Michael G. Ormerod
The Welsh 3k challenge
Raising money for the YMCA
Heavy rain, low cloud, gale force winds gusting to 60 mph was the weather forecast for Saturday that greeted us at Pen-y-Pass Youth Hostel when we arrived midday on Friday. Rather than attempt all 15 peaks under those conditions on the following day, our group decided to tackle the first three peaks that afternoon. Our main concern was the possibility of having to cross Crib Goch in a gale (as the guide book said ‘the knife edge arrête and pinnacles dictate extreme caution’).
Five of us duly crossed Crib Goch, the summit of Carnedd Ugain and on to Snowdon. We then followed the railway as far as Clogwyn Station where we descended steeply some 2000 feet over broken ground to Nant Peris. My knees have still to recover from the hammering they took. At 4:30 the following morning, having recruited Emm to the team, we set off again from Nant Peris. As we started the 2500 feet slog up to Elidir Fawr, the weather was good but, ominously, the clouds were glowing orange in the rising sun (‘Red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning’). Near the peak, the rain started and the wind began to strengthen.
We cleared Y Garn before the cloud descended. We were soon navigating
Starting the climb of Crib Goch
Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach in the forecasted heavy rain, thick cloud and winds gusting to gale force. At times, it was difficult to keep our footing, especially descending on wet rock. We decided that the conditions were too dangerous to attempt the exposed rock of Tryfan (the eighth peak) and reluctantly descended to Lake Ogwen.
On Glyder Fawr – or somewhere!
