I have for that last three days been out teaching winter related things. This included Sargents Gully and a bit of parsley fern friday. winter skills on saturday and guiding up snowdon yesterday. I have a rest day now, before back to winter skills tomorrow.
Snowdon was in amazing good winter conditions, however as I fully expected people are thoroughly ill prepared for arctic conditions. My client and I were among the few with ice axes and crampons. The most important thing I taught my client was to pass people without crampons above them so they didn’t become collateral damage in someones idiotic quest for summit glory!
As expected the Big Yellow Taxi was out above Clogwyn Goch, I just hope the people involved managed to stop before their quite possible untimely end.
Why all this was going on a few of my friends were laying to rest a mythical challenge of gaining the title the king of the pass. Whereby the challenge was to climb Cascade a Grade V ice route, then Right Wall an E5 rock climb and then Jerry’s roof a V9 boulder problem. The ultimate climbing triathalon.
Caff decided that this would be too easy, so climbed Central Icefall grade VI, Lord of the Flies when it was damp and then Jerry’s Roof. Creating the Superman of the Pass. If that wasn’t enough then Tim Emmett and Neil Gresham had driven up from london to Climb the Welsh Ice Trilogy, The Devils Appendix, Cascade and Central Ice fall in a day. Starting out at 4am they managed the feat.
Tim got a few hour kip and then joined the team at the Cromlech and lead Left Wall and Right Wall before also ticking Jerry’s Roof.
All I can say is conditions are really shit here at the moment and I am working. Maybe later in the week I can get involved! I might try the Punter of the Pass with Sargents, Cemetry gates and the Ramp in 24 hours!