Training Log Archive: Frostbite

Welsh 3000s walk

I’ve had it in mind to do this for a few years but it’s taken until now for the opportunity to come up. Also I thought I would probably need to do some training for it but in the end I decided just to do it and hope for the best.

It’s very hard, particularly the long steep descents off Crib Goch and Tryfan. I was feeling pretty much done for when I reached the road at Llyn Ogwen but a sit down for twenty minutes and a nice bowl of chilli for tea perked me up. I was hoping to do 12 hours for the Snowdon – Foel Fras time but I was a bit behind schedule leaving Llyn Ogwen. The last ridge is really easy walking though, and I managed to make up the time to finish in 11:51.

I pretty much followed the route from this website www.welsh3000s.co.uk – I wouldn’t have had a clue which lines to take otherwise. The only significant difference is that I started the climb up Snowdon from Rhyd Ddu rather than Pen-y-pass. This added a bit of distance and a bit of climb to the overall walk but not that much, and since all my 5 previous ascents of Snowdon have started at Pen-y-pass I wanted to go somewhere different. Also it was quieter and made the whole walk a more satisfying shape.

It got dark as I was descending from Foel Fras to the car park above Abergwyngregyn. It’s about 4 miles from the last peak to the car park and it took ages, totally spent and just plodding along.

Total time for the whole thing was a couple of minutes under 15 hours. I make it 29 miles and 3900 metres of climb.
Snowdon – Foel Fras is 22 miles and 3000 metres of climb. ish.
Thanks to Tasha and Evie for providing the support.

Timings –

(Rhyd Ddu actual time 06:52)

Snowdon 0:00 (actual time 08:26) - easy ascent climbing into cloud at about 600 metres

Carnedd Ugain 0:17 - easy walk, still in cloud

Crib Goch 1:00 – nasty descent on wet rock with some bits of rock climbing, followed by traversing the ridge while holding on with both hands.

Nant Peris a 2:16 – awkward descent of Crib Goch along the north ridge then through scree to reach the grassy hillside by a stream. Cloud starting to clear which gave me some clues to get the right way down. Then walking down the road in hot sunshine.

Nant Peris d 2:26

Elidir Fawr 3:41 – long boggy plod, tops now clear, hot and sunny.

Y Garn 4:36 – easy walking

Glyder Fawr 5:25 – big down and up through scree, starting to flag here. Picked up a bit when walking turned to boulder hopping near the top.

Glyder Fach 5:50 – more boulder hopping. Many many people here.

Tryfan 6:40 – nasty descent beside Bristly Ridge. I was the only person going down and there were plenty coming up and I was having to take evasive lines, mainly because I was worried about sending rocks onto people’s heads. Found a reasonably easy line up Tryfan.

Llyn Ogwen a 7:30 – descended the west face of Tryfan from the col to the north of the summit. This wasn’t too bad, but was followed by a very steep descent on grass and scree direct to the road. I think I might have been better taking a more circuitous route.

Llyn Ogwen d 7:55 – mmmm chilli, and a pep talk from Evie. Basically she told me that they would only pick me up from the car park at the end after I said I might have to return to Ogwen if I was struggling.

Pen Yr Ole Wen 9:08 – climbed via the east ridge. A fairly easy climb with only a few bits where hands were needed, took it steady. Knackered.

Carnedd Dafydd 9:32 – very easy

Yr Elen 10:26 – very easy and accelerating with two Irish lads in my sights

Carnedd Llewellyn 10:50 – the last real climb, a little bit of a drag up but no problem

Foel Grach 11:16 – very easy, not really a proper summit. Beginning to get a bit chilly with the sun going down, and clouds forming around the tops.

Carnedd Uchaf 11:31 - ditto

Foel Fras 11:51 (actual time 20:17) – more of a summit than the previous two. Having overtaken the two Irish lads my legs gave up and they caught me again at the top. Would have been very easy if it wasn’t for the previous 14 summits.

(Car Park actual time 21:50) – descending in the gloom, completely dark by the finish. Bitten to death by midges within seconds of stopping.

C • Well done 5

Still feeling knackered from last week. Forced myself out but didn't really feel like it - sore and slow.