Wales - 2015
22 January 2015 ........... Craig Cwm Silyn
The forecast was for a cold clear day with little wind - and maybe some cloud - so I went back to Craig Cwm Silyn, to have a look at the gully that bisects the cliffs above Cwm Silyn.
I had seen it on my previous trip to Craig Cwm Silyn, and wondered if it would provide a way up through the crags from Cwm Silyn onto the plateau which is the summit ridge.
Up the track, and starting to head into Cwm Silyn - the gully is right in the middle of the picture, although it isn`t too obvious in this picture.
Here is a closer view of the gully, again right in the middle of the picture, although I didn`t go up the deepest bit of the gully, I went up the smooth white line on the right hand side of the gully.
You can also see a another two gullies - much narrower, one on either side of the wide one in the middle - they both may offer ways up, but it looked as if the hardest parts would be at the top.
Backtracking a wee bit, here is a picture taken from just below the snow line on the way up - it shows the two prominent crags of these cliffs - the further away one, and I think the higher one, is Craig Fawr, and the nearer one is Craig yr Ogof. I am not a 100% certain about these names, I hope I have got them right.
Craig yr Ogof is well known in the climbing world, with several established routes - ukclimbing.com lists several routes as well as quite a few gullies.
Just to the right of Craig yr Ogof is the gully I was heading for - this picture shows it off as quite a deep gash into the cliffs - perhaps the French description "couloir" would be appropriate.
Bear in mind that in taking this picture I was looking very much upwards, so reality is somewhat distorted in this view.
Well up the gully now, and the cloud is starting to flow down into the gully.
Once up and on the plateau, it was clear that there was no view to be seen - a layer of cloud covered the whole summit ridge, and I tried in vain to find the summit of Craig Cwm Silyn.
It is a somewhat featureless expanse of nothingness, so I didn`t ever find the summit - I had a recollection from my previous trip in which direction it lay, but eventually I gave up, found what I think is a false summit, and celebrated my climb with the obligatory tea break.
It was a simple matter to follow the rim of the cliffs back round, and down the long even tongue that curves up and around and above Cwm Silyn.
Starting to head down, and there is a thick layer of cloud flowing over the edge of the cliffs.
A bit further down, and the cloud is beginning to lighten -
A bit further down, and the cloud continues to thin, with a ribbon of cloud still flowing down the gully I had just climbed up.
Right down now, just before picking up the track, and the cloud has completely gone.
It was very annoying about the cloud, but I really enjoyed my climb up the gully or couloir.
When I was wandering about in the cloud at the top, I was wishing it had been a longer climb up - is there a possibility I might get hooked on winter climbing ?
To end the day, almost a good sunset, as the sun set behind a big block of cloud that was still sitting over Bwlch Mawr and Yr Eifl.
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