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In February I climbed Kilimanjaro for charity, with a group of lovely people.
We decided to get together and climb Snowdon together, and then have a bit of a drinking session.
Well we arrived on a Friday night for a curry and a few ales and then went to bed.
On Saturday we woke up to lovely weather for walking. We jumped in various cars and a van and made our way to Llanberis, were around 11 of us piled into a van and drove up to the car park in Pen y Pass. This brought back a few memories of Kili, but this time I didn't have to hold the door shut as we drove along.
We got out and started to head up the path towards Snowdon. Very quickly we were greeted with lovely views of Crib Goch, in the clear weather.
After a short while we reach the intersection for the path to Crib Goch and the Pyg track. I couldn't convince anyone to go up the arete with me, so we all walked along the Pyg track together. But I did find out later that day that one of our group works for the company that carved the stone way markers on the mountain.
We continued up the Pyg track and had lovely views of Llyn Llydaw and Glaslyn.
Looking down the Pyg track with Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw in the fore and background respectivelyWe got a good view of Crib Goch on the right and Y Lliwed on the left.
Looking up at Crib GochThe jagged cliffs of Y Lliwed, over GlaslynIt was an incredibly busy day. I have never seen so many people on a mountain before and there must have been close to a thousand. There were at least three charity groups of over fifty.
This made for slow going, but we stumped along and got near the stepped section which leads to the col. I had to climb around a whole group on their way down, or would have been stuck there for ages.
On the way up we came across a coule of wooden stakes, with coins pushed into their many cracks.
Here is one, pointing to the summit!
At the col we were confronted by many crowds and the arrival of the steam train.
Crowded ridgeThe famous steam train (for cheaters!)A brief trundle along and were were on the insanely crowded summit.
I got a quick picture of the trig point and a few others. The group went into the cafe to get some hot food. I reamained outside and ate my sandwiches with the many dogs.
Call me a misserable old git, but a cafe does not belong at the top of a mountain!
Wall of the cafeGot some pretty good views in the fantastic weather. It as cool and there was no wind and great visability. Perfect day for walking!
Summit trig pointThe path to the summit of Y LliwedOnce everyone had come out of the cafe and put some more clothes on, as they were immediately cold leaving its warmth (not that I told them about it.....harrumph) we headed down the Llanberis path, to where we had left a car.
We got some fantastic views and I can't wait to go back there and do the Snowdon horseshoe.
Took a few more photo's before heading down the track alongside the train track and back to Llanberis.
Pyg track from near the top. Crib Goch in the rearTook us ages to get down (past yet another cafe), as a few weren't used to the descending.
Had a good few more beers the night after as well. All in all a good trip, even though I fell foul of the Birmingham traffic on the way up there.
Seriously whetted the appetite for more hill walking!