It's winter in Snowdonia. As storms batter the mountains of north Wales, five farming families battle the elements to rear their animals as they prepare for a year like no other.

On the slopes of Cadair Idris, husband and wife Ken and Lisa Markham are gathering their flock of Welsh mountain sheep into the pens, but with the wind and rain beating down, herding their animals is challenging work for them and their team of trusty sheepdogs.

Near the village of Ysbyty Ifan, 24-year-old Beca Roberts works alongside her father Glyn and her mother Eleri. She's the fourth of five children but the only one working on the family farm. They're preparing the shed ready for lambing and cleaning out the sty for Beca's pet pig.

On the other side of the valley is Guto Davies with his wife Yvonne and their three young children. Guto is also preparing his farm for some new arrivals - his herd of heifers should be giving birth to calves any day. Guto has spent his life in this valley and is immensely proud of his community.

A stone's throw from Bala, Geraint Davies is doing his early morning rounds and checking on his herd of cattle as they shelter from the storms. Today he's got two little helpers in tow, his daughters Kiti and Betsi. The morning routine is a daily juggling act for Geraint and his wife Rachel as they try to get the kids off to school.

On the exposed hillside above Llanuwchllyn, third-generation farmer Rhodri Jones works alongside his 82-year-old father Llew. They're giving their small flock of pedigree Suffolk sheep a health check. He may have handed over responsibility to his son but even in his 80s, Llew is still hands on with the livestock. The Jones recently welcomed the next generation on to the farm, Rhodri and Claire's two-year-old son Wil.

This time of year is all about preparation and a few of the farmers are scanning their ewes to discover how many lambs they're carrying and what their year ahead might look like. However, as Britain leaves the EU, there's a lot of uncertainty about the future, and a bad deal could have a serious impact on our farmers.

As summer arrives in Snowdonia, it's time for the farmers to gather their sheep off the mountain slopes ready for shearing. With a lot of livestock to round up and much ground to cover, a team of good dogs and good shepherds is vital.
Ken and Lisa Markham leave their own farm behind to help Ken's cousin Wil gather his sheep as they do every year. It's a favour that will be returned later in the season. It's wild and rugged terrain, too steep for quad bikes, so the only way to round up the flock is on foot with a gang of good sheepdogs.
Times are changing though, and other gathers now use technology to speed things up. Near Bala, Geraint Davies is helping to gather sheep on a large estate belonging to a local landowner. With the weather setting in, the race is on to gather the sheep, and quad bikes allow the shepherds and their dogs to cover a lot of ground quickly.
Near Ysbyty Ifan, young farmer Beca Glyn is also gathering. She needs to round up a small gang of ewes who are being sent to Anglesey. Fortunately for Beca, she has the help of her trusty sheepdog Bruce, her cousin Elin, and her young dog Bess. For all, it's a chance to work on their skills and get the job done.
On Cadair Idris, the day of the Markham's big gather arrives. They have around 800 sheep to round up from across the steep slopes of one of Wales' most impressive peaks. Ken and Lisa have called on plenty of helpers from the local community, including cousin Wil and their old friend Goronwy who has been gathering these slopes for longer than Ken's been alive. Teamwork, experience, and top-quality sheepdogs pay off, and a hard day's work means a well-earned feast for the shepherds.