14 March 2016

Another sneaky mountain

(Due to the winter hike this post concerning events on February 28th appears on the blog with quite some delay)

When I started climbing with Phil I had no idea I was diving head-first into an active outdoor club. I realised I was registering with the Clwb Mynydda Mon, as I filled out a form, but the practical implications were not clear to me. I thought they'd just do rock climbing in a hall in winter and outdoors in summer. I had no idea they hiked! but they do! And quiet often, too! I am very glad I met them as people to hike with was just what I needed. My underground friends are hard to lure onto a hill, and my colleagues also don't seem very fanatical hikers. But after my first day on the mountains with these chaps I realised there had been a CMM-shaped hole in my liffe. Now it's filled!

They wanted to go up Glyder Fach. The first time I had been there (or near there) was years ago, with the Plymouth folk. I had been near too on my only (and it will stay that way) fell race. But this was the first time I'd go up in winter. It would be lovely!

We arrived in two batches: the usual Eifion and Simon who had been there two weeks before too, and Janet with her partner Phil travelling separately. We gathered near Hotel Pen-y-Gwryd and started uphill. It was a beautiful day! With amazing views on the Snowdon Horseshoe.

Agreeing on a route

 View on the Snowdon Horseshoe

We got to the plateau on the top, from which the view onto Tryfan, which for a change didn't have its nose in the clouds, was amazing. The people on the top had picked a good day for it!

On the plateau

 View on Tryfan

Approaching the top

On the top we had lunch in the sun. Nice! But when we started down it got more and more cloudy. We were descending in a swampy gully without a path. I didn't care but the others weren't so enthusiastic. They were glad to be down!

Me at theCastle of the Wind

 Descent

Once down we popped past an outdoor shop to buy some club kit. Then it was time to get home. I wanted to wash my kit so all was clean again for the upcoming proper hike!

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