June 2026 – Ogwen Valley

12-14 June 2026 Caseg Fraith – Ogwen Valley

Caseg Fraith is a purpose built hut on National trust Land right next to the Gwern Gof Isaf campsite.  It is owned by the University of London Graduate Mountaineering Club and sleeps up to 42 people.  MKMC has used it multiple times over the past years for Burns in the winter.  However given the fantastic mountaineering and climbing opportunities in Ogwen, and the abysmal parking situation these days which sees everything full by 7:30 at weekends, we have also started visiting in the summer months.

This was a very well attended meet with 28 sleeping in the hut and 4 others staying nearby.  8 people came Thur-Sun with the rest Fri-Sun.  The weather was generally good after Friday morning with dry rock and decreasing winds ending up with Sunday being a bit of a scorcher although the midges did come out in force.

On Saturday evening Peter, the meet organiser, put on a very well received vegetarian chilli meal with all the trimmings – and even Finn said no to a fourth helping once more chilli was discovered.  Everyone was well fed for £3 a head – not bad these days.  We are sorry to Michelle that a large bowl of extra cheese was found in the fridge the next morning!

Mountain highlights of the meet included:

• Alan and Gill tackling the east ridge of Y Garn while practising for their Gross Glockner trip.
• Henry and Dave for their 18 hour absolute marathon outing to Amphitheatre buttress inlcuding 9 hours walking in and out and 9 hours on the climb (top out 23:30).  Choose your objectives carefully everyone!
• Dan Weeks staying up to 3:30am on Saturday morning to make sure everyone was back safe – what a total hero!
• Evelyn and Simon getting back at 2:45am after climbing Pinnacle Rib route from the hut (top out 22:30) but ending up at Ogwen Cottage – better to be safe than sorry on a descent route in the dark.
• Alan and Tom nearly climbing on Sheepbone crag – but they enjoyed taking their gear for a walk
• Peter and Kathy scrambled  Nor Nor Gully Buttress but dropped into the gully when it became too much like a rock climb.  After eating lunch and bemoaning all the people without helmets climbing the gullies they finished up Bristly ridge – which was novel as they normally come down it.
• Nigel climbed Bristly ridge via the hard front gully.
• Grooved arete was climbed twice by Charlie in one weekend.  **Thumbs up** with Tom and Naomi
• Peter, Kathy, Charlie and Greg had a midgy trip to Craig yr Isfa but came back stuffed with swag; having climbed some excellent steep rock, and created a new route at E1 5a.  Carefully named by Charlie “I don’t know what a metre is.”
• Loz kept it real but did accompany Gill on the Carneddau circular in some pretty spicy winds
• Michelle and Alex arrived on their new motorbikes for transport credit (although they did admit later they got Stacey to carry all the heavy stuff)
• Stacey, Dan, Jason and Meredith trained hard for their alpine trip in late June on Tryfan West Face Direct and North Buttress – although this training primarily involved Stacey cooking massive steaks and Merry bugging Stacey for a camper van.
• Michelle was a hut supremo and we are very glad to see her feeling better and out and about.
• Oli and Juan climbed the Idwal slabs trifecta – and Oli had great climbing karma when someone returned his nuts…
• Adam K, Greg, Anna and Bex tackled Snakes and Ladders with some big smiles.  It turns out someone has put a stemple in the California big chain climb – too easy now 🙂
• Adam H and Charlotte had a classic weekend on Overlapping Ridge Route, alphabet slab and Shark Buttress – bold man!  They even climbed the yellow slab of HVS 4c doom.
• Tom, Evelyn, Anna and Simon did a full investigation of the crag behind the hut on Sunday and deemed it “OK”.
• Alan finally ticked off the North Ridge – South ridge traverse from Great Mountain Days walk 8 – supported by Gill and Loz.
• Finn went climbing with a mate of his who is “a bit mad” but seemed to make it back in one piece.

MKMC legends Andrew “I am a member of every mountaineering club there is” Russell and Kent “the chef” Perrin dropped in for a chat on Saturday evening after feeling too lonely at their hut.  

The committee feels that after this meet we may just have some awards for the AGM….  Although kudos to everyone for having a head torch.  Good prep.

This was a great meet with good camaraderie and lots of fun activity.  Thanks everyone.