A Cambridge based coffee house day dreamer...
I'm a lover of perilous adventure, supplemented on occasion with the simple pleasures of the world's greatest cities. I'm increasingly fascinated by culture, art and design and believe people watching to be a genuine pastime.
A project delivery specialist by profession I combine creativity with a sense of urgency to deliver real change and make things happen. I love my work.
I embrace the very best of the modern world and ignore the rest. I live a pack light, stay agile, stay liberal life, stopping to see the sights along my way. Our time is short and the world is big so i better keep cracking on.
In January the snow started to fall again, and as the newspapers predictably forecast the end of the world, Sam and I decided to take an impromptu trip to Snowdon. As is often the case the 'end of the world' snow didn't quite materialise but we did arrive in gale force winds.
For that reason we decided to take a quick journey to the summit of Snowdon via the Pyg Track. The track runs up the inside of the Snowdon Horseshoe and would afford us some protection from the wind, at least until the final ridge.
We've come to know this track like the back of our hands as it's often our route down Snowdon after a tougher route to the summit.
We wandered up keeping fingers crossed for snow but alas it was not to be. No shortage of wintery conditions up to though!
Well worth a quick dash on a weekend. In the evening we treated ourselves to a Pizza at a regular place in Llanberis and the following morning we managed to get out to Idwal for a cup of tea at the lake.
So Jimbo turned 30 in August and decided he wanted to head up to Eskdale and take a run at Scafell Pike. It was a great summers day and I decided to play camera man. Here's what we got up to...
We took the same route Sam and I took a few years before. It takes in Mickledore ridge where you can catch some stunning views.
So word of our mountain exploits is getting around and a few of our friends are keen to get involved. This time would see Rich and Jimbo join us (me and Sam) on a quick run to Snowdonia to tackle Snowdon.
Rich & Jimbo on Snowdon
We took our tried and tested half horse shoe route but the weather kept things interesting, changing from rain to snow to sun to hail to rain again!
Rich, Jimbo and me on the summit. Sam stayed behind the camera on this trip!
A good day all in all even if there wasn't any view. Although I kept trying to find one!
Me - Checking out the view!
Before we left we were rewarded with a bit of snow. We headed out to our favourite tea spot to enjoy.
It was the middle of January and a few days before our trip I kept looking at the weather forecast hoping for snow. I was disappointed, no snow and no ice. In fact winter seemed to have left Snowdonia altogether. To make matters worse we had previously been planning to head up to the Cairngorms which was covered in the white stuff. The opportunity for a full on winter epic was missed.
But with one opportunity missed another presented itself in Snowdonia: A Three 3000ft summit climb taking in Glyder Fawr, Glyder Fach and the mighty Tryfan. The lack of snow and ice gave us the opportunity to get off the beaten tracks and scramble and rock climb our own routes up these three magnificent mountains.
(Me - Glyder Fawr Summit)
We decided to start off from Ogwen Cottage and head up to Glyder Fawr via Llyn Idwal and the 'Devil's Kitchen'. The day was perfect, a relatively barmy -7c and clear blue skies and sunshine. This was a rare treat indeed. From the summits all of Snowdonia was visible and with such clarity the map and compass barely made it out of the bag.
(Llyn Idwal & Devil's Kitchen (Top Centre)
(Left to Right - Jonny, Matt, Sam)
The route up to Glyder Fawr was spectacular. After the lake the route becomes quite steep and starts to get the heart beating. We followed the rocks up to the Devil's Kitchen Gully where we turned left to follow a ridge up to a shoulder between Glyder Fawr and Y-Garn, another 3000ft summit. In retrospect we could have taken this summit in at the same time and bagged four in one day without too much trouble.
(Me - Devil's Kitchen to the left)
(The Shoulder, Left to Right - Me, Jonny, Matt)
A quick stop for some food and we made the final steep ascent up to the Glyder Fawr summit. We soon came to the plateau with the summit in clear sight. We all commented that to find the summit in poor weather could be very difficult. With so many rock formations, you could easily climb the wrong one and think you have made it.
(Sam - Glyder Fawr Summit)
After some more food and drink we began to navigate the plateau and head over to Glyder Fach. The sun was shining hard and it would be easy to forget that just 3 weeks prior a climber had fallen to his death when trying to find a safe route down in the snow. Well equipped and well experienced, bad luck saw him fall through a 50ft cornice.
We made our way over to Glyder Fach but not without first taking in the unexpected treat that is Castell Y Gwynt. A rock formation clinging on to the side of the mountain, we had to take some time and climb up it.
(Me - Photographing Castell Y Gwynt)
(Castell Y Gwtnt - Sam & Me)
After this fantastic bonus we climbed our way up to the summit of Glyder Fach. This was a real opportunity to make your own route and we each did just that. After a few dead ends by the time I made the summit the others were already sat there having a drink.
(Glyder Fach Summit - Matt & Sam)
(Glyder Fach Summit - Sam, Me, Jonny)
From the summit we headed over to another bonus on this route, the Cantilever. At this point the challenge of scrambling and rock climbing our way to two summits had removed any disappointment about the lack of snow. It had turned into one of my best mountain days.
(The Cantilever - Left to Right - Matt, Me, Jonny, Sam)
From the Cantilever we headed towards our final challenge, Tryfan. We had to make a significant descent to the base of our third mountain which involved a steep scree slope. We headed down still full of energy and under no doubt that we would complete what we set out to do. We had read that some people decide to head back at this point choosing to opt for a hot tea at the car park over a punishing climb to the summit of Tryfan.
(Bristly Ridge Scree Slope - Jonny, Matt, Me)
About a third of the way up Tryfan the path disappears and it's time to climb your own way up. We did so in relative confidence with only a few moments for pause when sheer drops were within inches of our route.
(Tryfan - Half Way Up)
After a false summit we made a our way to the quiet summit of Tryfan with a good hour or so of daylight left to get ourselves down to lower ground. What a day, what a surprise.
(Tryfan Summit - Jonny)
(Tryfan Summit - Matt)
(Tryfan Summit - Sam)
(Tryfan Summit - Me)
So what next? With four of the 14 Welsh 3000ft mountains under our belt we are keen to complete the others. Meanwhile my fitness training continues whilst I'm seriously considering my first Himalayan mountain, Island Peak at 20305ft.
It had been almost 10 months since I last put on my mountain boots and swung the backpack over my shoulder, it's fair to say that was too long. Since September I've been watching the weather report waiting to hear the panic and alarm that comes with the first snow of the season. I'm sure motorists were sat in their cars enjoying the mild autumn but for me it was massively frustrating. Where was the snow?
Since last March I had decided that if I really want to take mountaineering to greater adventures abroad I needed to be much much fitter. After 10 months I am getting there but still have a way to go. I've been looking forward to testing out the new body in the hills.
After tales of last season Sam and I managed to recruit some more members ready to gear up and join our mountaineering adventures, so as the snow began to finally fall Sam, Jonny, Jim, Rob and I booked up some accommodation and headed over to Snowdonia.
Left to Right: Jonny, Jim, Paul, Rob (Sam taking photo!)
Still concerned there wouldn't be enough snow to make this a true winter expedition, I drove Jonny and Sam down to Snowdonia thinking at least it would be an opportunity to get away from it all. As we got closer we were excited to see snow covered mountain tops which gave us all a boost after the long car journey.
On Saturday morning we set out a 8.30am planning to take a 13km custom route up Snowdon taking on part of the Snowdon Horseshoe, the Miners Path and the Pyg Track. The route had us walking towards what consistently looked like a vertical ascent up on to the Y Lliwedd ridge. When we got there it was pretty much that, but as usual by breaking it down into small manageable sections, we soon made our own way up onto the ridge.
The ridge was much harder going than we had anticipated. There were no paths and the ground was rocky and the weather quickly deteriorated into a hail storm. A baptism of icey fire for our new recruits although none seemed phased at all. With ski goggles on and hoods up we pushed on through.
After some long and hard terrain we ate a load of what was now completely frozen food and made our final ascent to the summit. Jim remarked there had been times when what kept him going was the fact that turning round and going back the way we came was pretty unthinkable. He was right, the ridge was spectacular but the cloud cover made it a lonely and desolate place, not somewhere you want to be trying to descend.
We lasted about 20 minutes on the summit before the cold began to drive us down.
Paul and Sam
Jim & Jonny
Rob
The way down required the use of our crampons to get down the zig-zag of the pyg track but then a relatively easy stroll back to civilisation via the Miners Path. When we looked over at the face we had ascended and the ridge we had walked it was somewhat hard to comprehend.
So another winter adventure under our belts and preparing for the Cairngorms trip in January. I'm pleased to be steadily building the skills and experience which will ultimately enable more epic adventures in other places round the world. The lure of the worlds most serious mountains rarely leaves the back of my mind. Here's to working towards that dream!
