Thursday, September 18, 2008

Crib Goch and the fellowship of fear (1)

Mostly off message and self indulgent, but what the heck. Last month Mrs Grayee and I were in North Wales, looking after my sister’s house, Jazz the Chocolate Lab and the cats (Psycho Jack and New Moses) while the family were on some lovely hot Greek Island.

On the Friday before the Bank holiday, I was let off for good behaviour to go and walk up Snowdon by myself.

Now there are various footpaths up and down Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon – the highest mountain in Wales). I have gone up all the main footpaths a number of times over the years, but I had a yen to get there via the famous Crib Goch ridge walk. I had a vague idea that I had walked this path with my Dad when I was a kid. I thought it had been a bit hard but not that bad. That day the weather forecast was pretty good, so I thought - go for it. I had an OS map which appeared to show a footpath all the way.

I drove to the car park at Pen-Y-Pass and luckily managed to secure one of the last parking spaces just after 8.30am. I was full of energy and enthusiasm and stormed up the Pig’s trail to the turning off for Crib Goch.

Pretty soon the path disappeared apart from cairns. I then soon lost the cairns and was scrambling and climbing up what I thought was pretty damn steep climbs. It wasn’t a great day to wear shorts either and my knees and shins were just scraped to pieces. At this early stage I was not that happy (little did I know that it got worse – or how worse). The really good thing was that my fellow climbers were not sure about the best route either and that we started chatting about what we should do next? We didn't know each other. Now on a normal busy day, the footpaths to Snowdon are the fresh air equivalent of the M25 at rush hour. As you pass people bye up and down, you usually only exchange a "good day" or a joke at best. The half of dozen of us within sight at this time attempting Crib Goch were calling out to each other, warning about loose rock and discussing about the best way forward.

You don’t walk up Crib Goch, you climb. Now, while to any experienced climber, I have no doubt that this so-called “climb” is to them a “walk in the Park”. To the majority of us, it was bloody hard work and very difficult. A few times I climbed up so far, only to lose my nerve and think, nah – I ain't going any further this way. You then had the even unpleasant climb down to some point where you could start again via another possible route.

One completely unexpected problem was that the rock itself was not always that secure. Much to my horror, you would grab hold of what appeared to be a secure bit of rock or use it as a foot hold and it would come away. I dislodged a rock the size of a half brick which came tumbling down and nearly hit a very friendly young couple below. Eventually, I found that there were climbs that you initially thought were impassable but eventually you could scramble ungainly up them, with sweat pouring out of your every pore.

When we finally got up to the top, after what I thought at the time was a really unpleasant and in fact, bloody awful experience, I was to be absolutely horrified at what I found next.

(to be continued)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not at all self-indulgent, John! It's this kind of stuff that shows you as a well-rounded individual with some other interests outside the fetid world of unions and politics. It puts you much closer to 'ordinary' people than those who bellow on interminably about how righteous they and their mates are all the time. Good on you and I look forward to the second instalment with bated breath.

Sir Edmund Hillary ;)

Robert said...

Shorts climbing mountains yes good idea. the last time I went up that path I was wearing full gear with mountain recuse tag

Anonymous said...

When young my family and I came off Snowden onto Crib Goch, with ice on the ridege.
stradling a 1,000 foot drop in high winds.

Even our dog was crying

never forgotten - never again

Anonymous said...

I know I know Sir

its the new cafe being built at the top of Snowden for the day trippers

Anonymous said...

Did you ever here the story of Red Rope the socialist walking/climbing club taken over by the SWP

Because they spent all their time introducing slidding scales of payments for trips to Wales/ Lakes etc

for members employed in the end it actually was cheaper for them to stay in hotels and go by train than camp and go in a coach run by Red Rope (Red spoke went the same way)

unlike the well run Clarion Ramblers and cycling clubs some of which are still going

including the Clarion tea room in Pendle with its famous pint mugs of tea for walkers and cyclists

http://www.clarionhouse.org.uk/

John Gray said...

Hi all
Thanks for your contributions – No, its not the new cafe being built (which has taken forever and forever). I’ll finish my tale of woe in the next few days or so.