A' Ghlas-bheinn
This post is not published on the Walkhighlands forumMunros: A' Ghlas-bheinn
Date walked: 15/12/2012
Distance: 13.2km
Ascent: 1144m
Views: 1092
Cribau Ridge in Winter.
Hewitts: Y Lliwedd
Date walked: 19/02/2012
Time taken: 4.5 hours
Distance: 11km
Ascent: 1095m
With the Hotel dead and snow on the way I asked for Sunday off as I got some extra hours on the Wednesday so I took the day to go play in the snow.
Now I've been on 6 walks up mountains this winter and I've carried Crampons and Ice Axe 5 times and not needed them.
so today I left them at home.
I Took the Sherpa out the Pen-y-pass and to my surprise as we came around to Capel curig there was a very white Snowdon range.
We arrived and I headed up the miners path, I have been wanting to do Cribau for ages but haven't really had the chance, If public transportation would have allowed I would have had gone to Blaenau Ffestiniog to climb the Moelwyns as all the Hewitts there would all be new ticks.
I may have picked a silly day to do an exposed scramble, and as I took the last bend on the Miners track and laid eyes on the ridge I thought "maybe i'll just stick with the miners and come down the pyg" but then I thought "i'll give it a go and not climb anything I can't down climb".
when I reached my turnoff for Cribau a group passed me as I was popping my hat, gloves and goggles on. I said good morning then crossed the burn to head up the ridge, a few minutes later I was looking back to see them looking at me in a "where is he going?" kinda way and I thought this is what proper climbers must feel like when they split off the pony track and around to the N face of Ben Nevis. Twas a good feeling.
I headed up and i'd not long started when the Snow started and I was glad I'd brought them my goggles, they made the normally stinging snow a non-issue.
once you are on the ridge it's pretty flat at the start with a very small incline taking you closer to Y Lliwedds E ridge it's very exsposed on ether side but easy walking, there's almost no need to use your hands.
the ridge soon turns into a very nice scramble un raveling itself as you go with a lot of big chunky holds which made for quick ascent.
after 100m or so of this you find your chest closer and closer to the rock and it's go big or go home time.
it was at this point when I came across this gully which I tried to climb round on both sides only to find that I had to go up the middle, not liking it at first glance made me think ok walks over here it's full of snow.
I gave it a go, it was very tricky squashing my face against the rock so I can pop my knee on the ledge I have been using as a hand hold, and with elbows straining I made it to a safe spot.
after doing that I felt that it was time for a picture.
I had 30-40 more meters of the not-so steep stuff then I only had one more large pinnacle to get over and I was on top.
this was all nice and chunky and I was very please to see all the lovely hand holds and grassy ledges.
but as I got closer I saw that there was a lot of water here and it had all frozen to the rocks so I couldn't use the rocks and i'd have to keep to the grass and snow for this last section.
when ever I came across a bit with to much Ice I would go left or right of it but the problem there is the more you skirt round the more exposed you are, so if you stay in the middle you can have a wee fall but go around and have the big fall.
I thought i'd take my time and make sure I could down climb everything but then the thought crossed my mind of down climbing that tricky gully back down there and that wasn't something I wanted to do.
After ten minutes of once again elbow straining and face squashing I was laying on the ground beside the cairn marking the top!!!! Whew!
from here on out the rest of the day was familiar.
I felt it was another photo opportunity.
I've done Y Lliwedd twice last year and never in winter so this time I stayed on the very top of the ridge and took in all the wee pinnacles and bumps along the saddle from Snowdon.
once I was along a bit I turned around and got a pic of the whole ridge.
after a few more lumps and bumps it was onto Y Lliwedd.
This was very pleasant and it might just be my favorite Hewitt so far I've enjoyed climbing it every time.
i'm not going to go on about Y Lliwedd as I've already done 2 walk reports for this hill and I'll skip ahead to the route over to Gallt y Wenallt at the far end of the snowdon horseshoe.
Coming off Lliwedd bach I normally take the tourist path down the side but once again I stuck to the pinnacles on the very top of the ridge squeezing every bit of scrambling I can get out of today.
once I reached the normal turn off for heading back to the miners path I continued along.
there is a slight plateau now leading to Gallt y Wenallt then a few wee bumps but it's over before you know it.
once I reached the end of the ridge I was faced with 2 choices for descent I could make my way back along to Lliwedd and then take the normal path down or I could make my way off the steep slopes from where I am.
I was pretty tired now so I chose to not double back and head down from here. I needed to head slightly west as I descended as the west side of the valley below was higher than the eastern side and it meant not having to climb back up to much to reach the miners path.
I snapped a few pics of surrounding hills before losing sight of them.
then I headed down the very steep slope to the very boggy valley below.
the rest was simple.
cross the valley below (hands and knees under the pipe by the way)
then up 100 or so meters to the miners path.
was a cracking day one of the best winter days out I've ever had.
thanks for reading
MacKenzie.
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Comments: 8
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-
Rekrab
- Location: Bonnyrigg
- Occupation: CHEF
- Interests: walking
- Activity: Munro compleatist
- Pub: not important to me
- Mountain: Binnien Beag
- Place: A tent.
- Gear: Sacrpa manta's and G10's
- Ideal day out: Wild camping over a couple days with good mates Climbing whatever, Munro, corbet, graham, HuMP. whatever.
- Ambition: to many to mention
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- Donalds: 4
- Hewitts: 45
- Sub 2000: 13
- Long Distance routes: Great Glen Way Southern Upland Way
- Filter reports
- Trips: 5
- Distance: 57.4 km
- Ascent: 4124m
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- Distance: 358.37 km
- Ascent: 24453m
- Munros: 1
- Sub2000s: 1
- Hewitts: 56
- Trips: 11
- Distance: 239.46 km
- Ascent: 16231m
- Munros: 23
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- Distance: 367.78 km
- Ascent: 28900m
- Munros: 46
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- Distance: 225.55 km
- Ascent: 16176m
- Munros: 16
- Corbetts: 1
- Donalds: 1
- Trips: 9
- Distance: 307.14 km
- Ascent: 10428m
- Munros: 1
- Fionas: 1
- Donalds: 3
- Joined: Nov 05, 2008
- Last visited: Apr 09, 2024
- Total posts: 555 | Search posts