SNOWDON AND CRIB GOCH RIDGE

Log book entry from Glip's personal log

28th July 1984        Snowdon and Crib Goch Ridge

Leaders

Tommy Boag, Robbie Mochrie, Glip, John Yarr, Graham Bolster, Guy Grant.

Scouts   

Adrian Simpson (Simmy), Roderick McCrorie, Douglas McCrorie (Jobby), Alistair Blair (Ally/Frodlet), Ross Gillespie (Rosco), Colin Beaton, Kenny Blair (Frodo), James Gatherer (Peasant)

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Weather

Sunny and dry with fair-weather clouds swirling over the tops.

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Report

The weather forecasts on the radio, paper and at Pen-y-Pass were not encouraging, and forecast clouds and showers for the afternoon. Therefore, we left in quite a hurry, leaving the camp standing to try and be off the mountain by early afternoon. We arrived about 9:30 AM at Pen-y-Pass to find John Yarr and Booboo waiting for us. They revealed that they, along with Alan Todd, had managed some canoeing on Thursday at somewhere or other.

Today, we again had two groups. The first group was led by Guy, Tommy and Robbie, and consisted of Jobby, Frodlet, Adrian, Roderick, and Colin. They were supposed to go up by the Pyg track.

The second group was to be led by Glip, John Yarr and G.Bolster, and consisted of Peasant, Booboo, Frodo and Rosco. This goup was going to try the  Crib Goch Ridge to Snowdon.  Rosco was not in the original plans for the Crib Goch ridge, but his performance on Thursday was so good that he was capable.

We started at a fair pace, but by the time we were due to leave the Pyg track, Peasant was having chest pains. It was decided that Rivet would take him up the Pyg track). John took the rope and sadly a depleted party set up to the ridge. The pace was still brisk and the weather remained fine.

At spot height 921m, we got our first view of the ridge and it was spectacular to say the least. There were parties on it already–some of them clambering along in half crouches. However, it was the clouds which caught our attention. They were rising, swirling and sweeping over the ridge -advancing to conceal parts of the ridge, then retreating to reveal new bits of ridge and occasionally Snowdon itself. The clouds were blowing across from the south, but were white and fair-weather cumulus and we began to doubt the validity of the forecast. Rain did not seem likely in the new future. We proceeded along the ridge carefully but confidently and it proved no borra at a’.

Once off the ridge, there was still a fair distance and a deal of scrambling still left. At this point, Frodo seemed to lose interest and lagged a bit. We teased him about looking too closely at a girl nearby, which evoked a response and a grin.

The Scouts were not totally convinced that I was telling the truth about a restaurant at the summit and they thought it was really strange to find it there. It was a major talking point for some time afterwards. Peasant and Rivet were there waiting for us, but the other group did not appear for about half an hour. As it turned out, they had done the horseshoe with Y-Lliwedd included.

John and Rivet returned to the car along Crib Goch so that Rivet wouldn’t miss out. Group One descended the Pyg track while Glip's group plus Peasant, who felt better, sped gaily down a likely looking path. However, it was not long before Glip realised that the lie of the land was too gentle and the clouds were in the wrong place. The map was pulled out and we discovered that the path we should have been on had left the path we were actually on near the summit. We were on the wrong path entirely. This was very embarrassing and should not have happened, but it does demonstarte not to take anything for granted To much groaning and moaning, we retraced steps and found the correct path.

With some persuasion, we got everyone up Y-Lliwedd and they thought it worthwhile in the end. Our descent consisted of sprints and long lazy sunbathes. We buzzed groups including some cadet army force who did not look at home on the mountain. At Llyn Lydaw, we had another long rest and loaded rucksacks with stones, hoping that the owners would not notice.

The others were waiting for us and, after Guy and Tommy had finished their tea, we sped round to strike camp. At Capel Curig, Glip treated the Scouts to a snack out of camp Money and then we made the long journey home.  We arrived at camp with a flourish and rather late for dinner.

There may have been a campfire that evening.

The CSA hikers and the Snowdon expedition proved highly successful. Unfortunately, the Hikers Badge group used their initiative in the wrong way and took public transport into Wrexham and did not bother with the hike at all! As 'punishment', they were forced to return their money and then put onto digging the campfire – a task they did very well eventually.

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