Fri 27 Feb 2009
We drove up to The Goat in my car on the Friday night (arrived about 9:45pm). No real ale!
Sat 28 Feb 2009
We left The Goat for the drive to the start of our walk at about 8:30am. It was drizzling on the way, and not looking very promising. We arrived at the Snowdon Ranger car park (north of Rhyd-Ddu, beside Llyn Cwellyn) at about 9.15am. Due to the rain on the journey we put on waterproof jackets and over-trousers before we started. We began by walking approx. 1.2km south-east on the A4085 to the footpath starting at Planwydd. Ascending on the muddy path through the forest we emerged onto the open hillside at Bwlch y Moch (SH561540), and continued along the edge of the forest to the corner at SH553543 for a coffee and banana break.
The ascent continued on the ridge to Foel Rudd and then followed the ridge south-west above the cliffs of Craig y Bera from where we turned north to make the final ascent to Mynydd Mawr’s summit. Took lunch at the summit sheltering from the wind.
Three walkers arrived at the summit as we ate, the first walkers we had seen that day. After lunch we descended north-west to pick up a path (not marked on map) above Craig Cwm Du leading down to a path that was marked, which we followed for a short distance before branching off onto another unmarked path to the sheepfold at SH528559. We then followed the wall to another sheepfold at SH536558 at the edge of Tros-y-gol forest. The route continued through the forest on a muddy path back down to the road at Betws Garmon, stopping amongst the trees for a final coffee break. Finally we followed the road beside Llyn Cwellyn back to the car park. Although it was windy and cloudy with mist on the summit it never actually rained during the day, so we could have dispensed with the over-trousers.Rounded off the day in the Pen-y-Gwrd Hotel with scones, cream, jam and tea.
| Summit | Height (m) | Status |
| Mynydd Mawr | 698 | Nuttall |
Sun 01 Mar 2009
We managed to have breakfast and check out of The Goat by about 8.20am and get on our way to Pen-y-pass. Arrived there at about 9.05am when there was still parking spaces available. It was a nice sunny day, so no need for waterproofs. We began on the Pyg track, which we intended to follow for about 1km before turning off on a feint path (according to various guide books) that led to the north ridge above Dinas Mot. We could not find any trace of this path and were within a couple of hundred metres of Bwlch y Moch before we decided to cut across on the grass. The slope became very steep in places and it was difficult to find a safe route over the small ridges of Ysgar. It would have been safer to lose height and go below this ridge, but we managed to find a route, though it was rather precarious. As we got closer to the north ridge a feint path did materialise which we attempted to follow onto the ridge. We stopped for a coffee and banana break once we were on the ridge. It felt like it would be very windy once on the ridge proper, so I put on my Buffalo wind-proof.
We continued up the ridge aiming to get onto the crest. Some bits of scrambling and some nasty scree to negotiate before we came to the rocky ridge itself. Nice scrambling on the final section up to the summit of Crib Goch. Several ravens flying around us, but we met no-one else on this ridge until we got to the summit of Crib Goch, which this ridge came directly on to. Lunch stop on Crib Goch summit.
In mist as we continued along the crest of Crib Goch so no views. A few patches of snow as we continued on to Crib y Ddysgl, and by the time we were at the summit of Garnedd Ugain it was very windy and cold. As we descended towards the top of the Pyg track Vince asked a couple who were heading the way we had come were they aware that they were heading for Crib Goch (they man was wearing jeans and the woman was wearing fashionable boots not suitable for scrambling). They replied "this not Llanberis path?". They then followed us and Vince pointed out the Llanberis path that they had missed.
Because of the time and the weather conditions we decided it was pointless going on to the summit of Snowdon and would go down the Pyg track. The first couple of hundred metres were very tricky as snow had been compacted down by many feet into a very slippery track. Once we had negotiated this we were out of the wind and stopped for a break to finish our coffee. Vince suggested that we check the path that leads down from the Pyg Track to the Miners' Track, as if this was good, descending to the Miners' Track would be a much quicker walk back to Pen-y-pass. There was a new marker stone at the top of this track and much of the linking path had been re-laid, so it was a good descent to Glaslyn and the Miners' Track. A long walk back to the car park on this track.
| Summit | Height (m) | Status |
| Crib Goch | ||
| Nuttall |
More pictures here
