Earlier this week, many of us were just getting over the tragic news that two brothers had died in a fall from the Llanberis Path, whilst walking up Snowdon. The pair had fallen in a notorious accident black spot that I highlight just after the incident to help raise as much awareness of the seriousness of the conditions on Snowdon at the moment. In light of today’s news I can only re-iterate the need for not only ice axe and crampons but also a knowledge of there safe use
For today the same area of the mountain took the life of another walker. This body was only discovered after a seperate incident that resulted in two walker slipping over the edge of the steep ground, one manage to stop themselves whilst the other sustain serious injuries and was airlifted to Ysbyty Gwynedd. So we are lucky that there weren’t 3 dead at the bottom of Clogwyn Goch on Snowdon Today.
Ian Henderson spokeman from the team said “We would reinforce our safety message that if you’re going into the mountains in north Wales at the moment, you must be fully competent in winter conditions.” This means not only must you be carrying the appropriate kit, but also be a competent navigator and know how to use an ice axe and crampons.
I cannot iterate strongly enough that The Llanberis Path up Snowdon is something of serious proposition at the moment. Without the neccessary equipment it is all to easy for what starts as a very small slip to carry on for hundreds of feet over broken cliffs and end in tragedy. In fact there isn’t an ‘easy’ walk up Snowdon at the moment, its all mountaineering.
Saying that the condition are the best we have had in North Wales for a long time and if you are competent then you won’t get it better than this, there are reports coming in of bullet hard neve high up, possible one of the contributing factors if these walker weren’t either equipped with or wearing crampons. So if you do head out enjoy and be safe, please.