Welsh 3000's day 3 - Snowdon Horseshoe!
Posted: Thu Oct 02, 2014 9:12 pmDay 1 here http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=46372
Day 2 here http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=46452
This map track is clearly wrong! Rest assured we started from Pen-Y-Pass. £5 for 4 hours parking charge, £10 for 8 hours! I'm expecting gold plated paths for that sort of money! Was cheeky and just went for 4 hours worth. Raging! To be fair the Pyg track is a decent path but it did have some puddles. I'm sure someone could have got down here early with a towel and fixed it! Missed the turn off for Crib Goch and had to back track slightly. It's the bit before you cross a stile. There's an actual cairn naming the Crib Goch route but is handily hidden from the Pyg track! Ascent up Crib Goch was straightforward, pick your own route and scramble straight up. Hardly any wind today, so no real difficulty, despite the exposure. Lots of good holds and plenty places to put your feet. The ridge was something else! 5 points of contact in some places! I've never used my bum so much in a walk before
Had intended on missing out the 3 pinnacles, but only manged to dodge the first one! However, the remaining 2 weren't so bad. Good holds for the downclimbs.It was with great relief and a sense of achievement that I touched down on wider ground, with all sights set on Crib y Ddysgl. Plenty scrambling to be had. This Hewitt keeps on giving, just when you think you are arriving near the summit, there's another scramble awaiting you! Trig point marks the summit, pretty much where you realise that Snowdon is full off other people and someone built a train track up the mountain! What's worse there's a cafe! However, the thought off a tasty cappuccino stirred us on to blast up the track, fire through the obligatory summit pics and then take a wee rest in the cafe! Reasonable prices for fridge magnets!
I had read that the Watkins path was a bit "loose". Sure enough, I had use my fifth point of contact on the way down. Not very dignified. SMRussell had no issues. This was the worst point of the walk for me. Earlier I was content with a decent handfull of solid rock but this, I hate it! Managed to make it down in one piece the fired into the last Hewitt of the day - Y Lliwedd. You can find yourself scrambling amongst the rocks quite easily. However a decent path soon appears to the right. Again, you can choose your route up, plenty of choices! From the West peak onwards, the path improves and a quick descent back to the car park is guaranteed! Had thought about carrying on to Gallt y Wenallt but seemed like a lot of broken ground would need to be crossed. Also, thoughts were turning towards some excellent well deserved ale. And I was hoping my car wouldn't get clamped - it wasn't!
Lots of pics - it was a great day!
October 02, 2014-5 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrAfter the fork to go up Crib Goch, looking toward Y Lliwedd.
October 02, 2014-5-2 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrLooking up toward Crib Goch
October 02, 2014-5-4 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrSignpost - handily in the wrong place hidden from view by those on the Pyg track!
October 02, 2014-5-5 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrCalm before the scramble!
October 02, 2014-5-7 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrNice chap showing us the way early on. He soon disappeared along the arete. Put us to shame!
October 02, 2014-5-11 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrGlyders
October 02, 2014-5-12 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrUp!
October 02, 2014-5-13 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrViews opening up!
October 02, 2014-5-15 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrAwesome place!
October 02, 2014-5-16 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrArete, no hands needed in some places!
October 02, 2014-5-17 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrNorth to Llanberis
October 02, 2014-5-18 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrMore arete
October 02, 2014-5-22 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrLooking back, hands would be good here!
October 02, 2014-5-23 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrGlad to be alive!
October 02, 2014-5-24 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrBum cheek keeping me safe!
October 02, 2014-5-27 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrLook one hand!
October 02, 2014-5-30 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrApproaching the pinnacles
October 02, 2014-5-31 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrMiddle pinnacle
October 02, 2014-5-33 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrUp to the right
October 02, 2014-5-34 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrNext on the list Crib y Ddysgl
October 02, 2014-5-35 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrSelfie, with downclimbing in progress!
October 02, 2014-5-36 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrRidge! You could play tennis up here!
October 02, 2014-5-37 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrUp!
October 02, 2014-5-38 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrBack toward Crib Goch
October 02, 2014-5-39 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrDeceptively long path
October 02, 2014-5-40 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrJust doesn't end
October 02, 2014-5-41 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrNeither do the views!
October 02, 2014-5-42 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrY Lliwedd
October 02, 2014-5-44 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrOther folk on the ridge
October 02, 2014-5-45 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrUp!
October 02, 2014-5-47 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrAlmost there!
October 02, 2014-5-49 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrLast wee bit
October 02, 2014-5-52 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrCrib y Ddysgl summit trig
October 02, 2014-5-55 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrHe was after ma pork pie!
October 02, 2014-5-59 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrMechanical wonder delivering "other" people to the summit!
October 02, 2014-5-62 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrView back showing Pyg track emerging.
October 02, 2014-5-68 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrSummit cairn, we must have been stinking by this point!
October 02, 2014-5-69 by r.t.mcb, on Flickrpeople
October 02, 2014-5-71 by r.t.mcb, on Flickrother people
October 02, 2014-5-76 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrThe start of the descent down the Watkins path before it becomes "loose"
October 02, 2014-5-77 by r.t.mcb, on Flickrmore watkins path
October 02, 2014-5-78 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrY Lliwedd, last summit of the dat
October 02, 2014-5-79 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrHanging out!
October 02, 2014-5-80 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrThe worst of the loose stuff is behind me!
October 02, 2014-5-81 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrThat grey stuff is all the loose bits. I'm sure my bum prints will remain for some time!
October 02, 2014-5-82 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrNice path
October 02, 2014-5-83 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrVery quiet here
October 02, 2014-5-84 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrCracking views
October 02, 2014-5-86 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrFirst 3 hills
October 02, 2014-5-88 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrPlenty of exposure if you want it!
October 02, 2014-5-95 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrThe upper part of Watkins path
October 02, 2014-5-96 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrBack to the pinnacles, there's actually someone right in the middle - looks like they are defying gravity
October 02, 2014-5-105 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrWest top
October 02, 2014-5-106 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrCrib Goch
October 02, 2014-5-108 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrView
October 02, 2014-5-110 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrView back to Snowdon
October 02, 2014-5-118 by r.t.mcb, on FlickrPen-Y-Pass in sight
