Snowdon

DaveGSCymro · Aug 29, 2009

Earlier this summer I decided that I was going to walk up Snowdon.

Lived in north Wales all my life and never been up. Had to put it off twice, once for weather and the other time when my wife was unwell.

Been keeping an eye on the forecast all week and decided last night that I was going up.

An early start was planned, I was out of the house by 5.15 this morning and started walking up the Pyg track at 6.00, a steady pace and I was at the top by 8.00, turned round and headed back down, misty and windy.

Down the Miner's track and back at the car for 10.00 at Pen Y Pass, home with a cup of tea by 10.45.

Cracking morning and being out early I beat the crowds. Took a camera but the bloody battery was flat

Where next then.......

AdamA · Aug 29, 2009

Tryfan. Best mountain in Snowdonia. Take the North ridge up.

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=Ogwen&countryCode=GB#map=53.11878,-3.99743|16|4&dp=os&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:53.11489:-3.99653:14|bangor|

If you get to the top in good order jump across from Adam to Eve and vice versa.

If you want a quick route down drop off the south end to Bwlch Tryfan and then either head left and follow the Heather Terrace back to the A5 or Right and back via Cwm Bochlwyd.

If you are feeling fit crack on up the Bristly Ridge onto Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr before dropping back down to Ogwen. You might want to give the Devil's Kitchen a miss going down, or if it is wet tho.

AdamA · Aug 29, 2009

Or stop cheating and do Snowdon properly, via the horseshoe.

DaveGSCymro · Aug 29, 2009

AdamA said:
Tryfan. Best mountain in Snowdonia. Take the North ridge up.

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=Ogwen&countryCode=GB#map=53.11878,-3.99743|16|4&dp=os&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:53.11489:-3.99653:14|bangor|

If you get to the top in good order jump across from Adam to Eve and vice versa.

If you want a quick route down drop off the south end to Bwlch Tryfan and then either head left and follow the Heather Terrace back to the A5 or Right and back via Cwm Bochlwyd.

If you are feeling fit crack on up the Bristly Ridge onto Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr before dropping back down to Ogwen. You might want to give the Devil's Kitchen a miss going down, or if it is wet tho.

Might be doing this next Saturday but Devil's Kitchen first.

AdamA said:
Or stop cheating and do Snowdon properly, via the horseshoe.

Not sure if i could handle Crib Goch

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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ELdijJpGcyc&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="364" width="445"></object>

EggChaser · Aug 29, 2009

+1 for Tryfan, do the North Face and then continue round the Glyders and Y Garn as well (another Horseshoe)

For info this is on the North Face

And Adam and Eve are

Also +1 for the Crib Goch Route up Snowdon - now for the fainthearted and definitely not for a Windy day.

Crib Goch - Snowdon is in the cloud

BTW I took this on Snowdon last time I was up there

AdamA · Aug 29, 2009

DaveGSCymro said:
Might be doing this next Saturday but Devil's Kitchen first.

Aye, DK is not good to go down. Mind you Bristly Ridge isn't the best.

Not sure if i could handle Crib Goch

It's actually dead easy, it's all in the mind.
I generally walk on the very tip of the ridge in all but strong/gusting winds, but it's easy to drop a couple of feet to the south side of it and use the ridge as a hand rail if that's asking a bit much.
Ya can't beat taking a platoon of gobby squaddies over there and watch them STFU and start crawling on handes an knees cdos they are too daft to think to drop down the side a bit tho. :augie

DaveGSCymro · Aug 29, 2009

AdamA said:
It's actually dead easy, it's all in the mind.
I generally walk on the very tip of the ridge in all but strong/gusting winds, but it's easy to drop a couple of feet to the south side of it and use the ridge as a hand rail if that's asking a bit much.

This is my problem, i recently went here and froze near the end, 65ft up, managed to get through to the end eventually but was stuck for a good 5 minutes tree hugging

I know it's all in the mind but that doesn't seem to make a difference and then I see videos like this

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See what happens this weekend

AdamA · Aug 29, 2009

Close yer eyes and feel the way with your feet.

DaveGSCymro · Aug 29, 2009

AdamA said:
Close yer eyes and feel the way with your feet.

AdamA · Aug 29, 2009

DaveGSCymro said:

I took a guy up there in thick fog once, and other than telling him to watch his step he didn't even know what the issue was. Funny as hell taking him back a couple of weeks later on a clear day.

DaveGSCymro · Aug 29, 2009

AdamA said:
I took a guy up there in thick fog once, and other than telling him to watch his step he didn't even know what the issue was. Funny as hell taking him back a couple of weeks later on a clear day.

I was thinking this today, if it was foggy then it would be easier by not being able to see the bottom, bit of a weird one praying for a foggy day :blast

AdamA · Aug 29, 2009

DaveGSCymro said:
I was thinking this today, if it was foggy then it would be easier by not being able to see the bottom, bit of a weird one praying for a foggy day

Aye, what the eyes don't see....

Tell ya, just shut em, and if you want a brown adrenaline fix just oepn em every now and then.

DaveGSCymro · Aug 30, 2009

Adam

Can you suggest an easier ridge walk than Crib Goch to get me started?

RadioActive · Aug 30, 2009

If it's Snowdon you want then going up over Lliwedd does give some ridgy rock with easy options and it's going to be a lot quieter than Crib Goch too. If it's easier ridges in general that you're after then I like Y Gribin which goes up to the Glyders from Ogwen.

AdamA · Aug 30, 2009

DaveGSCymro said:
Adam

Can you suggest an easier ridge walk than Crib Goch to get me started?

Tryfan's North ridge will get you on some exposed feeling rock but not out of your depth. It's the perfect next step from simply putting one foot in front of the other up Snowdon. Your hands will come into use but its only scrambling, not climbing. It's a great mountain for getting a feel for scrambling and the exposure that may bring.

A little further afield another of my favourites is Cadir Idris. The edge of the rim of the cwm is a great walk, and as ridges go it's fairly wide so you can get back from the edge.

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=masham&countryCode=GB#map=52.69573,-3.89705|14|4&dp=os&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:52.69464:-3.8956:14|bala|
Take the path up from the carpark at Miniffordd.

Another short but good starter for ten is Moel Siabod near Capel Curig. It's easy walking but fun none the less.
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=masham&countryCode=GB#map=53.07701,-3.91765|14|4&dp=os&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:53.07438:-3.93165:14|capel%20curig|
Zoom in to 1:25000 and you will see a path to the East of the main ridge that takes you up to a disused quarry from Pont-Cyfyng.
Once you reach the quarry carry on up to Llyn Y Foel and past it to the SE ridge - Daear Ddu.
An easy scramble will get you up this to the top where you can follow the main ridge back NE to where you started.

DaveGSCymro · Aug 31, 2009

AdamA said:
Tryfan's North ridge will get you on some exposed feeling rock but not out of your depth. It's the perfect next step from simply putting one foot in front of the other up Snowdon. Your hands will come into use but its only scrambling, not climbing. It's a great mountain for getting a feel for scrambling and the exposure that may bring.

A little further afield another of my favourites is Cadir Idris. The edge of the rim of the cwm is a great walk, and as ridges go it's fairly wide so you can get back from the edge.
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=masham&countryCode=GB#map=52.69573,-3.89705|14|4&dp=os&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:52.69464:-3.8956:14|bala|
Take the path up from the carpark at Miniffordd.

Another short but good starter for ten is Moel Siabod near Capel Curig. It's easy walking but fun none the less.
http://www.multimap.com/maps/?qs=masham&countryCode=GB#map=53.07701,-3.91765|14|4&dp=os&bd=useful_information&loc=GB:53.07438:-3.93165:14|capel%20curig|
Zoom in to 1:25000 and you will see a path to the East of the main ridge that takes you up to a disused quarry from Pont-Cyfyng.
Once you reach the quarry carry on up to Llyn Y Foel and past it to the SE ridge - Daear Ddu.
An easy scramble will get you up this to the top where you can follow the main ridge back NE to where you started.

Like the idea of Moel Siabod

have a look at this website for mapping, bloody brilliant :thumb2

AdamA · Aug 31, 2009

DaveGSCymro said:
Like the idea of Moel Siabod

Aye its a fun little walk. It can get a bit boggy around the Llyn tho so gaiters are order of the day.

have a look at this website for mapping, bloody brilliant

Yeah I tend to use http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php which is very similar. It has the added bonus of being able to follow roads automatically (so you don't have to click all the way along it, just a waypont where you want to go) on the google maps side so it's great for walking, cycling (road and MTB), trail riding and even the road bike.

Andy Higgins · Sep 5, 2009

Cadair Idris is a fab ridge walk, not exposed like Crib Goch, but usually much quieter than Snowdon/Tryfan/Glyderau.

PW Cymru · Sep 6, 2009

So when are we going to have a group trek up Cadir Idris then.

Never walked up it before and would really like to give it a go even with my dodgy knees.

EggChaser · Sep 6, 2009

That sounds like an interesting idea, haven't been up Cadair/Cader/Cadir for over 20 years

So far all my recent Welsh Mountain climbs have been a spur of the moment thing (i.e. check weather forecast day before and then leave house before 5:00am) 4+ hours on GS sets me up nicely :augie

.

Kind of depends on what date you are thinking of as to whether I can be available (especially as my GS is booked for service) and might have to meet at the mountain as would probably stay with a relative in Aberystwyth for that one.

BTW didn't the A470 in mid-Wales have a landslip recently - is it still closed?

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