Snowdon in bad weather

Monday 25th August 2008

The wet summer continued with a truly terrible day with very low clouds, strong winds and rain all day, though for some reason as I prepared to set off this only filled me with excitement for the day's walking ahead of me during which I got soaked. Starting from Nant Gwynant I walked up the Watkin Path, but I only got as far as the waterfalls where I crossed the river and climbed up through trees onto the open hillside. I was following a walk that I'd done three years ago, but then in exceptionally better weather, and in reverse. I followed a miner’s track climbing steeply up the hill to the remains of the mine where I left the track and climbed steeply past various levels and beside some rather deep pits. They were quite fun to explore but in this weather it was probably not the best idea as some of the pits were not clear until you were almost falling into them. A more detailed inspection in better weather may be called for but I prudently moved away from the mine and climbed ever more steeply to the top of the ridge that culminates at Gallt y Wenault.

Turning left along the ridge I headed towards Y Lliwedd and was soon joined by the clear horseshoe path that took me up to the top. In bad weather this was quite a challenge as I was battling against the wind whilst trying not to slip on the wet rocks. Eventually, after passing over the first peak (Lliwedd Bach) and the East Peak, I reached the summit of Y Lliwedd, the West Peak. I have been up here twice before, but never in weather like this! Slowly I made my way down the steep rocky slope trying to rejoin the Watkin Path. Despite possibly going wrong I eventually reached the path which I was able to follow across Bwlch Ciliau and up the dreaded scree below the summit of Snowdon. I never realised until that day how steep the scree at this point is as it was a real battle in the wind to climb the steep slopes. When I eventually reached the marker stone, I collapsed, relieved to have finally made it, but I still had a little way to go.

Renewing my strength I climbed the last couple of hundred metres past the still unfinished café and onto the summit. Once more I was at the top of England and Wales and it was worth all the effort. It never fails to amaze me how popular Snowdon is as even in this most dire of weather as there was still a smattering of people at the summit, but of course it is a Bank Holiday Monday so that would bring people out whatever the weather. Sheltered behind the summit rock I had my lunch before beginning the descent. While repassing the cafè I wondered whether they will ever finish it. It has taken them two years to get this far and it still shows no sign of being completed. After passing the top of the Watkin Path and Bwlch Main I descended the south ridge across some quite gloriously rocky terrain. I have only ever descended this in bad weather and it still seems great, despite slipping over a couple of times on the wet rocks.

Eventually I reached Bwlch Cwm Llan where I decided that I would stick to my original plan of going up Yr Aran. It was only 3 o'clock and it had briefly stopped raining. I had only once been up Yr Aran before, when I did this walk 3 years ago, so this was a repeat ascent except that the weather was, of course, much worse. The path early on was very wet, as it was three years ago, and the path very faint. Eventually the path became clear and dry(ish) as it climbed the steep hillside to the shapely peak of Yr Aran following a broken wall to the top of the ridge. Turning right at the top of the ridge I struggled up to the top but this strenuous climb late in the day really took it out of me. Once at the summit I had something to eat and then returned to the wall and continued along the ridge heading towards the waterfalls in the valley. When the wall left me and the ridge started to descend steeply I veered to the left dropping very steeply down into the valley until eventually I picked up a miner's track that brought me to the valley bottom and the Watkin Path.

A walk in this sort of weather is always a real test of not only the walker but his equipment and some of mine was found wanting. My cagoule proved to be not particularly waterproof however I was aware of this and I am planning on buying a new one in the autumn. My boots were also leaking where they are coming away at the seam, so this walk has been helpful in showing up the inadequacies in my equipment and showed me where investments (or repairs) need to be made in the coming months. This was a tiring and challenging walk, but still immensely satisfying. Any walk up Snowdon in any weather is a great walk, because it is such a great mountain.