Archive for category Mountains
Weissmies SSE/WNW traverse
Posted by Ian in Ascents - Over 3000m, Mountains on August 10, 2009
The Weissmies (4017m) in the Eastern Valais Alps of Switzerland, is justifiably one of the most popular 4000ers, with uplift (i.e. cable cars to 3100m) if desired and then good huts as a base for attempts on interesting/varied routes to the summit. So a PD (what the hell does PD mean? check out Alpine Grading on Wikipedia) traverse of the peak made sense as our first goal for the week.
Weissmies summit ridge arête
After acclimatizing on the Jegihorn via ferrata and a night down in Saas Grund to relax, we made our way to Saas Almagell (1672m) on the bus, where we began our walk up to the Almageller hut (2894m). The approach route we took was fairly pleasant, with the first section through a wooded area that opened up to a valley with the old hut (now turned into a bar/hotel) about half way serving us cold soft drinks that we greatly appreciated on a break from the scorching heat of the midday sun.
Steady trail between wooded area and traverse up to Almageller hut
Up the valley and traversing North East the trail whilst not exactly steep, soon gains ground and the group rope was passed around (I’d had enough after the middle couple of hours hauling it… it was my birthday!). After about 4hrs walking from Saas Almagell we were at the hut, looking up to SSE ridge of the Weissmies and back behind us to the absolutely stunning Mischabel chain.
View toward the Weissmies’ SSE ridge from the Almageller hut
With a storm set to roll over the range in the late evening we set about eating plenty of the good hut food (amazing what they’re capable of with supplies that need bringing up via helicopter!) and trying in vain to get some sleep in the dorms (they’re not the quietest of places) before our 4:30am breakfast. The storm came and whilst not big by standards for the area, when coupled with some loose shutters and constant rumbling/flashes of thunder, was enough to make sure we only had minimal rest that night.
Bleary eyed we sat at breakfast, with awful (but turned about to be the best of all hut) coffee, muesli (again this turned out to be a luxury) and stale bread (the bread was always stale). Just a quick observation, but has anyone ever seen anyone looking remotely happy/excited to be up at 4:30am (or earlier!) to go out in the cold/dark to climb? I know I’d rather have had another 15mins in bed!
Yet by about 5:10am we were all outside, and after 10mins fiddling with kit and blinding each other with head torches, we were ready to get cracking. “You’re taking turns with the rope, yeah? Okay well you take it at first”, so I had the rope again to help wake me up even quicker. We shot off, eager to cover the first section and get onto the ridge proper before the other teams preparing by the hut, and soon found ourselves lost in a huge boulder field in the dark, sliding all over the place. Thankfully we were soon out of the boulders and onto a fairly gentle slope of snow up toward the col (Zwischbergenpass, 3268m) and the ridge we were after.
After some walking over rocky terrain we popped up over the top of the lower ridge and looked down onto the snow slopes on the Northern side as the sun really started to come up and spread light over the range. A quick stop to pop crampons on and rope up, and we were off, now as a rope of 4, with 2 of the team turning back with 1 person struggling with the altitude and feeling generally unwell.
The snow slope wasn’t too eventful, although a couple of sections of steeper gradient had me even more out of breath and thankful when things became more shallow. As we reached the top of the slope and the rocks at around 3700m the altitude really started to kick in with a headache growing and with my breathing struggling to keep up with the less thin air, dehydration kicked in again as it had done on the previous climb. Yet the stop to take crampons off for the rock scramble meant a quick pause and chance to take on liquid, that helped clear my head and focus on the next task.
I’d wondered what PD translated to and found to my relief that on the Weissmies it was nice simple scrambling, easier than some of the longer sections on for example Tryfan’s North Ridge (grade 1). However, whilst fairly simple stuff, the altitude makes things more tiring and a couple of moves did feel quite airy as we went close to the sides of the main crest. After around an hour and a half of climbing we reached a plateau at just short of 4000m and with it we were back onto snow again. After speedily devouring a sandwich I’d bought the day before in Saas Grund and taking on copious amounts of water we were up again and plodding carefully to the summit.
The short snow arête that leads to the top whilst not difficult is worth taking time over, not just because of the seriousness of a fall here but because of the amazing setting and means to the summit. Within a minute we were on top, celebrating our first 4000er of the trip with an absolutely fantastic view over the tops of the other large peaks around us and the clouds that lay around their mid-sections, down in the valley between.
On the summit of the Weissmies
Looking West from the summit of the Weissmies
We descended at decent pace and as we went my head cleared, allowing me to think clearer and concentrate easier on the terrain which by now was snow of varying degrees of steepness. About half way down, our guide asked how were doing with layers and if with the sun up we wanted to lose some clothes to our packs before we had to get past the objective danger posed by seracs. After this quick stop the pace increased considerably as we raced past the towers of ice looming above the trail and down onto the glacier to deal with a smattering of crevasses on much shallower terrain.
View back up the glacier toward the Weissmies. Summit peaking over the middle left
This final part of the walk was soon over, and by midday we were at the Hohsaas cable car station, able to enjoy a cold drink and ice cream over discussion of what had been an enjoyable climb and then onto what lay ahead for us. Finishing off and with the day still ahead we then made our way down toward the Weissmies hut where we’d stay the night, with our goal for the next day, the Lagginhorn, looming behind us to the East.
The altitude hurt going up but I absolutely loved the Weissmies traverse and of all the routes I completed during the trip, it’d be the first I’d go back to do again. The scramble was fun and made me work hard enough at altitude to feel I was really putting in a decent shift as I made my way over 4000m for the first time on the trip. And that final snow arete to the summit is just fantastic, a really great way to lead up to the top.
Jegihorn via ferrata
For acclimatization before attempts on 4000m peaks in the Saastal, the group made the way up the Hohsaas lift to Kreuzboden at 2400m and then along a trail to the North East to the foot of the Jegihorn (3206m). By this time we’d already spotted the summit cross and the high wire that offered a means of getting from the face we’d climb, over to the highest point of the mountain.
Wire crossing from 3/4 way up the Jegihorn via ferrata
The route begins at around 2800m and starts steadily with little more than exposed walking, which helped get quickly used to the idea of using the lanyards. Lanyards for those who’ve never used or heard of them are basically two carabiners on cord that attach through your harness and clip onto to the cable. Using the system soon becomes second nature, with the cord moving up the route alongside you and then when you reach a bolt, unclipping the top carabiner and moving it beyond the bolt, then doing the same with the lower, meaning you’re always attached, simple/effective = good.
My first reaction to the route was to use rock and only use the cable for clipping in, but as the rock became more rotten and loose I switched to making use of the cable for the majority of the time, as dictated by our guide “stop messing about with the rock and use the cable” (it may have been more bluntly put than that). With other people on route it’s sensible when the rock is loose to make full use of the cable but some advice, consider how your hands will cope with pulling on a cable for a couple of hours, particularly in this case if the weather is very hot and you’re sweating. If in doubt take thin durable gloves!
My hands suffered through over use of the cable
The cable runs almost the entire route and for the majority you’d be wise to stay clipped in given the seriousness of a slip on the terrain. There’s variety thrown in when you reach points where ladders, metal rungs and other attachments provide means of ascending. The exposure didn’t really bother me but there was one particular section that is as close to “knife edge” as I’ve encountered that took me back a little, but it’s nothing overly tricky. Over half way through the route, our group not possessing much climbing experience avoided the rope wire crossing option as it leads to a section more akin to a rock climb, instead opting for a drop down to a continuation of the scrambling with a “fun” part of steep rock that you needed to make use of small footholds and lean back whilst holding the cable to shimmy across.
“Fun” on the Jegihorn
Being my first via ferrata and unsure what grade it is (and how the VF grading works), I can only really compare it to scrambling I’ve done previously. Having spent quite a lot of time scrambling recently (on almost exclusively UK grade 1 routes) and starting to wall climb, I found myself really comfortable for the majority of the route apart from when I opted for the wrong move and made it more tricky than it should’ve been. The exposure didn’t bother me but there were times when it was quite airy. We all wore our large insulated boots for the route which were fine. Having said that, in summer conditions it would’ve made more sense to wear a lighter and not quite so warm boot if the option was available.
In terms of acclimatising it would’ve been perfect, had I not tried to get away with 1 litre of water and ended up feeling horribly dehydrated, which made the descent unpleasant over loose rock.
Jegihorn summit looking out toward the Mischabel chain
Overall, I really enjoyed trying out via ferrata, but in a funny way I felt it was potentially more dangerous than normal scrambling, as the attachment to the cable gave a feeling of safety that’s a bit false, as you’re still falling over rock if you slip! Still once you’re into moving with the cable it can speed up the ascent and the attachments provide interest and variety in the route. Definitely something I’m keen to try out again and a good way of experiencing fantastic routes and even more exposure than you’d normally be comfortable with.
Helvellyn via Striding Edge… at night!
One of those (should be rare) occasions when a throw away comment was seized upon without any serious consideration.
I wanted to try something non Snowdonia and my mate back from a stint in the Dolomites needed to be back for a new job starting early on Sunday. We’d spoke about the Lake District and I’d bought a few extra guide books to check routes. Then out of nowhere my friend suggested we could always leave after I finished work on Friday and try a familiar route, but in the middle of night. “Yeah, that sounds great!” And so that was that. We agreed to head back up Helvellyn via Striding Edge (we’d been up together in September 2008) by torch light and wild camp on the summit which we knew was flat/grassy in areas.
Having made it to the “hole in the wall” just before Striding Edge.
Serious problems such as a lack of transport and tent were amazingly easy to sort, so after a casual trip to a supermarket on Friday night we were on our way up the M6 to the Lake District.
As before we parked up in Pattersdale in what is a fairly large car park opposite a hotel toward the Northern end of the village. Not sure about parking charges, we slowly got our kit together whilst having a beer and reminding ourselves of the route, waiting for the clock to tick over midnight to allow us to pay for a full day of parking.
So at 12:01 we paid our £3.50 for the day, took a few quick photos, turned on our head torches and began off down the road.
The Kit
Worth covering off what I took for the night. So along with sustenance (i.e. beer, a disposable BBQ and meat to cook), I packed the following kit into my 70l Arc’teryx Naos rucksack:
- Sleeping bag – I took my MacPac Sanctuary 700 down sleeping bag as it’s actually lighter/warmer than my other bag. Knew it’d be too warm, but rather that than being too cold!
- Thermarest – Mine is a trail lite which seems to be a decent mix of comfort and weight for whenever I’ve used it.
- Smock – Rab Generator smock, which I didn’t need but for it’s weight and extra warmth is great to carry. And it made a pretty good pillow too.
- First aid kit
- Lighter
- Knife
- Stove/Gas/Kettle
- Map and Compass
- Oh and I packed everything in stuff it waterproof sacks to help keep it organised and dry in the tent if worse came to worse.
I then wore the following up…
- Jacket – The trusty Mountain Equipment Kongur once again blocked out some pretty nasty gusts of wind on Striding Edge.
- T-shirts/Base layers – So long sleeve Helly Hansen active base layer with active material t-shirt over.
- Trousers – Mountain Equipment schoeller material Liskamm. Just got these for the Alps and I’ve been impressed so far, nice stretchy material that is water resistant and the reinforced knees are great for scrambling. However, they’re not massively warm when it gets really windy/cold.
- Boots – More time spent in my Sportiva Nepal Evos to just get feet as used to them as possible. Way way too hot for the most part but that’s good to know.
- Head torch – Petzl Tikka, decent light even on lowest setting made walking in the dark pleasant.
- Spare stronger torch – LED Lenser bright white torch I had hanging off my pack for when we wanted to check around further than head torches would show. Always handy to have second source of light to hand I think too.
The Route
From the car park in Pattersdale you make your way North out of the village, past the local mountain rescue and police station, where you take the first left over a small bridge. From there you avoid the first right turn and then at the next choice follow the road round to the right which is made easier by the big sign reading “Helvellyn >>”. The tarmac road carries on for another 5-10mins, and toward the end opens up to give you (given weather) your first views up toward where you’re going, with a large ridge to your right.
You’re soon off the road, and heading toward the ridge and through a gate onto more rocky/muddy group that will continue for some time. It was here in the dark that we began to really need our head torches, so as not to twist our ankles on uneven ground and with cloud cover becoming thicker and so blocking out light from the moon. Funny thing was that with head torches on all these pairs of white dots appeared all around us, which even though we knew it was sheep was a little disconcerting!
Once you’ve turned onto the ridge, get ready for a pretty long trudge uphill. The gradient is nice but with a few sections of loose rock and a decent sized pack, we definitely felt this part of the walk, in particular as we hit the rock steps that signify the “hole in the wall” is close.
Going through the “hole in the wall”, we stopped briefly to talk about the next section and take in the view back toward a lit up Kendall far away in the distance. It was at this new height we realised the wind had picked up and with it the temperature had plummeted. So extra layers were applied and some food/drink quickly taken on board before we set off to tackle Striding Edge.
Having tackled the ridge before (in thick cloud), we knew what to expect and where it narrowed which helped a lot. However, with heavier packs on (roughly 12/13kg), we felt the wind on the exposed ridge even more so as it tugged at us and sent us off balance. Yet despite this we carried on across the top apart from a few sections where it was sensible to drop off to avoid anything too narrow where we’d be taking a risk should a strong gust to come across the ridge (by my reckoning in the region of 50mph gusts).
Having just finished Striding Edge as the sun starts to rise.
Reaching the end of the ridge and down climbing off toward the final section of ascent to the summit of Helvellyn, we noticed a red glow to the North East from behind Catstye Cam. Pictures cannot do it justice, the flickering red glow from behind the sharp point of the mountain with wind causing clouds to race in front of us, was absolutely breathtaking.
Sunrise over Catstye Cam from the end of Striding Edge.
Despite the cold we sat about for a good 15minutes taking photos and taking it in… after all we knew we’d be hitting the top of Helvellyn in thick cloud and now light.
This last section didn’t seem to take much time at all, going from the top of the slight ridge line to the right and winding up a path to the summit was a breeze compared to how I remembered it. And whilst we made this final climb, we moved further into the cloud and all around us grew lighter. A walk across the plateau past the shelter, summit marker (we got there at 3:35am) and finally by a cairn at the Northern end of the top we set up camp, where the ground allowed us to pitch the tent.
Never realised just how unsettling sheep could be…
Whilst watched by the occasional sheep we set up quickly, opened some wine and enjoyed a BBQ before collapsing into our sleeping bags. Despite being tired we didn’t get much sleep with the tent being battered by wind and rain. Somehow the tent survived and at 9:30am the next morning we felt rested enough to creep out and check out the view… of still thick white cloud. However, this soon this cleared and we were joined on the summit by a growing number of other walkers to enjoy the stunning view around.
Home for the night on Helvellyn.
After packing up, we tried in vain to find the water well noted on the map just South of the summit and then began our descent onto Swirral Edge. Despite weary legs and tiredness, we decided to have a quick “run” up Catstye Cam, from over which we’d seen the sun rise some 7hrs earlier and take the opportunity to look at Helvellyn and the two ridges leading to it’s plateau. From there we skirted round Red Tarn (that’s the lake between the ridges) and made our way back a slightly different route, which after jumping over a wall soon had us back to where we’d started.
Stood on Swirral Edge, eschewing the path for a rocky ridge.
It was great to try something different and get up onto Helvellyn at night to wild camp. Striding Edge is always an adventure, but at night in the cloud with strong gusts of winds it was a lot more so. We took it steady and made a couple of good calls to avoid even small sections of exposure, where it would’ve introduced risk that was unnecessary. Anyone contemplating walking at night, it may seem obvious but know the route well in daylight, do it in good weather and have a couple of escape strategies to hand.
Everest Base Camp – Training
Working out how best to train and prepare for the rigours of spending 2 weeks trekking in Nepal, at times over 5,000m is hard to work out for most who attempt the trek. Being one of the truly classic routes to trek in the world, a lot of people get their first taste of altitude walking to Everest Base Camp and go to Nepal not quite sure what to expect from it all.
I’d heard a lot about what to expect and some very different thoughts on training. I wasn’t sure if I’d done enough, so even though I know this isn’t going to completely clear doubts from someone who’s never attempted similar, I hope it at least give pointers as to what helped in the build up.
The majority of my training was quite simple really. I ran a couple of times per week during the 6months I had prior to the trip and spent weekends away walking up anything high I could think of and realistically get to.
Advice on training as an “Executive Summary”
(i.e. if you’ve seen the size of the article and don’t fancy reading it all)
- If you’re worried about your fitness, then do more. Don’t find out in the Himalaya that you can’t walk uphill for hours and hours each day.
- Don’t leave it until the last minute, I’d suggest building up slowly over 6 months.
- Mix your exercise/training so you don’t get bored.
- Walk in the mountains as much as is possible, with as many consecutive days as you can manage.
- Find a regular walking partner(s) for the days out to make it more fun.
- If you pick up a tweak/slight injury then stop and let it heal.
- Every time you’re exercising and feel like stopping for a breather, go a little further just to break down those mental barriers.
- Learn to walk uphill slowly as you’ll get AMS if you run up the hills in Nepal. Don’t get cocky through being over fit and ruin the trip. Pace is important!
- Learn to hydrate whilst exercising. I got used to carrying a couple of litres of water whilst walking and drinking it all and also running with a drink.
- Walk after little/no sleep (when it’s safe to do so!) to get used to switching off and ploughing through the miles.
- For all the physical training you do, remember a lot of what you encounter will push you mentally as well, be prepared to cope with discomfort but know when enough is enough.
- Enjoy yourself and remember why you’re doing it all… to go to one of the most incredible places on earth!
The Longer Notes
As a guide I left for Nepal on the 14th November, and began the trek on the 16th, making Everest Base Camp on the 23rd.
Running
When I booked the trip, I’d just started running, in order to ready myself for my first ever road race, the BUPA London 10k in May 2008, which I completed in 56mins 42secs.
Throughout the year I then ran the Sherwood Pines 10k, Lichfield 10k, Walsall 10k, Mallory Park 5k, Shugborough Hall 15k.
Finally on October 26th, just weeks before the trip I built up to running what turned out to be a very undulating Birmingham Half Marathon in 2hrs 6mins.
Walking
Whilst the running helped build overall fitness, actually getting up into the hills and walking was by far the best form of training for the trip, in particular when we strung a couple of days together with little sleep between. Looking back it was also experience in a variety of different environment and conditions that really helped test out kit and prepare us mentally for what was in store.
August 2nd – Peak District
Our first proper training walk was close by in the Peak District, in early August 2008 (so only 3 abd a half months before we left for Nepal). We ascended Mam Tor (517m) and then completing a ridge walk around Castleton. Putting extra weight on our back (6litres of water which put packs up to just over 8kg) was perhaps foolish, but sitting on top of Mam Tor we both realised how out of shape for walking up hills we were. We walked around 12miles that day and felt it the next.
Pushing yourself too far and scaring yourself with the idea of failure through lack of fitness is perhaps a good idea, as long as there’s time left to rectify that!
August 10th – Rutland Water
To get miles under our belts we then walked the main 17mile circuit of Rutland Water in hot weather. Whilst lacking the ups and downs we’d really benefit from, the walk was good for trying out some new kit and getting a long walk done together.
August 23rd/24th – Snowdonia
A real watershed for us was getting to Snowdonia and scaring ourselves to death in bad weather on Tryfan and then Crib Goch. We’d naturally picked the routes that were listed as the hardest in the guide books to push ourselves but got more than we bargained for. Tryfan started well but veering away from the main scramble we soon were out of our depth on the terrain and the weather closed in. After getting to the top we made a hasty descent and had a long talk about being more prepared/responsible about how we tackled mountains in the future. This was as we sat in the car, watching our tent get blown apart by strong wind… we slept in the car. And then the next day had it pulled out of the field it’d sank in.
After a quick breakfast we were at Pen y Pass to have a crack at the Snowdon Horseshoe, which despite the day before we felt confident about. Unfortunately weather again turned as we neared the top of Crib Goch and with wind pinning us to the rock at the start of the main ridge, we descended the shorter North Ridge which was a lot less windy, back into the Llanberis Valley. We walked to the car without much said and abandoned our plans for the next day. Beaten by Wales.
We saw the potential for mountains to turn lethal quickly and realised some of our kit was nowhere near good enough for bad weather. It was a wake up call beyond for the mental side required to be up high when invariably the conditions are far from perfect.
September 13th/14th – Lake District
With a selection of new kit to hand (and on foot) and new found respect for the mountains, we went to the Lake District for the weekend.
Our first day was spent doing a a long walk up Helvellyn via a very cloudy and quite wet Striding Edge, which we felt really comfortable on with the bad experience on a far more exposed Crib Goch still fresh in our minds. Then over Helvellyn Lower Man, White Side, Raise and Stybarrow Dodd before descent toward Glenridding. Shattered from a long day we went back to Kendall to the youth hostel where we were staying… and then out for the night around bars/clubs.
Next day after a short sleep and hung over, we were on our way to Wasdale, from where we walked to the top of Scafell Pike. The route we took was fairly direct, lacking much excitement and helped mentally prepare us for ascent when we felt like doing nothing other than sleeping.
Probably the best weekend of walking we did prior to the trip, as it combined a long walk with plenty of ascent on the first day, a poor night’s sleep (self inflicted but a lot of fun) and then another long day trudging up hill.
September 20th – Highlands
Then the next weekend we flew to Edinburgh, and made our way early on Saturday to Glencoe where we grabbed a few bits and then started up Ben Nevis. We made our ascent in thick cloud that from time to time broke. After a really long trudge we made it to a particularly cold and foggy summit. We had some food/water, took photos and then starting to really feel just how cold it was, hastily made our way down.
Wearing nearly all the layers we’d presumed we’d need for Nepal, yet still feeling cold was handy. Getting out in less the ideal conditions really help test our kit and the way in which we used it. Combined with a long walk up, it was again a really useful weekend.
October 4th – Snowdonia
Not wanting to be beaten by Snowdon, having reached the top of Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, and despite warnings of bad weather we went back to Snowdonia. With bad weather already in the valley as we got near we decided to stick to the Miners Track but soon people we passed told us of lots of water on the path whilst others told us the path had disappeared. We kept going with wind gusting over 60mph and sideways rain to about the point where the Miners and Pyg tracks meet before slow progress and light fading forced us to call it a day.
Despite not making the top as had been the goal, we were pleased by how much we’d learnt since then, we never felt uncomfortable and turned back at the right time. Our kit for the most part also withstood what was really awful weather in Wales.
Bristly Ridge – The second of hopefully many ascents!
Posted by Ian in Ascents - Under 3000m, Routes on June 22, 2009
I’d scrambled up Bristly Ridge a few weeks before and enjoying myself so much, hadn’t taken any photos and on returning couldn’t shut up about it, to friends who climb with me. It was inevitable I’d be scrambling it again soon enough.
With the solstice weekend, came the promise of good weather for Snowdonia. So plans were made for a very similar trip to the one I’d undertaken on my own. Then the weather turned at the last minute to low/thick cloud cover so we delayed our start, and began our ascent of Tryfan at 10:30am on 20th June.
This time the climb was made in changing visibility and occasional rain, that made it more like my first time on the mountain. As we were both happy on the terrain, we eschewed the path at almost every opportunity we had to scramble. My alarm hadn’t gone off, so I’d set off late and had to have breakfast in the layby. The brioche I hastily consumed down at the foot of the mountain made me feel quite queasy going up, but the fun scrambling soon helped me feel fine.
It was the first time I’d completed the North ridge properly, as on previous days I’d always ended up on the East face coming up one of the gullys. This time we stuck to main ridge, following the crowds and had great fun despite some very wet and polished holds.
All too soon we’d made it to the summit, where we grabbed a quick drink/snack and laughed at the ironic cheers from those sat up on top, when a tiny amount of sun broke through the clouds.
Looking back to Tryfan from the start of Sinister Gully.
After a descent off the Southern ridge of Tryfan, we were soon ascending again beside a stone wall and then off to the side to the start of the scramble up Glyder Fach via Bristly Ridge.
The Route – “Bristly Ridge” ascent of Glyder Fach
You can either approach the start of the scramble which begins in Sinister Gully (cool name, no?) by following the trail up to the side of the wall and then going across 10 metres to the right (as we did) or up an obvious scree slope directly to find the gap, neither are tricky so it comes down to your preference.
The gully is between 1/2 metres wide in most places and has a fair amount of loose rock on the floor, so care is needed as you traverse inside the gully, that you don’t cover those behind you in rocks.
The climbing isn’t too tricky but it requires you to be confident. As we entered the gully, we spotted a group using a rope (likely a course I guess) which we thought was odd but given conditions it was sensible for people not used to the terrain. Most sections benefit greatly from being on one side of the wall you’re climbing, so have a quick think before rushing headlong at the next problem… which admittedly I sometimes do!
This time it being wet certainly made the gully more of a challenge and it showed, with several people slipping quite badly around me. The route was really busy with quite a queue forming, but quite why people insist on being so close to the person infront is beyond me, there were several points when I was worried a few people were going to end up falling into each other and down the gully. Maybe I’m different but I talk to people around me on routes, especially when it’s busy, as it seems courteous to me to warn those around you of problems or for example if you cross loose rock above them.
Helping point out holds to the next person coming up the gully.
Upon reaching the top, I was a bit shocked to see splatters of blood on the rocks and then the owner of the blood, a chap who’d slipped on the route and had cut above his eye quite nastily, a further reminder how serious it can be.
The gully is the most technical part of the route though, so once you’ve exited it there’s just a couple more decent pitches and exposure left to challenge you, the rest is really just a lot of fun. It’s a case of sticking as close to the top of the ridge as possible and enjoying yourself. Often a small path is available that sidesteps a problem, but there’s nothing as tricky as before in the gully so stick at it. And on the occasions when you look over a spike to a big drop, needles to say that’s not the way, so check to the side a bit for a decent and easy climb down.
Ascending Bristly Ridge to the summit of Glyder Fach
The route sadly has to end but it does so gracefully, coming up on top of Glyder Fach and fading as a line of rocks that point toward to the rocky summit and the Cantilever (see photo on Wikipedia article on Glyder Fach to see what this). We carried on to sit near the top for another drink, before scrambling over Castell Y Gwynt and then down the Cribin Ridge (listed as a Grade 1 scramble, we took a line off the main ridge which was okay for descent but not much fun) to enjoy views back from where we’d been over over Tryfan and Glyder Fach to our right, and the Carneddau infront.
Tryfan’s West face from the Cribin Ridge.
At the moment, Bristly Ridge when combined with Tryfan’s North Ridge is my favourite route in the UK. Doing it in wet conditions amongst a crowd showed me another side to the route, one that’s more challenging and also worrying, with too many people caught out of their comfort zone. But enough of the serious talk, the gully is great fun and the ridge airy enough at times to make you double check your footing. And the setting whether it was clear as before, or this time with clouds breaking around, is simply stunning. This is not a route to be rushed, get up early and enjoy it!
More information
Always carry my cicerone guide to “Scrambling in Snowdonia” by Steve Ashton which I’d recommend you’d take for any route in the area. I also posted links to details of scrambling on Tryfan/Glyder Fach on my previous day on the route.
Note: The first, third and fourth photos used in this article were taken by my scrambling partner for the day (Adele). So big thank you to her for letting me use the action shots!
“Mini” Brecon Horseshoe
Posted by Ian in Ascents - Under 3000m, Routes on June 21, 2009
Seeing a friend who’s always up for an adventure one weekend in late May, we had the chance to get over to the Brecon Beacons, and the promise of good weather. With Snowdonia so much closer than the Beacons, I’ve rarely done much more than driven through in the past. Naturally, I looked for a route up the highest/most interesting points in the range, and had soon decided on the Brecon Horseshoe which included a slightly longer/quieter ascent of Cribyn, and then onto Pen y Fan.
Kit
With a steady trail and some grassy sections in store for the day, I decided to give my Sportiva Nepal Evo GTX boots I’d bought for the Alps, their first outing on the hills. Apart from that it was the usual, with a few extra bits of clothing in case cloud cover/wind picked up and made things cold up high. The route on a nice day whilst a little muddy in sections doesn’t really need any kit; my friend was comfortable in her day to day trainers and jeans.
Route
The first challenge is to find the car park! I’d used a Pathfinder guidebook (18 Brecon Beacons and Glamorgan) for the route and eventually found the single lane track out South of Brecon (easier to find if enter Brecon via the roundabout that’s South-West of the town) by a pub called the Drovers Arms. After that by following signs for a training camp and sticking to what appears to be the main “road”, we reached a National Trust car park.
After walking up the road through the car park, the main path is clearly visible straight ahead, instead we went to the left down into a wooded area to cross the river (via a bridge). Up the bank and then through some undergrowth, we soon found the beginning of a trail along the side of the hillside now infront. This carries on a little way until things open up to your right and you’re at a wall and gate. If you can avoid going up to the gate, then stay up high and turn right into Cwm Sere, there is a path down by the wall but it was boggy, whereas the one starting about 10-15m to the side is much better. Into the cwm are fantastic views of Cribyn, which is quite some way from where you begin the walk in.
The boggy path to the left, the better path is faint to the top right.
And from then on it’s a case of just enjoying the walk in, with fantastic views all around until the path begins to drop down to the side of the river. Then it’s a case of working out how you want to make your way up to meet the Northern ridge of Cribyn.
The ascent up to the ridge is quite steep, and by far the most difficult part of route physically. My stiff boots (rated B3) meant side to side traversing over some sections before I relented and re-laced them looser to allow more flex around the top. And then onto the ridge, which is pretty dramatic due to the gradient when approached, even if it’s not at all exposed to the sides for the person walking it.
From the top of Cribyn, the views back down into the cwm and over toward Pen y Fan are fantastic. So good that the blustery wind on top didn’t bother us as we sat enjoying lunch, watching small clouds race overhead. The rest of the walk from there on is made up of a steady ascent of Pen y Fan, which we did with constant changes in temperature as the clouds/wind took away the heat of the sun off us. The summit itself whilst a little dull through being flat, has fantastic views in all directions (if you get the weather) and being accessible attracts large numbers that crowd the top. From the summit the main trail is obvious when looking North, which is easy going apart from a small stretch of rocky ground just below the top.
Walking in the Brecon Beacons was a nice change of scenery from my now regular Snowdonia outings, and reminded me just how many fantastic places there are in the UK for me to get out and explore. The route was scenic and whilst I wouldn’t call it difficult, my legs told me I’d done a decent walk when I woke up the next day. So whilst it may be a little while until I return, I’m really looking forward to my next walk in the Brecon Beacons.
Finally, if you’re wonderiing why I called the route “Mini”, it’s because the guidebook suggests carrying on to Corn Du before heading back, we decided to make our way to the car park from the top of Pen y Fan.
Scrambling at sunrise on Tryfan and Glyder Fach
Posted by Ian in Ascents - Under 3000m, Routes on June 2, 2009
I’d wanted to re-vist Tryfan for some time, having had an eventful but not particularly enjoyable first experience of the mountain, when the weather turned badly as we neared the summit. With the weather good during the week and following my now routine check of the MET Office for Snowdonia’s weekend weather, which read “high risk of sunburn”, I decided I had to go.
Knowing that a nice day in Snowdonia = crowds, I decided to make things more interesting by getting to the mountain before or as close to sunrise on the mountain (sunrise being at just after 4am at this time of year…). So a plan was hastily formed to wake up just after 1am and go for the North Ridge of Tryfan (grade 1 scramble) and then up Bristly Ridge to Glyder Fach (grade 1/2 scramble), before legions of walkers ascended the peaks.
Kit
Unlike previous weekends when I’d weighted a pack down, I decided to go much lighter this time. So a couple of litres of water, some food, sunglasses and waterproof if the good weather turned rainy/windy. Having worn my new Sportiva Nepal Evos the weekend before up Pen y Fan on soft ground, I decided to wear them again to see how they coped on rock. Whilst not suited to scrambling, they ended up performing well; fit continues to get better and impress me more.
Route
Stringing together the North Ridge of Tryfan and Bristly Ridge up Glyder Fach is one of the more famous continued scrambles in Snowdonia, so documenting it is pointless. The Cicerone guide to scrambling in North Wales does a great job of covering the route and then there’s lots of websites covering each (listed at the end).
Arriving at 4:40am I quickly got changed and took a couple of photos to prove I’d made it to start so early. When I arrived there was only one other car in the layby, my plan had worked and I’d have the mountain almost to myself.
The ascent itself isn’t too demanding and route finding a breeze for the most part, you soon gain height and there’s plenty of options to make it more tricky (i.e. fun) if you want to.
As I started to make may way up onto what is a very broad North Ridge, the sun started to creep up over the Glyders, striking the shattered rock around me (and a group of goats who were up early too) to make the setting really breathtaking.
After finding a band of quartz and then moving up and slightly to the right I was at “The Cannon”. To my surprise I found the owner of the other car in the layby, wild camping just below the outcrop, which made me jump a bit as I’d got quite used to having the whole mountain to myself.
Reaching the summit just before 7am I hauled myself up the first summit pillar, had a bit of breakfast, took some photos and then with it being quite cold exposed to the wind, down-climbed (making a mess of it and hurting my ribs doing so, too early, doh!) and sat in a more sheltered area briefly.
Coming down on the South Ridge toward Glyder Fach I was joined unexpectedly by someone I’d chatted with on Twitter for the scramble up Bristly Ridge. Enjoying it so much I didn’t take photos, so I guess I’ll need to go back and do it again… 
The two scrambles strung together make for an absolutely stunning time in the Glyders and with the routes so quiet in the early morning the feeling of adventure you often lose to the crowds was retained. I’d probably suggest that Bristly Ridge is my favourite route I’ve yet to scramble in North Wales. I can’t wait to go back and do it again (and document it properly given I like it so much)!
Links to route information
Cwm Llafar Horseshoe… in reverse
After spending the previous weekend on the Snowdon Horseshoe with hordes of other walkers, I felt in need of a quiet route to try out my new 70litre Arc’teryx Naos pack. Having walked in the Carneddau during early 2009 in the snow, I fancied another look at the group of 3000ft+ peaks that made up the Cwm Llafar Horseshoe. So on the 3rd of May I went back to Snowdonia.
Kit
As mentioned I was testing out my new 70l pack so I packed extra kit than was needed and 8 litres of bottled water to begin with to take the total weight carried to around 11-12kg (knowing I need to build up to being strong at 15kg for Aconcagua). Remembering the route area had plenty of rivers and with rainfall over night I stuck with my Scarpa Mantas to keep my feet warm and dry. I also took an OS Landranger 115 map given we were in a more remote area for the day.
Getting there/The route
First thing is to get to Bethesda and park if you’ve drove. And then up to the top of the town to an area called Gerlan which is marked on the OS map. There’s something of a crossroads on the road out, we took the road to the East which stays North of the Afon Caseg. Going South-East you find a trail that follows the Afon Llafar.
The road continues past some houses and winds its way upwards, it was around halfway that my calves told me 8ltrs was a little optimistic on top of the extra kit I’d packed. So I quickly drank some and poured the rest to leave me with 6litres of water, and a couple of litres in Lucozade. Coming to the top of the road it’s fairly obvious where the trail heads which is along the side of a ridge to staying high to avoid the marshy ground found near the Afon Caseg. We had a go at a more direct route to Yr Elen but quickly found ourselves in really boggy ground and soon went back up to the main trail. We crossed over Afon Wen and made our way up steeper ground into the Cwm on its left side, with Yr Elen looming to our right. Again on the steeper ground, I felt the weight on my back a lot more, so we stopped and I had a drink “to hydrate” (and reduce weight).
Once into the Cwm properly and with it levelling out, we crossed between a small lake and a little rise toward Yr Elen. We were soon traversing up onto the North Ridge which I’d been up earlier in the year in the snow. In normal conditions it’s not all that exciting really, there’s some scrambling if you really want it but not a great deal or prolonged and with the heavy pack I was just interested in getting up. The view/feeling of remoteness make up for the lack of excitement of the route though and coming up at the top, it’s quite a sight looking out toward Anglesey and the sea.
After resting on top for some food/drinks whilst checking out the view, we made our way off the summit and down to meet the ridge that joins onto Carnedd Llewelyn. The route now really clear is easy to follow to the top, which was covered in a sprinkling of snow when we were on top.
Then back onto a short ridge to Carnedd Dafydd, where I ditched the excess water given we’d be descending from then on and literally skipped over to Pen yr Ole Wen for some more food/drinks whilst looking out over the Glyders.
Coming down we ventured once again too close to the rivers after descending by Carnedd Fach (it’s the cairn between Carnedd Dafydd and Pen yr Ole Wen). It’d be much more sensible to cross over the ridge going up Carnedd Dafydd and into the Cwm earlier than we did to avoid the marshy ground and jump over a barbed wire fence.
The route, like the Carneddau as a whole, has a remote feeling, much more so than others found in Snowdonia. If you’re after a nice steady but long walk in, for a quiet and simple ridge up high, then it’s great. But with exciting (i.e. busier) ascents nearby it’s not perhaps the best option. I’ve heard plenty of good things about the Crib Lem Spur up Carnedd Dafydd so that may be the best for an exciting day in the range, so I’ll be checking that soon…
In terms of training, the extra weight was tough given I usually pack as light as possible. Whilst frustrating and realising I’ve got a lot to do, the real pain was felt in my lower legs which I can strengthen. Overall I felt strong coming back down and could’ve walked on. So I’m positive, whilst knowing I have a lot to do.
Everest Base Camp Kit List
Kit is always important on a trip, not just to have the right level of equipment and clothing but also for you to be comfortable in it. So I’ve listed everything (well everything I remember) I took to Nepal for the trek to EBC. Packing for a decent length trip the first few times is tough, you’ll over pack and take things you come back having not used. You’ll probably also be horrified by how much your kit weighs when it’s finally packed. Hopefully the list below will help.
Before moving onto the list, there’s a couple of important considerations to remember:
- Time of year: I went in the middle of November, which is considered the main trekking season. Conditions do change in the valley depending on whether you’re there chasing the snow up or it’s chasing you back down. We didn’t walk on any snow at all on our way.
- Porterage: The main pack was carried by porters all the way up the trail so we only needed to carry a daypack.
- Weight limit: I worked toward a weight limit of 15kg for my main pack.
- Accommodation: We stayed in the tea houses all the way up. Had we stayed in tents then obviously changes to items related to sleeping would’ve been different.
So the kit I took, from the top…
Head
- Thermal Hat – Mountain Equipment thermal beanie style hat
I prefer not wearing a hat most of the time but when it got cold this was fantastic to have. Thermal liner inside is definite plus and helps keep your head nice and toasty when needed. - Neck Gaiter – Berghaus thermal style
Gave this a go after finding a balaclava uncomfortable. Really like the flexibility of the hat/gaiter combo. This works a charm and can be adjusted to cover more of your head in case it’s particularly cold or not wearing a hat (it can also be made into a hat). For Nepal it was handy on the last few days but given they’re pretty cheap, are worth it alone for UK winter walking. - Sun Hat – I didn’t take one…
Doh! Forgot to take one and paid for it on the acclimatisation day up above Namche (we’d also not taken enough water to compound it) and got pretty bad sunstroke, not ideal when you’re trying to stay 100%. So a decent hat to cover your head, if possible something light to cover the back of your neck is a necessity.
Body
- Long sleeve baselayers – Helly Hansen, 1x Polypropylenee, 1x Merino
For their weight and layering potential (if it comes to it I can put both on at once) they’re indispensable. Beware that the active baselayers usually don’t shield you completely from the sun, put sun tan on under, or else you’ll burn. - T-Shirts – 2 x Berghaus lightweight wicking
- Lightweight (100/200) Fleeces – 1xBerghaus (100 weight), 1xMountain Equipment (200 weight)
Actually didn’t need to wear them out walking but they were great in the evening. - Down Jacket – Mountain Equipment Vega Jacket
Lightweight down jacket with decent loft worked a charm. I used it from around 4000m up at night in the teahouses and then on the final day going up in the morning. - Waterproof Jacket – Mountain Equipment Kongur Jacket
I’ll say it again, I love this jacket. As the final part of layering it’s fantastic and helps me to stay almost always at the perfect temperature. You’d be fine with a lighter alternative but a good waterproof jacket will be flexible for other trips/walks, I definitely believe this one is good value given the use I’ve had out of it.
Hands
- Glove liners
- Warm gloves – Mountain Equipment Guide Gloves
Used only toward the top but they worked perfectly, and would have been fine without the liners.
Legs
- Boxers – 4x Polypropylenee (2 HH and 2 LoweAlpine)
So much better/more comfortable than wearing cotton. Perhaps another pair or two would’ve been nice, but I coped.
- HH Merino Baselayer
Used these on the final day over 5000m and found them okay but overkill really. In the morning I was glad of them but should have taken them off when I had the chance. Well worth taking in case the weather turned though. - Haglofs Thin trouser/shorts
My lightweight trousers for the trip doubled as shorts due to handy zips. The material was some special “clima-cool” that definitely made a difference on the lower sections of the trail. Shorts were also handy to have when it was warm under 3500m. - Berghaus Standard Walking Trousers
The main walking trouser I wore on the trip. Strong but lightweight material trouser with useful side vents high up on the outside leg for when it gets warm. Ideal. - Berghaus Deluge Over-Trousers
Waterproof over-trousers, used more than anything for extra warmth when protecting against strong winds on the final few days. We only had a bit of rain on the way down that didn’t merit them but still given weight/size and use as a shield from the wind/rain they’re essential.
Feet
- Scarpa Mantas (older style B2 rated)
I used these are my main pair of walking boots on the trip. Given the state of the trail and conditions they were overkill. Having ankle support was good at times but a much lighter weight boot would’ve been fine. Earlier in the year chasing the snow line they’d be much more useful. Still the most important thing was that despite being a too warm most of the time, they were comfortable as I’d walked in them a lot before Nepal. No blisters or other problems with my feet on the whole trek, so job done. - Merrels
No idea what model they are but they’re the standard lightweight summer trekking shoes you’d find in most outdoors shops. Wore them most at night but realistically would’ve been fine up until pretty high on the route given how warm it was. - North Face Down Slippers
Nice enough and keep your feet warm, but I wore them 2-3 times at most. A luxury, didn’t need them and weren’t practical in teahouses, too slippy.
Day pack
Berghaus Freeflow 20l
I’m a big believer in carrying only what is essential so was fine with 20l. My friend took a smaller pack and was also fine. Other members of the group opted for much larger packs… and managed to fill them with kit that they didn’t need. We were perhaps lucky with the weather so I’d probably advise 25/30l but I’d stick closely to what you’re comfortable with as long as it’s not wildly out from that. Somewhere on the outside of your pack to stow a water bottle is really handy.
Main pack
Berghaus Mule 80l
A hold all was the main pack style of choice. It makes getting to kit easy given the wide opening and was a lot easier for the porters to carry with the less rigid design. Not having lots of strapping/support also cuts on the weight of the pack so you can pack the same… but lighter.
Equipment
- Head Torch – Petzl Zipka
Definitely take a head torch. Any should do you fine, but do try it out before going. Saw people unwrapping them on the trip and not knowing how they worked and struggling in the dark. - Knife – Leatherman Knife
My mate I travelled with assured me a knife was essential. I used it once to prize apart chocolate digestive biscuits. A decent knife is always handy so take one and perhaps be happy if you use yours in a similar way. - Water Bottles/Bladder – 3ltr Platypus and 2x 1ltr Nalgene Bottles
Platypus first. Not ideal in my opinion… it’s great in the UK on day walks, in Nepal I found that it took on the taste of Iodine despite using neutralising tablets, was harder to keep check of how much water I was drinking and finally the pipe froze despite having fitted insulation. My advice, go with the Nalgene bottles. Why 2? Use one for your water, there’s plenty of places to fill up on the trail and mark the 2nd one as for in the night if you don’t want to get out of your sleeping bag to go toilet. Just make it obvious which is which! - Water Purification – Iodine drops/Neutralising tablets
You can buy bottled water but most people stuck to the Iodine route. Your stomach will probably hate you and show its displeasure on this route but it’s part of the trip, no? Just make sure you’ve got enough so that you’re not rationing Iodine and not drinking enough. - Waterproof Stuff Sacks
It was dry so the waterproof side wasn’t needed but it’s well worth having anyway. Fairly standard to pack using these. Knowing how best to pack with them, so that you don’t empty them each and every day to get clothes/kit, is the hard bit! - Medical Kit
Key parts to the kit… blister plasters, wet wipes, pain killers and well I took some Diamox in case. I got a bad head at Orsho, took some Nurofen and felt fine, then woke up that night in Dingboche feeling awful. In the morning half a Diamox and I was perfect again. At base camp before going up Kala Patthar I had to take another half tablet which made me again feel a lot better. Definitely take pain killers and talk to your doctor about Diamox, there’s so much conflicting advice/opinions about it that I’m going to put together an article on it. For now, know I took some with me and it worked fine. - Hand sanitizer
You’ll definitely want some of this. It seemed that it was more stomach complaints that hit our group and not the altitude. Trying to adapt to radically different environment, food, altitude is bad enough so try to introduce some hygiene by keeping your hands clean. - Reading Material – “The Climb” – Boukreev
Not that you’ll finish it, but good to take a book along to pass some time. I like to take something related and there’s plenty of material on the regio!
Casual clothes
Interesting one this, I took some clothes with me to wear in the evenings to get out of my walking kit and keep it as fresh as possible (actually to not smell so much at night). Couple of t-shirts made a difference, as did some warm jogging bottoms. But beyond that the walking kit got used in conjunction. So forget hoodies/jumpers, your fleece/down jacket are perfect for this.
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And that’s about it, any questions about kit you’re thinking about taking then feel free to ask and I’ll try to help.
Cheers, Ian
Everest Base Camp – Lots of articles to come!
It seems a common thing with people I meet who walk/climb to either have done the Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal, or want to do in the future and have lots of questions about what’s involved, the training needed, what the altitude is like etc etc. So I thought I’d write a series of articles to cover…
- The training I put in prior to Everest Base Camp and the sort of fitness I began the trip with.
- My Everest Base Camp kit list for the trek, what worked well and what didn’t. What else needed organising/sorting.
- What was hard and what wasn’t so bad.
- What I’d probably do differently if I went back.
- And throughout answering the practical stuff, importantly what the trek was like and a couple of personal highlights.
I’ll start soon with a bit of background on why I chose to sign up for the trek and the initial day out to gauge fitness before thinking about proper training.
And after finishing all of that I’ll cover where it left me and also consider the impact of mountain tourism/guided trips.