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As soon as I entered the Ogwen valley and caught my first glimpse of Tryfan I knew I’d hitherto underestimated Snowdonia. Though compact the Glyderau range are wonderfully pretty, as well as incredibly unique in their shape and geological make-up.
Tryfan and Llyn Ogwen from Y Garn by
Gregor Sinclair, on Flickr
Parking at a campsite on the A5 where I’d spend the night, the route took me along the edge of Llyn Ogwen before pushing up into the hills, pas Llyn Idwal, and then up Y Garn. The views from here back across the valley rivalled anything I’ve seen in the Lakes and much of Scotland for sheer beauty if not scale.
Snowdon from Glyder Fawr by
Gregor Sinclair, on Flickr
From here I spend much time dawdling over lunch and attempting to get some photos of a feral goat, stalling so that I could watch sunset over the Glyders. I took my time progressing up to Glyder Fawr where I saw my first glimpse of the Snowdon range, before moving onwards to admire the truly magnificent Castell Y Gwynt. More stalling, and before I knew it the sun had disappeared behind darkening clouds and I was left in dwindling daylight.
Castell Y Gwynt and Snowdon by
Gregor Sinclair, on Flickr
My descent was to be down the north ridge of Tryfan, which I can only say I significantly underestimated. The scrambling is at times technical and navigation is persistently perplexing, with many paths leading away from the ridge. This, combined with my solitude and the quickly-fading light, made for a less than relaxing end to the route.
A Friendly Face on Tryfan by
Gregor Sinclair, on Flickr
Nevertheless I eventually hit the bottom of the valley again (by now it was pitch black) and made by way back through the fields to the campsite. Some lessons learned here, I’d like to think.
