13-15 December
This was our 2024 Christmas meet and we decided to go back to North Wales to the Ty Powdwr hut close to the Dinorwic Quarry. It’s a lovely hut in the hills right above Llanberis, with so many big peaks in close proximity.
Friday
Alan went up a day early and summited Tryfan South Summit via South Ridge followed by a coffee at the Llyn Ogwen cafe. He relayed useful information about the conditions to the Whatsapp chat group then returned to the hut and made sure the heating was on and fire lit in anticipation of our arrival later. Always appreciated, thanks Alan
Friday evening we all peeled, chopped and generally did all the prep for the Christmas dinner. The plan was to cook the turkey crowns overnight but they didn’t cooperate and were still frozen when we arrived.
Saturday
Alan, Stacey, Andy, Malcolm, Peter, Kathy and Greg did GMD (Great Mountain Days in Snowdonia) route 12 in reverse, so Aber Falls, Drosgl (758m), Bera Bach (807m), Carnedd Gwenllian (926m), Foel Fras (942m), Drum (770m) and back to the cars.
Nigel did a solo walk into Dinorwic Quarry , up to Elidir Fach (795m) and Foel Goch (831m).
Shane went for a 21 mile run, down into Llanberis, up the Llanberis Path to Yr Wyddfa (1085m), down the Pyg Track to Pen-y-Pass then up to Glyder Fach (994m), across to Y Garn (947m), followed by Mynydd Perfedd (821m), Carnedd Y Filiast (821m), and back to the hut via Dinorwic village.
Gill, Loz, Alex, Charlotte, Adam, Floyd, Ivona and Jason hiked up through the quarry to Elidir Fach (795m) and Elidir Fawr (924m), which completed Gill & Loz’s 2024 “2,000ft summit a month” challenge nicely.
Ivona & Jason descended and went into Llanberis, Gill & Loz descended back to the hut to get the (luckily defrosted) turkey in the oven.
Charlotte, Adam, Floyd and Alex all continued on. So, in addition to the first two summits, Charlotte and Adam also did Foel Goch (831m) and Y Garn (947m) before returning to the hut, and Alex and Floyd did a nice circuit over Mynydd Perfedd (812m) and Carnedd Y Filiast (821m), overlooking the Marchlyn Mawr Reservoir (if they could have seen it through the fog) then followed the track (which turned out to be tarmacked) back to the top of the quarries. It was cold at the top and visibility all day was the usual Welsh view.
Saturday evening we cooked and ate our annual club Christmas dinner, it’s great how everyone works together on this and the Burns trip when we all cook and eat as a group.
Sunday
Charlotte and Adam hiked down to Llanberis, up Moel Ellio (726m), another Foel Goch (605m) and back to the hut via Llanberis.
Peter and Kathy went down to Llyn Padarn, visited the castle and a café, then hiked back up to the hut via the quarry.
Alan and Alex did a lap of Llyn Idwal.
Gill, Loz, Malcolm, Ivona and Jason hiked down to and around Llyn Padarn, which isn’t as flat as you would think, had a coffee & cake stop and returned to the hut via the steep uphill stepped route above the slate museum.
Nigel went shopping in Llanberis.
Another great trip and where else can you have a catered Christmas dinner in great company for £11.50. PS cost does vary, we divide the total equally between partakers.
Great trip and some quality climbs. And some extensive abseil practise!