A Wild Vista

Having had what felt like endless weeks of unseasonably warm, excessively wet, and irritatingly windy weather here in the UK, I wasn’t expecting much from the last weekend of November in North Wales. With this corner of the UK not known for its propensity to deliver suitable holidaying weather, I was well up for (and would have been quite satisfied with) a couple of days sat in front of a roaring open fair, quaffing ale, and talking nonsense with my mates.

Preparing for the Llanberis Track, near Llyn Padarn.

As it happens I managed all of the above (well, minus the open fire — the two-bar variety just doesn’t cut it), and, quite unexpectedly, managed to fit two memorable days’ mountain walking in too. For the first time in months, I completely ignored the weather forecasts. My usual forays to the Mountain Weather Information Service and their excellent forecasts tailored to us hill folk, were absent. The drive up from Cambridge on the Friday evening — via Nottingham to pick up two friends — was trouble free. As always happens (no, really, this always happens), the skies stayed dry until just after we crossed the border into Wales, whereupon the rain started. Unbeknownst to my passengers and I, this same rain was falling as heavy snow on the mountains.

Waking the next morning (with a slight hangover — the Theakstons Old Peculiar hadn’t settled terribly well), the skies were leaden, and there was a biting wind blowing the plastic recycling boxes around in the courtyard. A hint of rain in the air too. Of late, I’ve been succumbing to the temptation of low-level bimbles and tea-shop bagging when faced with, if not exactly inclement, then decidedly unfriendly weather.

Not this time though. I had a plan. Snowdon via the Llanberis track.

I think the Llanberis track has an undeserved reputation as a monotonous, second-rate route up the mountain. It’s really not all that bad. Agreed, in direct comparison to the Snowdon Horseshoe, or a more accessible route like the Pyg or Rhyd Ddu tracks, the Llanberis Track doesn’t shine. With the first dump of heavy snow of the winter mantling the hill from 400m though, the Llanberis Track gains some teeth.

A good dump of snow makes things a lot quieter for a start. No trains, and a much reduced stream of potential summiteers gives one more room to breathe. Of course, the final section along the summit ridge (above the Pyg track) is the usual circus — I wonder how many days a year, on average, the summit of Snowdon sees no visitors at all? I’d bet it’s in single figures.

Chilly views from the summit building.

We got quite chilly on top, taking lunch on the summit station platform, in the lee of the new summit building (Hafod Eryri), but were lucky to have the clouds break up as we were there.

Heading back down one can appreciate this route much more. Sweeping views over Mynydd Mawr, the Nantlle Ridge, and out across Anglesey are complemented by more intimate views of the climbers’ mecca — Clogwyn Du’r Arddu — reflected perfectly in its attendant lake. Crib Goch and the Glyders put in an appearance as well.

Crib Goch and the Glyders, from near Snowdon summit.

Here, too, near Clogwyn station, is a notorious convex slope that, sadly, seems to dispatch ill-equipped and unobservant hillgoers over the cliffs of Clogwyn Coch all too frequently.

But the snow was far too soft for that to be a serious danger this time round. Good thing too given some of the attire in evidence among the multitudes…

Related articles by Zemanta

• In praise of… mountain rescue teams (guardian.co.uk)