Outlands 2016 (Day 2) - Tryfan and the Glyders

[Graeme D]

After yesterday on the Snowdon Horseshoe, another fine evening was had in the Bryn Tyrch Inn, including the comical penalty shoot out of the Italy-Germany quarter final and the quiz, won by Together Stronger, fighting off the lacklustre competition provided by the Young Ladies, the Tryfannies and God Bless R Souls.

Most folks were making tracks for home on the Sunday morning but I had a pass out until Wednesday. Tryfan and the Glyders were high on the to-do list and Hugh was also keen to do this before heading back north that evening. We bade farewell to those about to head home and headed ourselves for Llyn Ogwen and the foot of Tryfan.


Kissing gate at the start

There were plenty cars parked up along the roadside but other than one other chap on his own, we appeared to be the only people picking our way up the shattered craggy face of Tryfan. The initial ascent is straight up, no concession to a gentle ease in. In terms of a route up, sketchy would best describe it, non existent would be more apt. I guess any official guides would simply suggest going up by whichever means seems appropriate!


Llyn Ogwen


No Pyg Track for Hugh today

Hands were being fully occupied and a bit of backtracking took place every so often, most notably when Hugh lost a personal battle with a tree, but otherwise good progress was made. We failed to find the so called "Cannon" at close quarters but enjoyed epic views across to Y Garn and over to the Carneddau.


Hugh doing a spot of extreme tree doctoring


Back down to the eastern end of Llyn Ogwen


Pen yr Ole Wen across Llyn Ogwen


A riot of shattered rock


Hugh arsing around in another chimney


Don't know if this is "the" Cannon but it sure looks like a cannon to me

Our route towards the summit seemed to actually take us round behind the summit itself, so eventually we reached the boulder strewn summit from the rear, after passing a group of three Eastern European sounding chaps who seemed to be making excessively hard work of things. A surprising number of people were already sitting around enjoying the fine weather and a bite to eat. A couple of young guys were sizing up Adam and Eve, one of them eventually clambering up but deciding against the leap from one to the other. Once he came down, I clambered up myself but reached a similar decision about the wisdom of leaping across the gap.


Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr


Would you Adam and Eve it!!!???


Back down from atop Adam (or Eve)


Y Garn and the northern Glyderau

After a bite to eat ourselves and a while simply sitting and taking it all in, we headed off towards Glyder Fach, home of the legendary Cantilever Stone. We had gotten a good view from Tryfan of Bristly Ridge and as we descended into the bealach between Tryfan and Glyder Fach, Bristly Ridge rose up intimidatingly before us.


Looking back to the summit of Tryfan and more folks testing their nerve against Adam and Eve


Bristly Ridge of Glyder Fach


Back to Tryfan again


Bristly Ridge and the Tryfan/Glyder Fach bealach


Tryfan from the bealach


Bristly Ridge

Hugh opted to avoid the ridge and took a line further left, eventually picking a line up through the scree onto the summit plateau. I decided that I hadn't had nearly enough scrambling opportunities over the past 24 hours or so and headed up Bristly Ridge. The ridge offered fantastic, airy scrambling with a lot of exposure in places but always plenty good hand and footholds and usually several options to choose from. Some of the chimneys were huge!


Tryfan in all her glory


From one of the big chimneys on the ridge


Think I need another shot of Tryfan!


Northern Glyderau across Llyn Bochlwyd and the Y Gribin ridge


On Bristly Ridge


Scrambling heaven


Llyn Bochlwyd through a window


Tryfan and the Carneddau


Some pointy mountain

Eventually the ridge levelled out onto another boulder strewn summit area and I heard Hugh shouting my name from up ahead. We did the customary posing on the Cantilever Stone before heading across to the shattered summit crag, complete with its deep clefts that looked capable of swallowing your average family car.


Tryfan from the top of Bristly Ridge


Hugh on the Cantilever Stone


My turn


Double act


We're floating on air!


Summit of Glyder Fach with Snowdon and co. in the background


Looking north west to Y Garn and Elidir Fawr


The Carneddau


Tryfan from the shattered summit of Glyder Fach

From Glyder Fach we crossed the Bwlch y Ddwy Glyder, skirting the huge rocky, northern corries and passing Castell y Gwynt on the way to the lunar landscape of Glyder Fawr.


Towards Glyder Fawr and the Snowdon Horseshoe


Glyder Fawr and Y Garn


Castell y Gwynt - Castle of the Winds


Back to Glyder Fach from the Bwlch Y Ddwy Glyder


To the tor studded summit of Glyder Fawr


Back to Glyder Fach


Moonscape


Hugh on Glyder Fawr, Snowdon behind


More moonscape looking back to Tryfan and Glyder Fach


North west to Y Garn, Elidir Fawr and Foel Goch, with the Menai Strait and Anglesey in the background

This was the busiest summit of the day - I guess a lot of the people there had come up from Y Garn or via Y Gribin, or even up from the Pass of Llanberis, as they certainly hadn't seemed to be on Tryfan or Glyder Fach. Still, it was positively deserted in comparison to Snowdon 24 hours earlier! We nipped over to the weird pineapple like rock structure for some arty shots, from where we saw a paraglider preparing for flight, but unfortunately by the time he took to the air, we had descended out of sight and so did not see him (presumably) get airborne.


Rock pineapple and Snowdon Horseshoe


Paraglider getting ready against a backdrop of Snowdon and Crig y Ddysgl


Almost ready for blast off

The descent from Glyder Fawr was a knee jarring affair on steep, loose scree interspersed with large rocks and it was a relief to reach the bealach and the relative ease of the ascent path onto Y Garn, whose summit gave superb views back south to where we had been and north over the Menai Strait to Anglesey.


Loose scree descent towards Llyn y Cwn and Y Garn


Tryfan, Bristly Ridge and Y Gribin from the ascent of Y Garn


Back to Glyder Fawr


Zoomed over the Devil's Kitchen to Tryfan, Bristly and Y Gribin


Llyn Ogwen


Crib Goch ridge and Snowdon from summit of Y Garn


The road home


Anglesey beyond Elidir Fawr, Carnedd y Filiast and Foel Goch

From there we took the stone staircase down towards the beach at the northern end of Llyn Idwal and through the rock cutting to the road at Ogwen Cottgae and the short walk on tarmac back to the car.


Tryfan and Bristly Ridge towering over Llyn Ogwen and Llyn Idwal


Llyn Idwal and the Devil's Kitchen


Rock cutting leading back to the Visitor Centre and road at the western end of Llyn Ogwen


A last shot of Tryfan from the road


Llyn Ogwen, Y Garn and Foel Goch

A great day - arguably the highlight of my 5 days in the Outlands - with great company. Thanks to Hugh and I look forward to walking with you again after your move to Stirling!

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[ChrisW]

Another cracking write up Graeme, what a beautiful day for it too. great looking scrambles and a good workout no doubt. I have to say you look disgustingly healthy in those pics

[Graeme D]

Cheers Chris. I have been called many things, including disgusting, but never disgustingly healthy before! Must be because of the strict no alcohol regime I follow and my belief that my body is a temple.

[past my sell by date]

Great Graeme. I remember doing the Bristly ridge in winter more than 50 years ago Huge feathery ice crystals on the rocks. It looked dramatic but was never really difficult. I tried taking a girlfriend up it much more recently, but after Tryfan's N ridge she had had enough

[Alteknacker]

Really nice report. It's easy to forget the treasures one has on one's own doorstep!

I was amused by your description of the Tryfan North Ridge route. I must have been up there 40 or 50 times, and I don't think I've taken the same route twice! I don't even recognize the tree that Border Hugh was hanging off!

But I can confirm that the cannon pic is the right cannon!

Disappointed that you didn't do Adam and Eve - I thought this was something that brings out the 10-year-old in all of us!

Here is a pic of my bro, a much respected pillar of the establishment (senior partner in GP practice) on the cannon...

and between Adam and Eve