My First Leadership experience: the Snowdon Horseshoe

Having completed my Mountain Leader training back in April of this year I now have to rack up a number of Quality Mountain Days (QMDs) before I can think about going back to do my assessment. As well as working on improving a number of skills I also need to get some experience of actually leading groups of people (which may prove tricky since I am not a Mountain Leader yet, thats the whole point, but we shall see. And I digress).

A friend of mine, Caroline, recently attempted Crib Goch with the assistance of a guide that she had hired for the day. However, the weather was against them and they had to turn back. So, I posted on Caroline’s Facebook wall that if she wanted to try again then she should let me know. I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting a response a short while later suggesting the following weekend and asking if we could attempt the full Snowdon Horseshoe!

However, keen to not turn down any opportunity of another QMD and an opportunity to practice some of the stuff we covered on the ML course I accepted Caroline’s request. There followed a frantic week (mainly on Caroline’s part) to find accomodation and come up with a strategy. As the week progressed the weather forecast looked like Saturday might just offer a window of opportunity so we agreed to camp at the Swallow Falls hotel and drive up to Pen Y Pass bright and early Saturday morning.

We both made it up to Betws – y – Coed in pretty good time on Friday evening and after a swift drink in the bar retired to our respective tents. I woke the next morning just before my alarm went off at 5:30am. We got up, had a quick breakfast and cup of coffee before heading up to Pen Y Pass. By the time we had parked up, got a ticket and sorted out our kit it was probably around 7am by the time we set off, heading up the Pyg track on the start of our big adventure.

The morning had started with clear blue skies and bright sunshine. However, as we progressed along the Pyg track, so the cloud started to build so that by the time we left the Pyg at Bwlch y Moch the clouds were obscuring the summit of Snowdon and the top of Crib Goch. As we were about to start the first scramble it started to rain and by the time we were half way up the initial ascent it was hailing! Hailing, in June!!

By the time we reached the ridge the rain and hail had ceased but the ridge was still wreathed in cloud.

We managed to make our way along the ridge, only descending slightly to work our way around a gulley that almost cut the ridge in two. There must be a way over the top as the group behind us managed to overtake us somehow on this section.

We had made it along the Crib Goch ridge to Bwlch Goch, only to be faced with wall of Garnedd Ugain. The phrase that sprung to mind was “How on earth are we going to get up there?”

But, get up it we did. After an initial false start trying to find a route myself, we ended up following another group who had had more success at route finding than we had. Once at the top of the wall we found ourselves on another narrow ridge, which almost imperceptibly got easier and wider until the trig point at the summit appeared through the mist and we had made it to the summit of Garnedd Ugain.

Descending from the trig point it was almost as if we were strolling across open parkland – although there were rocks on the ground and we were still on the summit ridge I knew that the drop off to my right was about 100m away (because I had navigated to it on the ML course). A whole 100m!! That was huge when for the last two hours we had been working our way along a knife edge.

Before we knew where we were the Snowdon railway was on our right and the marker stone at the top of the Pyg track was on our left. We were on the final approach to the summit of Snowdon. By this time there were a few more people about and we were passed by the little steam engine working hard to push a single carriage of tourists towards the top of the mountain. It was very odd to look in at these people sipping their coffees as we slogged up the slope, the wind gusting around us. It was even odder when we finally made it to the summit to see some of these tourists in their designer label open toed sandals and casual outfits strolling around the summit.

Sixth time on the summit, sixth time with no view.

Although this was my sixth time at the summit, it was the first time I had been there when the visitor center was open. So, we popped in for a coffee. Such a bizarre experience, knowing that you are on the top of the highest mountain in England and Wales, and yet it was just like being in a fast food outlet in a town somewhere. I hope the people who work there get the train to work.

After the coffee we headed back out into the mist and started our descent, heading towards the South Ridge until we came across the marker stone at the head of the Watkin path, where we turned and headed down the scree slope.

This was a new experience for me on two accounts. It was the first time that I had descended via the Watkin path and it was the first time that I had seen the Watkin path in its entirity, without it being covered in mist. (Note to self – in future keep to the left on the ascent and aim for the marker stone rather than trying to ascend via the scree slopes).

Thanks to the clearing weather we were able to make it down the scree slopes relatively quickly and easily and made it safely to Bwlch y Saethau, from where we could see the route we had taken so far, the slope of Lliwedd looming in front of us and tremendous views of Glaslyn, Lln Llydaw and the Cribau ridge (which I had ascended on the ML course).

And now we were into the final leg. An easy scramble got us to the top of the West Peak of Lliwedd via some spots for a brief rest and a look back over the route we had travelled.

Once on the West peak there was a short down before another quick up to the summit of the East Peak. From there is was literally down hill all the way via Lliwedd Bach and the path down to the Miner’s track and then back to Pen Y Pass car park and another well earned cup of coffee in the cafe.

Total time, about 8 hours. During that time I managed to point out some interesting features and talk to Caroline about lichens, hexagonal columnar cooling,  and various other topics.

A full set of my photos are available on my Flickr site here. And a map of the route is here.