Snowdon for the first time

Tuesday 2nd September 2003

Over the last ten years I have been up to the top of Snowdon more times than any other mountain, so it is astonishing to consider that the first time I climbed Snowdon wasn’t until the beginning of September 2003. Up until that week I had never done any walking in Snowdonia and I started the week with two lesser known, but still three thousand feet high, mountains in Elidir Fawr and Y Garn. On the first full day of my holiday in Snowdonia I wasted no time in turning my attention towards Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales and considerably higher than any mountain in England. There are many different routes up Snowdon ranging from the easiest route that starts in Llanberis to the most challenging routes that start from Pen-y-Pass and Nant Gwynant. I had stayed the night in the Llanberis Youth Hostel, but rather than climb Snowdon on the popular Llanberis Path I elected to climb Snowdon for the first time by a totally unorthodox route that passes over the foothills to the west of the mountain.

I believe the reason for my desire to include these western foothills was because of a desire at the time to climb all the mountains in Wales, which is something that I’d already done in South Wales and I was now turning my attention to North Wales. Although I referred to them as foothills, the first and highest hill, Moel Eilio, is two thirds of the height of Snowdon and no mere mound. The Llanberis Youth Hostel overlooks the village and from there I climbed steep, narrow lanes to Maen-llwyd-isaf where a track leads across the slopes to several disused slate quarries. Before reaching the quarries, and at the highest point on the track, I turned left and started to climb the broad heather-clad ridge of Bryn Mawr that eventually ends at the cairn on top of Moel Eilio, but looking at the map, I wonder if the north-eastern ridge of Braich y Foel would be a more interesting ascent route. When I did this route again up Snowdon in 2010 I followed the same route that I’d taken in 2003, so if I was to do the western hills route up Snowdon for a third time I would be able to discover whether Braich y Foel is a better way up.

The weather in 2003 was no better than it had been in 2010 when it was cold, wet and windy. Despite the low cloud I continued over the top of Moel Eilio and down to Bwlch Cwm Cesig before passing over a succession of small hills to Bwlch Maesgwm. Beyond the pass I started to climbi the steep slopes of Moel Cynghorion, a hill that I bypassed in 2010. This was a tiring climb to the top of the hill and an even steeper descent to Bwlch Cwm Brwynog on the other side and I gained nothing for my effort except a tick on a list. It is a common activity among hill-walkers to compile lists of hills that follow certain criteria and then climb just those hills that are on their list. In 2003 I was doing exactly that in climbing Moel Eilio and Moel Cynghorion, but these days I am more motivated to find stunning scenery and good climbs.

At Bwlch Cwm Bwynog I joined the Snowdon Ranger Path, one of the six right-of-ways up Snowdon, which climbs the mountain up the north-western ridge above the northern cliffs of Clogwyn Du’r Arddu. After an initial steep, craggy climb that zigzags onto the top of the ridge, the path is pretty straight-forward, which was fortunate as the weather was not getting any better with visibility severely reduced. I thought I could hear, through the mist, the sound of a steam train working hard, climbing the mountain and soon I reached the tracks with the Llanberis Path not far beyond it. A short climb up the Llanberis Path, beside the Snowdon Mountain Railway, brought me up to the summit of Snowdon, somewhere I have since visited many times in many different weathers. This was definitely not the best weather I would ever have for going up Snowdon so it wasn’t long before I dropped back down to the railway platform and entered the summit café.

At that time the building at the top of Snowdon was a dilapidated old building that had been criticised by many including Prince Charles who described it as the highest slum in Wales. I don’t remember much about that old building, but one thing I do remember vividly from this occasion was dense mist billowing into the building through the open door, and the long queues for the toilets (the latter hasn’t changed). After spending much time exploring the summit of Snowdon I headed back down the Llanberis Path, continuing all the way down on the trail into the village of Llanberis while the weather continued to be unpleasant with rain accompanying me for much of the way down. Snowdon is a very special mountain that is always a delight to climb no matter what the weather. I have been up there many times since and it wasn’t long before I climbed Snowdon for a second time.

Elidir Fawr and Y Garn

Monday 1st September 2003

With no new walks to report I’m going to describe my first ever walking holiday in Snowdonia. At this point in my walking experience I had done a lot of walking in the Peak District and the Brecon Beacons, and I’d been to the Lake District twice, but I’d never been to Snowdonia despite the summit of Snowdon being the most visited mountain-top in Britain. In late summer 2003 I finally made my way to Snowdonia and set out to climb all fifteen mountains above three thousand feet, and failed in that task due to omitting a notable top. I didn’t make any notes during this holiday and I didn’t take any pictures, so since it was over ten years ago I may have difficulty remembering every little detail about the week. However, I seem to recall a surprising amount of things about the holiday and assuming I’m not getting it mixed up with subsequent visits I should have plenty to write about.

My first target was not one of the more well-known mountains, but a couple of infrequently visited mountains that lie north of the valley of Nant Peris. I think I chose to walk up these mountains first because I had spent most of the morning driving to North Wales so I only had time for a shorter walk that could be done during the afternoon. The first thing I remember about this holiday is that I had forgotten my map and compass. I don’t remember when I realised that I’d forgotten them, but it must have been while I was in the car park in Nant Peris preparing to set off. Rather than abandon the walk before I’d even started I set off regardless relying on my memory of the map that I’d left at home. I crossed the road and somehow managed to find my way through Old Llanberis and onto a track that climbs the hillside beside the Afon Dudodyn. Eventually I crossed the stream, where I filled my water-bottle (though why it needed filling or why I still remember that is unfathomable), and started to climb the steep grassy slopes of Elidir Fawr.

This was a long tiring climb with no path to follow but lots of scree and rocks to clamber over. Part way up I got a call from home to inform me that I’d left my map there, but this was not news to me and surprisingly I didn’t seem to need it. As far as I can remember the weather was good, though the summit of Elidir Fawr may have been covered with clouds, but on such a narrow ridge this wasn’t a problem. I climbed straight up the scattered rocks that abundantly cover the area and eventually reached the top and then, after a rest, I set off along the ridge eastwards. Tragically I have been to the top of Elidir Fawr just once since this walk, way back in 2006, when I was similarly endeavouring to visit all fifteen three thousand metre tops in Wales, and similarly failed. Why is completing a list the only reason to visit this fabulous mountain? The weather on that day was poor with no view from the summit, but a picture that I took in 2006 from Bwlch y Marchlyn shows how narrow is the thrilling ridge.

I probably had better weather for my first visit as I crossed the narrow ridge and skirted below Mynydd Perfedd before climbing to the top of Foel-goch. The ridge broadens after this and easy walking beyond led me to the final climb of the day zig-zagging up to the summit of Y Garn, my second Munro-sized mountain of the day. I have no idea what it was like at the summit or anything else about the walk at this point. I think my descent route was a basic straight down the western slopes into Cwm Gafr following a right of way that is marked on maps and ends in Nant Peris. Despite not having a map for this walk I seem to have managed surprisingly well. In clear weather the place where a map is most needed is in the valleys, so you can find the right path onto the open hillside, but I seem to have been able to find my way up without a map, perhaps from memory, though it may have taken me several attempts.

I guess I was lucky that the weather wasn’t worse and that the route was clear. I wasn’t so lucky for the rest of the holiday, so a map was urgently needed and Joe Brown’s in Llanberis was happy to furnish me with a new map and compass. I seem to recall asking for a GPS, but for some reason I didn’t get one, possibly because Joe Brown’s didn’t stock them. Whatever the reason it would be another three years before I finally bought a GPS and that was a very basic one that I have never felt the need to replace (or use very often). A GPS is a handy tool to have, but is no replacement for a good map and compass, and even more importantly the ability to use them. On this holiday I put that to the test.