Winter Walking - January 2022
When is a winter walking trip, not a winter walking trip?
The wind blew wild and the waves crashed high, there be monsters in those seas.
With some making the trip to the valleys a day early and after much weather watching on Friday myself, Josh, Hannah, Jamie, Louis and Tom all headed in different directions. Louis and Tom headed to a damp RAC boulders before heading up to Moel Siabod only to return in the wet and dark, looking more like cavers than climbers. Hannah and Jamie had an eventful day heading up the North Ridge of Tryfan in tough conditions with the aim of heading up Bristly Ridge before being forced back by the wind. Myself and Josh headed to the coast with one objective, the classic sea cliff climb - A Dream of White Horses. With fingers, toes, and every other body part crossed, the rain gods were kind and only battered us with 40mph winds, instead of a downpour. Tough conditions and hard won, we eventually topped out nearly 6 hours after arriving to be treated to a glorious cloud inversion at sunset. Enough to make a believer out of any man.
The rest of the troop headed up Friday evening, with Ian, Graham and Imogen stopping of in Shropshire to stretch their legs.
Friday night was spent in the pub with more weather googling and much debating about where the wind and rain could be avoided
Blowing a hoolie.
Eventually Holyhead Mountain came out as the firm favourite and with an un-CMC like early departure our decision paid off, and although the top of the crag looked like rows of dancing belayers trying their best to stay upright in the wind, we avoided the rain and everyone managed to get in 3-4 good quality routes before again being treated to an array of red and orange as the sun romantically retired over the sea, all documented by an abundance of camera phone pictures.
With no chairman’s spag bol, Hangin’ pizzas were Saturday nights cuisine, highly recommended by Louis. So with his reputation on the line 10 pizzas were thus ordered and they didn't disappoint.
The quarry, a dangerous place, scab on the earth.
With Sunday morning looking increasingly better than previous forecasts we broke off in to 3 groups. Richard and Dean headed for a walk starting from the mountain rescue post at Llyn Ogwen north up to Cwn Loer then west up the east ridge of Pen yr Ole Wen then around the ridge to Carnedd Dafydd then east along the ridge to Cwn Llugwy then back south. Ian, Graham and Tom went for a walk heading off from the slate mines at Llanberis. The rest went for a few quick sport routes on the slate before the heavens opened and released what we'd managed to avoid all weekend.
All in all it was another great weekend, a good introduction to outdoor climbing for some, and a good introduction to 2 hour hanging belays for others.
Biggest take away from the weekend was the importance of good decision-making based on the ever changing weather forecasts meaning most, sadly not all, managed to stay dry.