After a week of what the national media described as “the worst winter in 50 years” we reached the Pen-y-Pass car park at approximately 9.30am on a cold Saturday morning in December. We began the inevitable faffing about putting on our layers, boots, backpacks and more. The car park gave me cause for concern as we were 1 of just 3 cars parked there. Another bout of ‘are we doing the right thing’ hit me. That said, we were here now and we were going to start the walk. We were safe in the knowledge that we were following a path and could turn back at anytime.
The conditions were such that we immediately called upon our crampons for extra grip. In hindsight we were probably just excited and in reality we could have put them on much further up the mountain. That said off we went with our spikes biting beautifully into the fresh snow. Almost instantly all my doubts disappeared. The scenery was epic, some of the most stunning snowfall I have ever seen. There were just two sets of footprints in front of us, just enough to help guide us up the path, but also few enough to indicate that we were not going to get caught up in any crowds.
We must have stopped three times within the next hour to take off layers. We were learning very quickly that layers were best left in your backpack and only taken out when standing still. I couldn’t believe how hot I was in the arctic temperatures. I felt good that we were already gaining valuable experience.
Ascending the Pyg Track we were well aware that the first mile or so was quite heavy going and I soon realised that my fitness was seriously lacking. At no point did I think I wouldn’t make the summit but I was appalled at how weak I had become. I vowed to return home and undertake a new fitness regime to ensure I was fit for the future mountains. I am pleased to say I did and am doing just that. With lots of short rests we were soon overtaken by small groups of late starters. Whilst there were now more people on the mountain we were still plenty happy as we knew the numbers were very small. It was good to stop and chat to a few folks and everyone was very friendly and encouraging.
We continued plodding our way along the track with the snow getting deeper. Within a couple of hours we were walking in 2ft of snow with more coming down around us. It was spectacular. ‘We could be in the Alps right now’ I remarked. And we could have, the snow was like nothing I’ve seen in this country. As we progressed further I realised we would soon be approaching the dreaded ‘zig zag’ section of the walk. This was the final steep ascent followed by a gentle stroll up to the summit. The zig zag was always referred to as a potentially hazardous spot in the winter. In fact one climber had died there two weeks ago. I put this out of my mind any carried on.
When arriving at the base of the zig zag I was shattered, planning on having a rest I was shocked to see Sam, who was and is much fitter than I, straight off and up the path. I reluctantly followed. To my surprise the zig zag wasn’t anything like described by the internet scaremongers and the sensationalist headlines of the Daily Mail. It was a wide path ascending the mountain quite steeply. You could certainly fall here but most falls would stop within a couple of meters and result in no more than a bruised ego. A really bad fall and some really bad luck could certainly be fatal but the path was perfectly manageable in the conditions we were in and with the right equipment. We observed a number of ill prepared walkers attempt this section without the use of crampons and the result was laughable. People on their hands and knees trying to ascend this steep section left me pleased we had been so prepared. We continued to give the path the respect it deserved and slowly ascended the face.
At the top of the face the temperature dropped significantly but I was so hot from our ascent that I didn’t need any extra layers. At a snails pace, no doubt frustrating Sam, I walked the final ¾ mile to the summit. On arrival we took shelter next to the café, which was closed for the winter. All shut down it looked like a secret military facility in Siberia. We added a number of layers and ascended to the Cairn to take some photographic evidence. At the Cairn my hands were so cold that I suggested not taking any photos as I would have to take my gloves off. I reconsidered and took a snap of Sam as quickly as possible. Sam returned the favour. I would later find out that the photo I took of Sam was pretty poor as I did it so quickly, whilst the photo he took of me was of much better quality. I felt quite guilty.
I sent some texts to concerned family members to confirm our safety and then we began to make our way back down the track. We met lots more people coming up and were glad we had started early and avoided the crowds, although relatively small. Coming down the mountain our sense of urgency disappeared and we took time to enjoy the stunning views and speak to fellow climbers. Lower down the mountain we even met some Europeans having a picnic in the snow. Much respect.
With every step I felt more and more achievement and I have to admit a strong sense of ‘I told you so’ towards all the doubters. We had done it right. We planned, prepared, acted cautiously and as a result achieved one of the greatest challenges we had ever undertaken. Later in the day on our journey down we met a good number of people with very little kit and no idea of where they were going and how long it might take. These are the people we read about in the news I thought. We both concurred that they would all have to turn back at the zig zag, as there were not equipped with crampons.
We returned to the car park at 3.30pm full of pride and completely knackered. After a brief stop at the pub we headed back to the B&B and relaxed with a drink in front of the fire, recounting the day’s events. The next morning we couldn’t resist heading back for a short walk before heading home. Back at Pen y Pass we decided to walk the miners track at the base of Snowdon but stop before the final ascent. My legs didn’t thank me but my eyes were very happy. A day of Alpine conditions made some great photos.
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