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Well this is a first - never posted in the "Outside Scotland" box before. A Meet arranged by the one and only Mountainstar in Wales on what was a holiday weekend for me - what could be better? Up until now I've had a very empty column under the "Furths" and this would be a chance to populate that with most of the Welsh 3000s. I'd been in London all week at a conference, having gone down on the Sleeper Sunday past and arrived back in Greenock from the airport at 4.30 on Thursday to do a quick turn around, get the stuff and Allison in the car and head off down the motorway. Judging it too much travelling to make it to Capel Curig in one go, we stopped off at a service station overnight before rising early and getting down to our destination for around 10 ish. I'd hoped to do the Carnedd hills - well 4 of them today, the Snowdon Horseshoe with the group on Saturday and 4 of the Glyders on the Sunday. Unfortunately with being away in the lead up to the meet I'd paid scant regard to routes.
We drove along to Llyn Ogwen, having decided to make a start up Pen Yr Ole Wen. Parking near the eastern end of the Llyn ( I want to call it "Loch") we marched along the road to the visitor centre at Idwal, passing a couple of folk fishing, crossed the road and found a track leading up the hillside. Steeply! A little bit of scrambling right away and Allison is in her element: "I'm liking Wales" she announces. Behind us is a splendid little mountain (turns out to be Tryfan). we gain height, sometimes on a clear path, sometimes with a scramble, with the view over the Glyders behind us improving all the time. After a bit we get to the flatter top section of the mountain, boulder strewn, and make our way up to the summit. We are buffeted by a strong southwesterly wind and seek shelter for lunch.
Starting up Pen Yr Ole Wen
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View over to the Glyders
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Toward Anglesey
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Tryfan
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To the north we can see the Carnedds sweeping outwards: Daffyd first then Llewelyn, with Yr Elen outlying on a western spur. We press on, past a giant cairn/shelter that looks like a dragon's nest on the way to Daffyd where we meet a couple of guys heading the opposite way then on easily to Llewelyn. By this time the weather has deteriorated with a cold wind carrying hailstones that batter against our faces and hands. We meet a guy out on a training run who isn't very impressed by the weather either. We continue out along the western ridge to Yr Elen. It isn't clear which one of the three cairns is the highest point so we visit all in turn. We are doing ok for time so far and I suggest we try adding on the three northern outliers - there looks to be little drop between them, although the addition will incur another 9km to our day. Allison puts up no resistance to the idea and we return toward Carnedd Llewelyn, contouring round the northwest of the summmit to join a clear path heading for the first outlier, Foel Grach.
Carnedd Daffyd
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Dragon's nest
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Tryfan in backdrop
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Llewelyn
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Weather starting to close in
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Summit Llewelyn
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Out to Yr Elen
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Foel Grach
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The next section of the walk has little to commend it except for summit bagging. The top of Foel Grach is strewn with boulders. We descend to find a shelter on the ENE side of the hill. Clag is around us and we cross to our next target, Carnedd Gwellian over increasingly wet and boggy ground. Again, scattered jaggy boulders litter the summit. From here it's another 1.5km to the final hill, Foel-fras which is reached by even boggier ground. There's a trig point to the west side of a stone dyke and we grasp it greatfully as another band of hailstones descends upon us. Returning along our outward path we meet several guys in the clag/rain who ask - cheekily - if they're in Scotland

We pass a larger group of hikers on the top of Llewelyn who are carrying big packs and look knackered. I'd originally planned to ascend Pen Yr Heldi Du - Hill of the Black Hound (fitting given that we started on Hill of the White Slope) but that was before the other 3 Carnedds were added on - so I decide instead to descend to the marked track to the SW of the linking ridge - Bwlch eryl farchog. This provides some steepish sections needing a little care, but easily accomplished even with tired legs. From here it is onto good track past the reservoir and down to the A5. We have another few km to walk back to the car, with Tryfan stealing the show in front of us (we still haven't realised that is what the hill is, nor that we'll be climbing it the following day

)
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Summit Foel-fras
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Regiment of Sea Turbines
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Some scrambles on the descent
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Tryfan again
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And again
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Back at the car it's been a long day, 28km and 7 Welsh Munros

We drive the few miles back to Capel Curig and then have the job of trying to find the campsite. Mountainstar has posted that he'll be in the Byrn Tyrch Inn. We spot signs for a campsite just over the road from the inn and wonder if that's the one (I've forgotten to check, thinking there'd only be one campsite in Capel Curig, and of course there's zero signal to check on the phone). An investigation reveals that no, this isn't the campsite we want, and we drive back east through the village to another site, spotting several familiar faces walking the othr way to the pub

We pitch and make food before walking the 1.72 miles to the pub, past two other perfectly good looking hostelries

Wales are playing Belgium and we arrive midway through the second half - to find Wales in the lead

A quick pint, some chat then a run back from Sue, much appreciated as it starts to bucket down just as we get back to the tent.
Campsite
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Most of the group have decided to do Snowdon via Crib Goch on Saturday. However, we decide to head off to the Glyders with Scoob & Fi, leaving Snowdon for Sunday. I'm a bit apprehensive about climbing Tryfan, having been impressed by its character yesterday, but it always helps to have a bit of experienced company along. We park at the campsite at the north of Tryfan and walk through the site to the mountain path. There are folk out climbing on some crags at the bottom, plenty of other people heading up the hill. Clag is sitting on the tops of the surrounding hills, but looks like it might clear as the day progresses. We pick a path up the mountainside, past The Cannon which of course Scoob has to have a clamber on. We continue on up the northern tower. There are a couple of awkward moments as we scramble up, mostly because the rock is so polished, but Scoob is patient with my collywobbles. Gaining the top of the northern pinnacle we downclimb a little and join a large group heading up the main thoroughfare to the summit.
Campsite at Tryfan
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The Cannon
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Scoob
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The huge blocks that are Adam & Eve stand at the peak. I'm content just to touch the top, but a certain someone has to jump - ok stride - from one to the other and back again as if it's nothing

There is a strong gusty wind blowing, to add to the excitement. We continue over the south peak and down to the bealach with Glyder Fach where we hide behind a wall out of the wind for lunch. Ahead we can see Bristly Ridge, but decide against taking that on - it has taken us quite a time already and we still have 3 peaks to climb - Scoob and Fi planning on going over Foel Goch whilst we take on Glyder Fach, Fawn and Y Garn. So we begin up the scree slope to Glyder Fach turning onto the steeper section as we gain height and coming out onto the ridge anyway. The summit plateau is strewn with giant stones of all shapes and sizes, in places resembling Triceratops. It is an incredible and strange landscape. We pass the cantilever stone and make for the jumble of monoliths that mark the summit. A squadron of kids run past us scrambling gleefully over everything until they are sitting along the summit boulder. Honestly, no fear

Some of them can't get down as they've only got wee short legs

We continue down to the Castell, where we part company and make our way to Glyder Fawr. More jagged shattered stones in clusters. From here there's a drop of around 300m to Llyn y Cwn, over scree. We see Elidir Fawr, the final 3000 top in the Glyder range away over to the SW. Although tempted to tag it on from Y Garn I note from the map that it looks quite far as you have to go right round the dogleg (4km each way with a fair bit of ascent) so really don't feel that it should be added on today. We climb up the grassy slopes to Y Garn and make our way down steeply to the NE where we pick up a track that descends to the northern shoreline of Llyn idwal and back to the visitor centre, passing across a bridge made of the thickest slate slabs I've ever seen. Then it is back along the road to the car and thence to the campsite.
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Bristly Ridge
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View back to Tryfan
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Fi on the cantilever
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Summit Glyder Fach
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Kids!!
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(Big) Kids!!!
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Castell
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Pen yr Ole Wen
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Summit Glyder Fawr
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Track to Y Garn
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View back
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Summit Y Garn
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Circuit continuing to Elidir fawr
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Slate bridge
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Another walk up to the Byrn Tyrch Inn for the evening's entertainment, thanks to Quizmaster Graeme. We leave quite early, having decided to make a day of it on Snowdon tomorrow.
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Sunday starts overcast, with the promise of sunshine later on. We have heard of the £10 parking fee up at Pen y Pass - eek

Graeme suggests we start from the roadside on the A498 just south of the junction where it is only a snip to park at £4. For a roadside!! As it happens, it's actually free as the ticket machine is out of order

We walk along a good track to the mobbed car park at Pen y Pass and start off up the Pyg Track. Although it is reasonably early (9.20am) it's busy as we walk along with all sorts of walkers. Fortunately it quietens considerably as we turn off to the Crib Goch track - a bit like turning off for the CMD route on Nevis. I haven't really looked at the route or what we will encounter - which is probably just as well as it turns out

My nerves might not have coped at all had I known what lay ahead. The early sections are fine, some pleasant scrambling with plenty of good holds. We reach the upper section of Crib Goch which involves stepping up over knobbly slabs then we reach the start of the ridge. Oh boy! There are a couple of folk ahead of us but not the queues that had been feared. We set off, myself managing largely on all fours - I have renamed it Crab Goch in honour of my technique

Anyway, suffice to say it is a little bit exposed on both sides and once you have started along it you just have to keep on going. I'm a little terse with Allison as she asks if I'm alright. However, I manage it, mostly by trying not to look down into the abyss. I wouldn't fancy it in the wet.
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to Crib Goch
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y Lliwedd
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Approaching the ridge
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Snowdon
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Reaching the end of the ridge we cast about for the best way and descend into a scree gully, traversing round a rocky cleft, although we later see people keeping high. From here we join a clear path that creeps around under the rocks of Crib y Ddysgl. It becomes apparent that this is a bypass route, so - as we need to be at the top of Ddysgl we head steeply up scree slopes to regain the ridge crest and wander along to the trig point. Good views to the Lleyn Peninsula and Anglesay - how flat is the land around. We can see (and hear) the train coming up onto Snowdon. This is just bizarre - it's the top of a rather impressive mountain and there's a train - and a cafe. Not right. There are armies of ant people all the way to the top of Snowdon from here and the walk becomes a trudge. All the kinds of people that I normally go up hills to avoid are milling around and generally getting in the way. We touch the cairn, fighting our way through the masses and drop down to the Pyg track for a long and joyless trek back to the car. I'm regretting my decision not to complete the horseshoe over Y Lliwedd which would have avoided the multitudes, but that's the choices you make.
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Towards Snowdon & the masses
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Desecration
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Allison is looking tired and again I question the decision to make for Elidir Fawr. Reaching the car a bit after 3pm we have plenty of time to take in the final hill. It is hot and sunny now as we drive down the Llanberis Pass to Nant Peris. A few wrong turns looking for the best place to start - we settle for a parking layby at the east end of the reservoir and take a private road up to a cottage beside the giant quarry. This is probably not the best route to use and we end up crossing over to Fron and joining a bulldozed track that keeps to the right of the spoil heaps. We turn onto a path that follows the stream up with the intention of continuing up this track (a track on the map more than in reality) up the Afon Dudodyn. The ground becomes increasingly boggy, the track invisible and neither of us can bear the prospect of continuing this line to the valley head. So it's a case of steeply up the grassy hillsideto our left below the scree/crags of Elidir Fawr. Allison is really struggling by this time but is stubborn enough to force herself onwards. Fortunately we meet a path at around 700m that eases our journey to the summit. Impressive views down to the Marchlyn Mawr reservoir and the other Glyder hills from the top.
Elidir fawr hiding behind the quarry
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Train going up Snowdon
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Crib Goch
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View north
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Snowdon
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Marchlyn Mawr Reservoir
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We follow the path down - boggy in the lower sections, and cross the river at a small bridge, rejoining our outward route. It is still a wonderful evening, low sun striking the slopes of Crib Goch. We drive back to the campsite for a late meal, a chat with Graeme & Sue and sleep. Monday turns out to be a beautiful morning rather than the bands of rain that were forecast - typical - we could have left Elidir Fawr til today after all

It does allow us to have a leisurely drive up the road however. So a great weekend's walking in Wales - fantastic hills and well worth a re-visit.