Ride (and walk) Like the Wind

[Jaxter]

The Welsh leg of our Christmas road-trip – we’d made our way from Surrey (where we'd spent Christmas with my family) to Malky’s folks in Wales on Boxing Day. We had hoped to get some walking in during our stay in Wales as we’d managed plenty of cycling down at my folks.


Friday 27th December 2019 - Snowdon cycle (47km, 600m ascent)
The weather wasn’t great up high but looked decent for a cycle and a picnic – we drove to near Llanberis and set off!
Quarry

Pulling the sword out the stone

Dolbadarn Castle

It got fairly nasty as we got higher
Yuck

We met Malky’s folks halfway around for a picnic and we had planned to do a short walk with them before cycling the rest of the way around, but the weather was so miserable that we left them to it and carried on back to the car with a promise of a bath when we got back!

Malky excited about the thought of a bath
More yuck

It was a long gradual climb up to Pen Y Pass from this side and we didn’t really notice it too much – the weather even looked to be improving as we climbed
Heading up to Pen Y Pass

We had a wee stop as the weather was better here – looks like we should have stayed this side of the glen!
Pen Y Pass

Looking down

The backside of the Glydders

It was entirely downhill from here so we added extra layers and headed down. There was some fairly serious gusts so I slowed down once one of them nearly had me off my bike
Heading down to Nant Peris

Some of the peaks started to pop out of the cloud
Looking up towards Crib Y Dyscall

Crib Y Dysgal

Back at the car we had warmed up and dried off on the descent so stopped by this railway station for a photo of an insanely long name
Gotta love Welsh!

Then it was back for cups of tea and a nice warm bath before an evening of board games where we discovered that it's not just my family where Mum always wins

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Saturday 28th December 2019 – Elidir Fawr
It was super windy so we thought we would do something low level, but when we drove up out of the village the higher hills looked so good that we could hardly resist!

We parked near the quarry and sat in the car listening to the gusts battering us from the outside. Was this really a good idea?
We headed up the track
Carnedd Y Filiast

We would follow the track around the corner to get us a bit of height and get us past the quarry


Why am I here?
Grumpy pants

Trying to pretend he's not excited about the sheep

We left the track before it carried us too far around the corner – as we broke out onto the open hillside the views were great but the wind was getting ridiculous!
Views may be worth it

As we reached Elidir Fach we could see down to the Marchlyn Mawr reservoir
Marchlyn Mawr resevoir

It was super windy here but as we started up the path we were slightly more sheltered some of the time (until we got smashed by a huge gust )
Path up to the summit

Looking back down


Carnarfon Bay

If only the wind was less strong it would have been a stunning day
Marchlyn Mach resevoir

When we reached the top of the ridge the views were incredible but the wind was so strong that my hat blew off and I had to sit down before I fell down
Y Garn, Tryfan & the Glydders

More unpronouncable Welsh hills

Snowdon

We decided we could try the ridge and if we stuck to the left hand side it wasn’t too bad to walk on (although hands were definitely required!)
Along to the summit

I was relieved to make the summit
Summit of Elidir Fawr

At the summit, held on tight to enjoy the views and then left fairly quickly! It was looking easy enough down the ridge initially (although there was an awkward bit where I almost got stuck )
Impressive cliffs on Pen Yr Ole Wen

Malky contemplating life
Heading down the ridge

Looking back to Snowdon
Snowdon

Heading down the ridge

The ridge narrowed but we were able to keep away from the very edge and we were actually relatively sheltered here
Marchlyn Mawr

Our route ahead

Looking back to Elidir Fawr

Tryfan

Snowdon

Panorama - Tryfan to Snowdon

We climbed up to Mynydd Perfedd (“Perfect Mountain” apparently!) where we could see our final summit ahead. Unfortunately we were back into the wind and it was mental
Ahead to Carnedd y Filiast

The Carneddau

I had to crawl towards this as I couldn’t actually stand against the wind I think Malky was telling me a story about how his Dad took him up there as a kid but it was so windy I couldn’t really hear
Huge slab

As we reached the summit the wind got even worse and I had to cling onto rocks
Looking across to Elidir Fawr

Let’s get out of here!!
Carnedd y Filiast summit

We dropped down towards the bealach but something about the strength and direction of wind made this virtually impossible and I got knocked over every couple of steps and went rolling around on the grass


Descent

Once we were back on the road it was a bit more possible to put one foot in front of the other without tripping over and it was an easy walk back to the car. Here we enjoyed our sandwiches as it was too windy to eat on the hill before settling in for the drive home which was a lot less eventful than the drive down (no flat tyres!)

Christmas road trip – done.
Time for some Hogmanay Highland Fun

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[Sgurr]

Interesting modification of the Jaxter summit pose on Eilidir Fawr. Must have been some wind. We took an old friend there a few years back who had never done hill walking and was incredibly nervous about walking in the clag "It's OK, we're on a path, " "I can't see it." There would have been a full time mutiny if we had tried those conditions with him.

[Jaxter]

Interesting modification of the Jaxter summit pose on Eilidir Fawr. Must have been some wind. We took an old friend there a few years back who had never done hill walking and was incredibly nervous about walking in the clag "It's OK, we're on a path, " "I can't see it." There would have been a full time mutiny if we had tried those conditions with him.

Yeah the wind was insane. I think I get it worse because Malky is a wee bit heavier because I was all over the place that day! It is always interesting walking with inexperienced people on the hills isn't it - things that we just deal with can completely throw someone who isn't used to it!

[Mal Grey]

Erm, are you guys following me? Surrey to North Wales! That's what I did.

Narrow escape you had there, I must actually have been following you, as I arrived at Llyn Gwynant on the 28th and put up tents and tarps in that wind...
...and that was the best day. Still we had some great low level wanders and canoeing.

When I first did the Welsh 3000s, I remember Elidir Fawr as "that bloody endless slope". Having been back since, it is far more than that, the ridges are lovely, and the slabs on Carnedd Y Filiast are a fabulous, easy but endless, rock climb/scramble with masses of atmosphere.

You really packed it in over the holiday period!