free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Day 1 here
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=46372Day 2 here
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=46452This 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 Flickr
After the fork to go up Crib Goch, looking toward Y Lliwedd.
October 02, 2014-5-2 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Looking up toward Crib Goch
October 02, 2014-5-4 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Signpost - handily in the wrong place hidden from view by those on the Pyg track!
October 02, 2014-5-5 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Calm before the scramble!
October 02, 2014-5-7 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Nice 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 Flickr
Glyders
October 02, 2014-5-12 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Up!
October 02, 2014-5-13 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Views opening up!
October 02, 2014-5-15 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Awesome place!
October 02, 2014-5-16 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Arete, no hands needed in some places!
October 02, 2014-5-17 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
North to Llanberis
October 02, 2014-5-18 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
More arete
October 02, 2014-5-22 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Looking back, hands would be good here!
October 02, 2014-5-23 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Glad to be alive!
October 02, 2014-5-24 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Bum cheek keeping me safe!
October 02, 2014-5-27 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Look one hand!
October 02, 2014-5-30 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Approaching the pinnacles
October 02, 2014-5-31 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Middle pinnacle
October 02, 2014-5-33 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Up to the right
October 02, 2014-5-34 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Next on the list Crib y Ddysgl
October 02, 2014-5-35 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Selfie, with downclimbing in progress!
October 02, 2014-5-36 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Ridge! You could play tennis up here!
October 02, 2014-5-37 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Up!
October 02, 2014-5-38 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Back toward Crib Goch
October 02, 2014-5-39 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Deceptively long path
October 02, 2014-5-40 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Just doesn't end
October 02, 2014-5-41 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Neither do the views!
October 02, 2014-5-42 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Y Lliwedd
October 02, 2014-5-44 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Other folk on the ridge
October 02, 2014-5-45 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Up!
October 02, 2014-5-47 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Almost there!
October 02, 2014-5-49 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Last wee bit
October 02, 2014-5-52 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Crib y Ddysgl summit trig
October 02, 2014-5-55 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
He was after ma pork pie!
October 02, 2014-5-59 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Mechanical wonder delivering "other" people to the summit!
October 02, 2014-5-62 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
View back showing Pyg track emerging.
October 02, 2014-5-68 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Summit cairn, we must have been stinking by this point!
October 02, 2014-5-69 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
people
October 02, 2014-5-71 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
other people
October 02, 2014-5-76 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
The start of the descent down the Watkins path before it becomes "loose"
October 02, 2014-5-77 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
more watkins path
October 02, 2014-5-78 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Y Lliwedd, last summit of the dat
October 02, 2014-5-79 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Hanging out!
October 02, 2014-5-80 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
The worst of the loose stuff is behind me!
October 02, 2014-5-81 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
That 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 Flickr
Nice path
October 02, 2014-5-83 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Very quiet here
October 02, 2014-5-84 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Cracking views
October 02, 2014-5-86 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
First 3 hills
October 02, 2014-5-88 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Plenty of exposure if you want it!
October 02, 2014-5-95 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
The upper part of Watkins path
October 02, 2014-5-96 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Back 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 Flickr
West top
October 02, 2014-5-106 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Crib Goch
October 02, 2014-5-108 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
View
October 02, 2014-5-110 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
View back to Snowdon
October 02, 2014-5-118 by
r.t.mcb, on Flickr
Pen-Y-Pass in sight
