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Walk and Travel in Cumbria and Beyond

Tryfan and the Glyders

Tryfan and the Glyders

Wet and miserable, the hall mark of my trek up Snowden.  I ventured down to Wales again. The Brecon Beacons.  Nil visibility blighted me then too.

Third time lucky?

Saturday the sun shone brightly and the rocks were dry.

Perfect for the grade one scramble up Tryfan, a circuit of Glyder Fach, Glyder Faw and back down the Devils Kitchen.

Start

Tryfan from the road

I had absolutely no idea what I was letting myself in for.  My chaotic life just now had allowed no more time than reading the comments of the FB event’s page where I found the walk.  ‘Great grade 1 scramble’.  A sufficient accolade to pack my tent and head three hours south for a  ‘I didn’t get a ticket’ Glastonbury distraction.

llyn Ogwen

Llyn Ogwen

Although it looked sufficiently steep, from underneath Tryfan was deceptive.  Stretching back from the road in a dinosaur spine its full height hidden from view.

boulders

Start of the scramble

A brief walk up the grassy path before the trail disappears into rock.   A case of find your own way up best you can.  One thing is guaranteed up the north face; you’ll need your hands as well as your feet.  If four limbs is not your cup of tea then head for the aptly named Heather Terrace a little below the summit ridge.

terrace

Looking over to Carneddau

On the way up the ridge are  convenient rest plateaux to stop and admire the views, and rocks just aching to be photographed.  On a rare fine day in an indomitably wet summer mountain enthusiasts swarmed ant like in, around, up and over the bleached grey.

Ants

One more false summit

Queues forming for photo opportunities with the most spectacular backdrops.

Cannon Stone

Cannon Stone

The summit spines meanders up and down with the giant Jenga blocks to negotiate or detour round.

Gully Scramble Tryfan

Pull up a gully

Impressive gullies with rocks to climb over or crawl under.  All liberally scrapped by crampons signifying the hills popularity in winter as well as summer.

Gully scramble Tryfan

Choice, under, over or round?

The day was far too beautiful to leave behind after Tryfan.

Tryfan

Tryfan from the path up to Glyder

After a rocky descent to the Hawes, Bwich Tryfan there was only scree to negotiate to the strange rock garden of Glyder Fach.

Glyder Fach

Glyder Fach

Monoliths arranged as artfully as flowers littered the ridge to Glyder Fawr where a line of posies silhouetted the skyline.

Glyder Fach

Boulder Art

Which every route you take down to Llyn Idwal is steep but, apparently, The Devil’s Kitchen is the kindest.

Llyn Idwal

Down to Llyn Idwal

It has been ‘fixed’ with steps most of the way down.    The small lake catching the last rays as they dropped behind hills.

Llyn Idwal

Llyn Idwal

Welsh mountains at their best.

 

TryfanMap

 

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