ron-t climbing
09 October 2016 .............. Tryfan and Glyder Fâch
Much better weather today, still with the east wind, but plenty of sunshine.
I wanted to see if I could still get up the north ridge of Tryfan - and I am pleased to say that yes I can.
However it was a trying experience - I have never seen so many people on the north ridge of Tryfan, it was like going up Snowdon.
Most of them were in organised groups, and I have to say I don`t think I have ever met such rudeness from many of the groups that was there.
Now I am not the fastest of climbers nowadays, but I plod my way up.
But so many of the groups would climb right up behind me until I got out of the way - I would find somewhere to stand aside, and they would all rush past.
It was all ages - groups of teenagers, groups of 20 somethings, groups of 30 somethings.
Then 10 minutes later I would catch up with them - they were standing right in the middle of the path in a group trying to get their breathe back, and stuff anyone who wanted to get past them.
Up on the summit it was just about possible to find somewhere to sit down and have a bite too eat - it was swarming with people who had either come up the north ridge or up the south ridge.
So all in all it wasn`t really an enjoyable mountain experience.
However as usual, Tryfan did provide some good views - looking across to the northern end of the Glyders -
Looking up to Glyder Fâch and Glyder Fawr -
Looking across to Bristly Ridge -
In the past when I have been up Tryfan I have left the summit northwards, then westwards down a sort of bouldery scree, then followed the path down to the road - it is I think the quickest way down.
So to be a bit different this time, I headed down the south ridge trying to avoid the million other people who were heading up or down the same way.
Some of the local residents, who didn`t seem bothered by the passing hordes -
Once down to the coll I was a little undecided on what to do next - going down the Heather Terrace was one possibility - however I thought I would go over and have a look at one particular part of Bristly Ridge that I have often wondered about, as to whether it would provide a route up without climbing Sinister Gully, which is really way more than my comfort level.
So I headed over, up the bottom of Bristly Ridge, and up to the manmade wall at the bottom of Sinister Gully.
However before heading off to the left, I veered right, to go and have a look at Dexter Gully.
I looked up it, and thought it looked a bit intimidating - there is a big rock just above a sort of face, and I think it would provide quite an obstacle to getting up the gully.
I played around at the bottom, and eventually found a way up the first tricky bit, so thought I would go on a bit.
Eventually I came to another tricky bit, and had a try at it, but it wasn`t a very hard try, as I wasn`t sure I really wanted to up to Glyder Fâch.
However I did eventually get up it - and by now of course I was totally committed, the only way was up.
I don`t remember getting past the big rock - maybe the last tricky was it - but soon enough I was at the bottom of the last hard bit - a rather wet loose sort of gully that I couldn`t get up.
I think I am right in saying that there used to be a big boulder stuck in this gully, and you could scramble up behind it. There isn`t a boulder now, just a wet loose gully with no handholds.
As I said, I couldn`t get up it, but eventually found a way up over to the right.
And that was Dexter Gully !
Glyder Fâch here I come.
You know you are on Glyder Fâch when you see this - the famous cantilever stone.
It was by now mid afternoon, so the sun was beginning to get lower over in the west, and was producing some nice lighting effects away down the Lleyn Peninsula.
This is looking across to the Snowdon block, with the Lleyn Peninsula away behind it.
As you can see, Yr Eifl was just making an appearance - it is quite amazing just how places there are in Snowdonia from where you can see Yr Eifl.
Some more good lighting looking past Y Lliwedd -
Now it was decision time - a bit more than 3 hours of daylight left - what to do.
One possibility was to head over to Glyder Fawr, then come back and come down Y Gribin. Did I have time for that ?
Not sure.
Eventually I decided that I would head back down to the coll, contour round South Peak, and then head down the Heather Terrace.
I have come up the Heather Terrace in the past, and as far as I could remember it was an easy enough walk.
Oh dear - what a bad decision that was. It was a disaster of a way down.
First of all, there is a foul descent down the long scree to the east of Bristly Ridge.
Then the countour round South Peak is up and down and up and down and rough and...... just yuk.
Then Heather Terrace - the first bit is fine -
but it soon degenerates into a much rougher trek with big steps down over boulders -
The goats don`t seem to mind, they are quite at home.
I really struggle with this kind of descent, my knees and hips just can`t do it, I have to sit down at the top of the step, put both legs down, then stand up again below the step. It is uncomfortable, and very slow.
And it was like that all the way down to the road - most of the length of the Heather Terrace, contouring round the lower end of the Tryfan north ridge, and down the steps beside the wall.
It took a long time, and the more annoying thing is that once I was down I realised that there was still well enough daylight that I could have gone up to Glyder Fawr, and down Y Gribin, which would have been an easier descent, and I could have been moving a lot faster.
So all in all, it wasn`t the best of days - I am well chuffed that I did both the north ridge of Tryfan and Bristly Ridge - I have never done them both on the same day before.
But an unpleasant ascent up Tryfan, and an unpleasant descent back down rather spoilt the day.
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