ranger” according to WalesOnline.

Britain’s National Trust, Europe’s largest conservation charity, has posted an ad looking for a new ranger whose responsibilities will include planting trees and restoring peatland.

“If you’re all about delivering great conservation alongside inspiring people through your leadership then this is the role for you,” Trystan Edwards, a general manager at the National Trust, told WalesOnline.