Glyder Fach 15-3-2014

This was one of those unexpected days out as earlier in the week it looked like I would be working but with a sudden change of plan and Jill being off it was decided to take advantage of the fair weather forecast and do something that Jill had wanted to do for some time, stand on the Cantilever Stone on Glyder Fach. I was last up this way last year in the summer when me and my daughter missed out due to the weather, low cloud and poor visibility meant we went off piste by a hundred metres or so, no chance of that this time as we were treated to clear blue skies on the summit. It wasn't all like that though as the mist did roll in and out all day and we were treated to a cloud inversion going on around the Pen y Pass side with Snowdon peaking out once as well as Y Lliwedd. In fact we had a real mixed bag weather wise, with warm sun, cool winds, mist and even a brocken spectre :-) Our route took us from the car park on the A5 next to Llyn Ogwen following the outflow from Llyn Bochlwyd on to the path to the shore of Llyn Bochlwyd. This Llyn has the nickname Australia Lake, as seen from above it resembles the shape of Australia.

Our route for the day

Steep climb from the car park

One lonely tree

Llyn Ogwen & the Nant Ffrancon valley

Glyder Fach all in cloud

Ater a short break by Llyn Bochlwyd we took to the path that takes you up the ridge of Y Gribin. A fairly straight forward path before you get to the more rocky scrambling side of things. There is a path of sorts that takes you below the actual ridge and then a scramble up near the end and this is the route I took as there was quite a wind blowing up the side plus the mist had rolled in so I thought I'd keep things a bit more simple as this was Jill's first mountain day for a couple of years. She only has short legs as well so a bit less stretching and hauling up and over too many rocks :-) As a treat, we were treated to a brocken spectre as the mist rolled in and out between the sunny spells.

On the shore of Llyn Bochlwyd

Llyn Bochlwyd from above

View up the Y Gribin ridge

Llyn Bochlwyd from higher up

Llyn Idwal down the other side of Y Gribin

Brocken Spectre

Last of the scramble

Into the mist on Glyder fach

As we followed the path round the mist started to disappear and the way ahead became nice and clear with blue sky above us. Down to the right of us and in the Pen y Pass valley below us was full of cloud with Snowdon and Y Lliwedd poking through now and again. Now this is the first proper time I have seen an inversion like this and we just stood around taking it all in as the clouds seemed to be poured into the valley out of a giant jug. I climbed to the top of Castell y Gwynt aka Castle of the Winds, to get a birds eye view

Castell y Gwynt

Snowdon just poking through the cloud Inversion

Enjoying the views

Y Lliwedd just poking out

Getting up the "Castle"

Views from the "Castle"

looking over to the Cantilever from the "Castle"

Looking down from the "Castle"

Castell y Gwynt

Valley full of cloud

Pano from the summit

We made our way from here to the Cantilever and has luck would have it there was a someone there who took our photo in clear blue skies, a great moment for us. I have been here a few times before but to be here with Jill in good clear weather was a real bonus. As it happened, after we had our lunch, the cloud had rolled in and made it a bit more challenging to make things out but cleared up again as we made our descent.

On the Cantilever Stone

And it all goes misty

One in the mist

One in the mist

All clear on the descent path

The way down was straight forward enough and in good clear weath until we got to the path going down towards Tryfan. This is when we hit the wind and mist on the slopes of Glyder Fach. which takes you to the wall at the south side of Tryfan. We then picked up the path that leads us back to Llyn Bochlwyd and back to the car park

the misty descent path

Not very happy about another climb :-)

Coming out of the mist

Nothing to see here

Llyn Bochlwyd

Llyn Ogwen with Pen y Ole Wen looming large

Cloud covered Y Garn

Carefully does it

Y Garn

Llyn Ogwen

Don't jump!!

Tryfan

Another great day in Snowdonia. A day where we took our time and ended up with some great views and a mixed bag of weather. Hats & gloves on then off then on again, coats unzipped, then zipped up again but luckily the waterproofs stayed in the packs. Just what the doctor ordered. A trouble free drive home and then to the local for a curry and a few beers, nice :-)