10-13 April
The combination of a good weather forecast and an influx of keen new members in the club meant that this was one of the most over-subscribed trips in the club’s history. The Chester club hut sleeps 18 people and we could have almost filled it twice over. In the end, we had a full hut and at least 9 people in a combination of tents, vans, yurts and hotels around Llanberis.
The advance party arrived on Thursday, with Neal, Peter, Lee, Naomi and Malcolm going climbing, followed by Kent, Andy, Dan, Dave, David and Tom arriving later. Neal & Peter’s trip to Tremadog included the “atmospheric and spectacular” Poor Man’s Peuteray (S4a) and one stuck abseil rope.
Friday saw two walking parties heading for Moel Elio and both of them decided that this was a bit short, so it was worth the detour up to the summit of Snowdon, via Telegraph Gap and the Ranger Path. The crowds on the summit were commensurate with the weather, so no-one hung around for long. Punit & Maher chose a classic scramble up Tryfan North Ridge followed by the Glyders for a big day out, while Alex braved the heat on the sunny side of the Carneddu.
The climbers paired off and visited various destinations, including Lliwedd, Dinas Cromlech,
Milestone Buttress and Idwall Slabs. Highlights included Cenotaph Corner, Tennis Shoe / Continuation Wall and Rowan Route. The team on Horned Crag Route (VD) may or may not have wandered on to an HS.
Saturday included an additional challenge that can be common on sunny days in Snowdonia – parking.
Peter warned the group that Cromlech was already full, causing him and Kathy to relocate to the slate quarries. Charlotte and Adam chose to avoid parking issues entirely, by walking to Llanberis Pass. The main group of climbers visited Little Tryfan. Some spent the day pushing their outdoor trad leads, such as Dom ticking off his first Severe.
Team Toubkal (those in training for a trip to the High Atlas mountains in Morocco) travelled down to Moel Siabod to meet their guide and the rest of the expedition group.
Dan, Andy and Helena chose a short walk around Lynn Padarn which turned out to be even shorter than planned after a bit of confusion between miles and km. Coffee at the watersports centre, shopping at Joe Browns and lunch at Dolbadarn Castle extended the day a bit.
Team Kenny, plus Kent (in his smurf outfit) had a great day scrambling up Bryant’s Gully, followed by ascents of Glyder Fawr, Y Garn, Foel Goch and Elidir Fawr.
Saturday night was group meal night, as is quickly becoming tradition. Dan’s chicken curry came out of a packet, but Punit’s vegetarian option was cooked from scratch. This was followed by a crumble and a cobbler with home-grown rhubarb.
Sunday’s weather forecast was not as good as the previous two days, but it was a good example of a times to ignore the forecast and carry on anyway. A couple of vehicles departed early and another team opted for a short walk around Bets-y-Coed forest. However, those that stayed were rewarded with mostly dry weather. Two groups headed up to the Glyders, including the obligatory photo-op on the cantilever stone. The climbers even decided it was dry enough to visit the Dinorwig slate quarries.
Great trip and some quality climbs. And some extensive abseil practise!