Posts Tagged Welsh 3000s
Snowdon via the South ridge from Rhyd-Ddu
A long time since I last posted so here’s the first of a few updates to cover what’s happened the past few months. After this I’ll do write ups of
- Summer ML training at Plas y Brenin
- A quick look at new kit – Rab Momentum waterproof and Meindl Air Revolution 3.1 walking boots
- Cwm Eigiau wild camp from Dolgarrog
and I’m planning a tidy up of the background pages to the website. Thanks to all the people who’ve left comments on here and Twitter about the blog. Hope everyone had a cracking Summer!
The weekend before (early July 2010) the start of Summer ML training it felt right to do some walking up high, get some more miles in my new boots and add another day to the logbook. I’d be going out on my own and trying to ignore the increasingly poor conditions predicted for the day, I decided to take a look at different route up Snowdon. Waking up early, I arrived in the pouring rain at an empty car park by Rhyd-Ddu (it’s pay and display) just before 6am.
A deposit of slate to the side of the trail towards the South ridge
Leaving the car park at the North end and across the train track the path ahead is clear, well maintained and ascends gradually. There’s no problem spotting the fork in the trail either that takes you East away from the main Rhyd-Ddu path towards the proper start of the South ridge. The first section along this trail was pretty boggy and often submerged in the conditions but otherwise would make for a quick and steady walk up as suggested by the route I was following (see end of article for a link). At numerous points before reaching the saddle between Snowdon and Yr Aran are reminders of the considerable mining history of the area, with several buildings and huge deposits of slate to the side of the trail.
Making the saddle (Bwlch-Cwm Llan) I took advantage of the wall that runs along it to shelter from the driving rain, to check my non-laminated map (it was retired after this route…) and decide what next. I’d been tempted to go up Yr Aran as part of the route, but given the poor conditions and being on my own on unfamiliar ground, I decided that getting up and down Snowdon as quick as possible and back to somewhere warm/dry made the most sense.
Sheltering from the rain behind the wall on Bwlch-Cwm Llan
Approaching the ridge from the saddle there’s a sharp gain in height before things settle into a more gradual ascent over a clear trail. Things carried on for a while before I found myself a little off the crest of the ridge (on the Western side) and needed to scramble back up a short section, I’m guessing I lost the main path at some point to end up needing to do this though. After meeting the Rhyd-Ddu path the ridge narrows over Bwlch Main to give some exposure (hard to tell how much as the cloud was so thick), although the strength of the wind (gusting 50mph) certainly added to things.
On this narrower section I met the first and only person I’d seen during the ascent, a quick “Morning, you alright?” between us and I was beyond the ridge proper on onto the final section of ascent, some short ascents on wide rocky tracks. Making the summit I was amazed that despite the weather/time (~ 9am) I was the only person in sight (visibility was about 30m).
Heading back down quickly as there was nothing of a view and the weather was cold/depressing at best, I quickly found the fork after the narrow section of the ridge that goes right and down onto the Rhyd-Ddu path itself. Around halfway down I began to meet others on their way up, looking forlorn and not enjoying the path which now resembled a stream. It’s really hard to tell giving how dense the cloud was but I’d be tempted to suggest taking the alternative route up over the standard Rhyd-Ddu path up would make for a better ascent, anyone done both?
In conclusion it’s hard to make any real conclusion about a walk done in such poor conditions, however, having seen the ridge line in clear weather I can imagine it makes for a spectacular route. I’ll definitely be back, when the sun is out and in with others to enjoy the route another time. Having the summit to myself was a bonus and not something I guess will happen again soon. Getting up and down for just before half 11 meant my pace felt comfortable at around 4km/hour, which was handy to know prior to a week of training. The heavy rain battered my waterproofs and left me pretty wet from the day, so it was out with the waterproofing treatment as soon as I got back.
Fancy doing the route?
- Check out the full route detail on Walking Britain.
Elidir Fawr horseshoe around Marchlyn Mawr
With a cracking weekend of weather in store and my Summer Mountain Leader training on the horizon, I was joined enthusiastically by my girlfriend (Laura) for a quick getaway to walk/camp in Snowdonia. The walk would be Laura’s first mountain day and my first in a new pair of walking boots (Meindl Air Revolution 3.1 – my attempt at a lightweight summer boot). Thinking through a few options, I ended up deciding on following a route I’d completed the year before in Winter, around Marchlyn Mawr to pick up the summits of Carnedd y Filiast (821 metres), Mynydd Perfedd (812 metres) and Elidir Fawr (924 metres).
Us on top of Elidir Fawr with the Marchlyn Mawr reservoir behind
Leaving work we were quickly packed and on our way, only to hit the M1 and turn around as I’d left my boots at home, whoops! Further delays hit in the form of roadworks in Wales, so we arrived late at the Gwern Gôf Isaf Campsite near Tryfan on the A5. Setting up the tent we were able to light the disposable BBQ and get food/beer out in the last light (around 11pm), only to quickly retreat inside the tent to avoid being eaten alive by midges. Apart from the obvious annoyance of me being the tastiest thing to midges within several hundred square miles, the campsite was great and I’d definitely recommend it due to location and basic facilities.
Up leisurely at around half 8 we were back in the car and soon at the the start of our walk where there’s adequate parking on the verge (Grid reference: SH604627). After surveying the mountains infront of us whilst disposing of some pastries for breakfast inside the car, we began to steadily ascend via the tarmacked road that leads to the reservoir. When the road starts to zig zags we found ourselves presented with a sign for our first mountain of the day… I debate now whether following it was best, with the ground being covered in thistles and requiring a jump over a small river, whilst to the side the road leads closely to the style at the bottom of Carnedd y Filiast, oh well! The ascent is at a good gradient over ground not overly steep on a solid path which still gains height well and has increasingly good views back down over the reservoir and towards Elidir Fawr when you fancy a quick breather (we needed it in the increasingly hot sun). Halfway through the ascent the ground levels off, giving fantastic views over the Carneddau before the final and more rocky section of ascent is made.
The summit of Carnedd y Filiast with Elidir Fawr behind
Walking off the summit of Carnedd y Filiast you slowly descend to the hump that is Mynydd Perfedd and with it increasingly spectacular views down the Ogwen Valley over the rest of the Glyders and to the right the impressive route of ascent up Elidir Fawr. There’s a fence with numerous styles on that can be crossed over to meet the path to Elidir Fawr, so just find the fence and cross where you fancy.
Looking towards the ascent route taking on Elidir Fawr
Following the ridge line to the summit of Elidir Fawr is the last decent ascent section of the walk, which whilst not overly steep was taken at a slow pace given how hot the day had turned out to be. After a short section clambering over rock we were at the small shelter at the summit of Elidir Fawr to enjoy some lunch, a drink and the fantastic views back down over Marchlyn Mawr reservoir. Several groups arrived at the summit looking exhausted, following the climb from the Llanberis valley as part of an attempt at the Welsh 3000s.
After a short walk along the summit ridge of Elidir Fawr there’s an obvious path down a scree slope towards Elidir Fach. Heading North off the summit and down a ridge line a line down towards the road taken on the ascent becomes clear (go a little NNW to avoid finding yourself overlooking one of the small quarries from above).
Walking around Marchlyn Mawr to the top of Elidir Fawr allows you to see a less visited (if not still fairly busy in places) part of the Glyders and enjoy a good day out in Snowdonia, with fantastic views over the main ranges. More than anything I was over the moon to see/hear how much Laura enjoyed the day, having let on halfway through the walk that she’d been a little worried about what the day was going to be like. As preparation for my Summer Mountain Leader training it was great, I’d managed to do in a small part what the ML will hopefully allow me to do more of in the future, show others just how incredible the mountains are.
Fancy doing the route yourself? Want more photos?
- The route is described in full on Walking Britain.
- Check my Flickr for photos of our Elidir Fawr walk.
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!
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.
Snowdon Horseshoe
Posted by Ian in Ascents - Under 3000m, Routes on May 1, 2009
It’d become something of a long standing joke that every time I tried to summit Snowdon, I’d been beaten back by awful weather (a severe weather warning and wind strong enough to knock you over on Crib Goch). So on the 25th April 2009, with the prospect of some good weather, I made my way over to Wales for the day, to try to finally complete the Snowdon Horseshoe.
Kit
With showers and occasional gusts expected but nothing too cold I went with my trusted base layer/tshirt, Mountain Equipment Kongur Gore-Tex jacket on top, walking trousers and Scarpa Manta boots (B2 boots more because I wanted to wear them than needing to) combination. Then a light fleece and over trousers in my 43litre pack, if it got particularly cold/windy/wet on the route. My friend also kindly packed the contents of the car footwell in my pack to “help with my training”.
Getting there/The route
If you’re driving then by far the best option (if you can get there early enough) is the car park at Pen y Pas, although with limited places and us setting off from Leicester there was no chance of getting a space. The next best option is to drive down the road back toward Llanberis, look for spaces on the road or head to Nant Peris and make use of the Sherpa Bus park and ride service (cost £4 for a car then £3.50 return to Pen y Pas).
There’s countless sites/books out there that provide a far better and more detailed discussion of the route than I can, so find links to those sites below…
and I’ll just cover the exciting/interesting parts of the walk on the day.
Quick information
The route is listed at around 7 to 7.5miles, gains over 1150m over the route and should take around 6-7hrs. We got round in around 5:30hrs at a decent pace in good weather. It’s not considered a walk as such but a Grade 1 scramble, which means there could be a fair bit of exposure to heights and you’ll most likely need to use your hands to clamber up rock to complete the route. In bad weather it’s not worth attempting unless you know exactly what you’re doing as terrain is regularly exposed, steep and rocky.
You’ll pick up the summits of Crib Goch (923m), Garnedd Ugain (1065m), Snowdon (1085m) and Y Lliwedd (898m). So 3 of the Welsh 3000s and the highest point in Wales, not bad!
The walk
The initial walk takes you out of the top right of the car park onto the pyg track and ascends at a really nice gradient to get you going. By the time the track divides, with options to go either left to Snowdon or right for Crib Goch, I felt warmed up at the decent pace we’d set off at.
Naturally there was little discussion to be had, we were going via the knife edge ridge of Crib Goch to have some fun scrambling on one of the really famous routes in Snowdonia.
With clear weather and plenty of people going the same way, it was easy enough to follow the path up to the ridge of Crib Goch. Our attempt before we’d gone too far to the right and ended up on more exposed sections of rock. This time we made short work of the scramble up to the start of the ridge.
Once up onto the ridge, I was happy to at last see the summit of Snowdon, after the previous 3 times it was shrouded in clouds/rain.
The ridge itself whilst a little daunting at first, really isn’t too bad, if heights don’t bother you that is! So we took some photos, watched people move slowly like crabs across the ridge and then made our way across the top.
As notes will no doubt mention, if you’re feeling confident of your balance or there’s not much wind then walking on the ridge is no problem, if not then drop down to left (that’d be the Southern side) where you’ll find decent footing and be able to hold onto the crest for extra security. Not that if you were on the ridge you’d consider it, but the right hand side of the ridge is not a good place to go, it’s near vertical and has one hell of a drop! The true summit of Crib Goch is toward the middle of the ridge in an exposed position but with fantastic views, if you miss the cloud/fog.
A small climb down onto a grassy area is soon followed by a scramble up onto another ridge toward the summit of Garnedd Ugain. And then it’s a gradual slope down to meet up with the main trail and alongside it the train track that goes up toward the summit of Snowdon.
After what’s come before the trail is not only really easy going, you’re also in the company of the “prawn sandwich” crew up to the overcrowded summit. Still the view, if you get one, is worth whatever you’ve put up with en-route, which luckily for us on the day was pleasant weather.
After a bit of lunch looking out over the Horseshoe it’s down a steep scree slope to meet up with a path that heads up Y Lliwedd via a fun scramble that perhaps looks worse than it actually is. Coming down back after the summit my knees were feeling less than great, the terrain whilst interesting definitely takes it out of your joints if you’re carrying any weight.
The Snowdon Horseshoe is an amazing route, definitely one to try even if you just do Crib Goch, get to Snowdon then come back down the main trail. The views and sense of adventure you’ll get from the walk are fantastic and probably not matched on other similar options in England/Wales. But, and it’ll be mentioned time and time again, be aware it is exposed up on the ridges and if you’re not keen on heights or have never walked on a ridge before it’s probably best to build up to it or avoid it completely.