20-22 March – Chester Mountaineering Club hut – Llanberis, N. Wales
Our March trip took us to Chester Hut on the Llanberis Path. A few went up a day early to take advantage of the good weather forecast, which made a welcome change from our usual weather!
On Friday AndyR, Dan and Kent were the advance party on the Moel Eilio circular walk, returning to the hut via the Llanberis Path.
AlanW, Gill, Laurence and Malcolm completed the full Moel Eilio Horseshoe following directions in Great Mountain Days to do it by the book and collected four summits for Gill’s tick list and a worthy 3,000m of elevation gain. The views were spectacular and it was a beautiful sunny day in Wales! The downhill was interesting, we crossed a stile and headed down one of the steepest grass slopes I’ve ever negotiated and expected another stile at the bottom, however between us and the expected stile was a new barbed wire fence which we had to clamber over, using our sit mats to cover the barbs. Even with the utmost safety precautions Malcolm was still attacked by the barbed wire, but he survived. We certainly weren’t going to walk back up that hill, no thank you! We met up with Karim at the fence and all continued downhill to the second stile and onto a dirt road which joined the Llanberis Path. It was a satisfying achievement to follow the GMD book route exactly and earn the tick in the book.
Brad and Jerome climbed at Go Garth – Light House Arete (VS 4c) and Pel (VS 4c).
Shane did a night run up the Telegraph Road over to Snowdon Ranger, up to Snowdon summit and back down to the hut.
Adam and Charlotte completed the Snowdon Horseshoe, starting at the hut and returning via the Sherpa bus from Pen Y Pass.
On Saturday seven of us took the Sherpa bus from Llanberis up to the Cromlech Boulders from where we took a very steep path up the valley side to the North Ridge. The seven were Malcolm, Laurence, Gill, Alan, Juan, Karim and Sarah. We hiked up the ridge, up the scree, onto the north ridge proper and from there climbed up onto and summited Crib Goch. From there we carried on across Crib Goch, over to Crib y Ddysgl and “because it was there” hiked to the top of Snowdon to give Karim his first Snowdon summit. We bagged five summits and had another 3,000m elevation day.
Stacey, AndyR, Dan and Kent completed the Nantle Ridge from Rhyd Ddu to Nebo.
Meredith and Juno did some trad climbing near Tryfan, Overlapping Ridge Route (Diff 7 pitches, 150m).
Marie-Claire and Frances hiked up Moel Eilio, Foel Goch and walked back down Telegraph Road.
Brad and Jerome successfully climbed A Dream of White Horses (HVS 4c) at Go Garth.
After doing the Park Run at Hafan Pwllheli, Shane summitted Snowdon twice.
On Saturday evening, there were a couple of options for dinner. Gill cooked chilli for those wanting to eat in the hut and Stacey booked a table for a group curry in Llanberis. Others cooked their own food in the hut kitchen.
So Saturday was pretty busy! Now for Sunday!
Firstly we all worked together to clean the hut as is the normal on the day of departure. However this time it was hampered by the water not working, caught Dan out halfway through his shower! Apparently this was due to the filter being clogged and was fixed the following weekend. Luckily we were still able to clean thanks to the big containers of water left in the kitchen for this exact situation.
Once the hut was clean we all departed in various directions.
Charlotte, Adam and Malcolm climbed Flying Buttress (VD 6 pitch 87m) in the Llanberis Pass. Malcolm said it had gained 50 years of polish since the Classic Rock account.
Juan climbed Moel Siabod.
Alan introduced Karim to V12 in Llanberis, then was planning to do GMD walk 13, Llyn Anafon and Eastern Carneddau, or a plan B walk also from GMD, but the rest of the world had the same idea and he wasn’t able to park at either starting point. So instead he went for a walk around National Trust Bodnant Gardens which had wonderful displays of daffodils, before driving to his Dad’s.
Laurence wanted a nice flat walk so he and Gill drove home via the Rhug Estate café (had a breakfast box) and bravely walked across the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (followed by cake at the converted chapel tea shop).
Jerome and Brad also went to Llangollen and climbed at Pot Hole Quarry; The Dog (HVS 5b), Ceba (E1 5b) and Ego (E3 5c).
Shane went up the Llanberis Path to Snowdon summit, down the Miner’s Path to Pen y Pass, back up the Pyg Track and down the Llanberis again. Shane’s total Snowdon summits for the weekend? Five!
All in all it was a very successful and busy weekend. It was fabulous weather all weekend, the best dry and sunny conditions for Crib Goch, and it was great that so much climbing got done so early in the year.
Great trip and some quality climbs. And some extensive abseil practise!