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Winter walking on Crib Goch & Snowdon

Winter walking on Crib Goch & Snowdon


Postby mountainstar » Tue Dec 29, 2009 12:34 pm

Hewitts included on this walk: Crib Goch, Crib y Ddysgl, Snowdon - Yr Wyddfa

Date walked: 28/12/2009

Time taken: 5

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I decided at last minute (11pm on the previous night as I walked home after a few beers, and seeing a stary sky) to go up Crib Goch & Snowdon yesterday, up bleary eyed at 6am....but it was worth it in the end, when I got to the penypass carpark at around 8am, I was now shocked to find the parking fee charged now for the day is now £6, (still you pay this for a white knuckle roller coaster ride in a fair, and although similar, this was far superior) so after asking various others arriving for some extra change, i finally got some and set of at 8.15am with dawn breaking to the SE.
1 Sunrise over moel siabod dec 2009 (600 x 267).jpg

I walked along the icy path in the shadows until I came to Bwlch y moch and burst into the orange glow of the sun.
2  sunrise crib goch 2009 (600 x 234).jpg

3 sunrise from crib goch dec 2009 (600 x 238).jpg

4 crib goch and snowdon dec 2009 (600 x 450).jpg

5 sunrise from crib goch dec 2009 (600 x 220).jpg

Here the path splits, the lower one is the PYG track, today I was heading up to Crib Goch, only 4 others were ahead of me, about halfway up on the way up I caught up with the 2 of them, one of them commented to me "I am the only one without crampons today doing this!?" soon after this he wished that he had some at a very tricky steep snow and ice covered rock face, some how he managed it, no way would I have done it without crampons, it was hard enough with them on, strange thing was his mate had a rope in his rucksack but never got it out! After this section I passed the other 2 to break trail now on lovely virgin snow, not even any signs of old tracks from previous days.The view from Crib goch towards Snowdon was stunning.
6 crib goch and snowdon dec 2009 (600 x 386).jpg

Now along the snowy roller coaster, It was good to be first, and having done it several times before, I found the right "path" with no problems.
7 crib goch ridge dec 2009 (600 x 336).jpg

8 snowdon dec 2009 (600 x 450).jpg

9 crib goch ridge dec 2009 (450 x 600).jpg

11 crib goch ridge dec 2009 (600 x 284).jpg

12 crib goch ridge dec 2009 (450 x 600).jpg

13 crib goch ridge dec 2009 (600 x 450).jpg

15 crib goch ridge dec 2009 (600 x 450).jpg

16 crib goch ridge  dec 2009 (600 x 450).jpg

17 crib goch and snowdon dec 2009 (600 x 303).jpg

18 crib goch ridge dec 2009 (600 x 450).jpg

19 snowdon dec 2009 (600 x 380).jpg

20 snow sculptures dec 2009 (458 x 600).jpg


Once over Crib Y DDysgl I started to meet hundreds of walkers about on the other paths leading to Snowdon.
21 snowdon Dec 2009 (600 x 270).jpg

From here I followed the track by the snow covered railway line up to the summit of Snowdon by 12 noon.
22 snowdon Dec 2009 (600 x 372).jpg

23 snowdon Dec 2009 (600 x 450).jpg


Many of the walkers I was passing were wearing clothes, ect. not up to the conditions... jeans, trainers and even one in shorts and trainers, with them tiny socks that you cannot see! in snow that was about 7 inches deep, madness!
I chose the Miners track for my way down.
24 snowdon Dec 2009 (600 x 280).jpg

25 snowdon Dec 2009 (600 x 315).jpg

I was hoping for some nice picture by the 3 lakes on the was down, but as I passed Glaslyn I had one last picture...
26 glaslyn snowdon Dec 2009 (600 x 424).jpg


...before the cloud came in and swallowed up all the higher peaks.
Back to a busy and packed penypass by 1.40pm, was I glad that I thought at last minute to do this classic walk in these perfect winter conditions.
Attachments
10 crib goch ridge dec 2009 (600 x 450).jpg
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mountainstar
Walker
 
Posts: 2507
Munros:282   Corbetts:221
Fionas:24   Donalds:8
Sub 2000:20   Hewitts:217
Wainwrights:214   Islands:24
Joined: Dec 7, 2009
Location: Wrexham

Re: Winter walking on Crib Goch & Snowdon

Postby yokehead » Tue Dec 29, 2009 4:09 pm

Nice job, and great photos. Brings back happy memories of my visit in Feb this year, it's a wonderful place.
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Re: Winter walking on Crib Goch & Snowdon

Postby GarryH » Tue Dec 29, 2009 8:07 pm

Excellent photo`s there mountainstar particularly like snow sculptures and glaslyn.Crib Goch must be one of the
most photographed ridges in the UK,but it always looks impressive in the differing conditions.
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Re: Winter walking on Crib Goch & Snowdon

Postby mountain coward » Wed Dec 30, 2009 3:58 am

Mad! Well, at least, well above my standard! Did you see loads of people getting rescued? I believe the poor ol' mountain rescue have been out more or less constantly since the snow/freeze...

If the bus is still running, it's far cheaper than the carpark at Pen Y Pass - I haven't parked up there for years now...
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Re: Winter walking on Crib Goch & Snowdon

Postby mountainstar » Wed Dec 30, 2009 11:17 am

I never saw any rescues around Snowdon, more by luck than judgement I think.
The guy I saw in shorts and trainers must have been freezing when he got to the ridges, it must have been well below zero up there, luckily there wasn't much of a breeze.
No buses when I normally start, It's not unusual for me to set off in the dark to get the sunrise from up high, thats if I'm not camping out....
Frozen morning,Wildcamp Llyn Edno (600 x 450).jpg

Glyders wildcamp , Frosty Morning Dec 2009, (600 x 450).jpg

....in all sorts of weather.
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mountainstar
Walker
 
Posts: 2507
Munros:282   Corbetts:221
Fionas:24   Donalds:8
Sub 2000:20   Hewitts:217
Wainwrights:214   Islands:24
Joined: Dec 7, 2009
Location: Wrexham

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