Y Garn

Wednesday 21st March and it was my final day in Snowdonia. I set off under gloomy skies at sunrise to scale Y Garn, taking the relatively straightforward path up along the North-East ridge.

The path to Y Garn starts out through a narrow canyon

The rising Sun over Tryfan created an incredible light show

Looking across Llyn Idwal to the Eastern Glyderau

Pen Yr Ole Wen resides across the Ogwen valley

I ascended at a steady pace as I was feeling the fatigue from the two preceding days of extensive hillwalking and scrambling.  As I ascended I slowly let go of my more ambitious plan of traversing over to Foel Goch and back via Y Llymllwyd. Not only was I tired but as I peered over to try and spot the route down from the ridge up Y Garn I couldn't spot it and I was not in the mood for an off-path descent down steep terrain. Reflecting back on satellite images there is a path which looks easy to follow so I perhaps regret my chickening out in hindsight. But until next time...

Occasional breaks in the cloud at Y Garn summit showed magnificent views of Glyder Fawr and Fach but the clag resumed in before I could photograph the Snowdon range to the West.

The last couple of hundred feet of Y Garn were in clag mostly. The last few metres at the top of the ridge were in winter condition, and whilst it's not too steep a slip could lead to something more serious if not arrested so I put the ice-axe in hand to self-belay over these few metres.

Whilst sat at the top enjoying a sandwich I looked up to see that the clag had cleared! I started taking photos but I only caught a glimpse of the Snowdon range to the West before it rolled in again, at least on that side.  The presence of mist fortified my decision to just head back down so I made my way towards Llyn Cewn and the top of the Devil's Kitchen path.

Llyn Cewn nestles below the convex slopes of Glyder Fawr

20 minutes after I vacated the summit of Y Garn, the cloud cleared. Sod's law.

As I descended it was still mid-morning and the general direction of pedestrian traffic on the Devil's Kitchen path was up, not down.  If I had set off just half an hour later I could have had much better views and would maybe have gone for a longer day. Rain was forecast for early Afternoon though.

Looking back up

Llyn Idwal

I met a goat on the path by the lake

Looking back up at Y Garn

On rocking back up at the Pen Y Benglog car park I felt glad not to be faced with the rain that was already being heralded by the greying sky. I gave my fond farewells to the Ogwen Valley, until again.