Glyders Wild Camp 30/12/14

Route: Glyder Fach-Glyder Fawr
Map of route: http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4011393.html

It was still dark when I parked up and I had half an hour or so to kill before I set off.

As my eyes adjusted to the slowly brightening landscape, the size of the peaks that surrounded me took me by surprise, monstrous hulks of rock in every direction each with a healthy sprinkling of snow.

As the time reached 8 o' clock I donned my gear and set off South over the ladder stile.

Looking West towards Foel Goch.

After a few pictures and an uneventful stream crossing I carried on in the direction of Llyn Bochlwyd, the terrain was boggy and often required a slight change of course to avoid the worst of it.

The dinosaur backed hulk of Tryfan.

The going soon got easier as I joined the main path that ran beside Nant Bochlwyd, though patches of snow were becoming more frequent.

Pen yr Ole Wen in the background.

The path soon steepened to a scramble and handholds were needed due to ice and snow making the path extra challenging, I decided the Yaktrax would be put on as soon as I had reached level ground.

After a fairly short and steep climb I reached the absolutely stunning Llyn Bochlwyd with Glyder Fach making a fantastic backdrop, it seemed a hell of a reward for such a short walk but I wasn't complaining!
After putting the Yaktrax on and taking a quick photograph for a couple nearby, I headed Southeast towards Bwlch Tryfan.

Llyn Bochlwyd below Glyder Fach.

Despite cruising past the 550m mark, the ascent was effortless, the views were increasingly amazing and it was still early in the day, I couldn't have been happier!

Leaving the gorgeous Llyn Bochlwyd behind.

As progress was good I decided a quick coffee break was needed and the Jetboil was promptly fired up.
After a quick slurp while taking in the epic views and watching a few people make their way up, I packed up and carried on.

Brew time (at approx 650m).

As I crossed the ladder stile at Bwlch Tryfan I joined the Miner's Track which had a slight downhill section and offered extensive views to the North and East which were fantastic.

Looking up to Glyder Fach.

Some climbers taking a more direct route up.

Soon enough the path was rising steeply upwards as I made my way towards the crossroads.

I'd originally planned to camp somewhere near here but I was well ahead of time so decided to go with my second option.

Looking East towards Y Foel Goch.

Soon after turning West the going began to get tougher and my calf muscles finally felt like they were at 800m!

I was surprised at the amount of people on their way up Glyder Fach (given the conditions) and stopped briefly for a snack a little way from the main path.

Tryfan (left).

I reached the summit just after lunchtime and decided to plod on, I chatted with a couple of people about camping and the weather, then continued to head West towards my next port of call (Glyder Fawr).

Looking down on Llyn Bochlwyd.

Castell y Gwynt.

On route to Glyder Fawr the weather closed in a little and I ended up a fair bit South of where I should have been.

A 'short cut' caused me even more grief as I battled with waist deep snow and soaked both of my feet in a hidden stream, I retraced my steps feeling frustrated and tired with the added pressure that there was only and hour and a half of daylight left.

After a knackering trudge I was extremely relieved to see the fence on Y Garn, all that remained was the steep descent down to my planned camping spot at Llyn y Cwn.

A bit of mist rolling in.

My original pitching location was on the pebbly shore of Llyn y Cwn but I was unable to get the pegs in far enough and the wind promptly ripped them out.
After a quick scout round I found a better spot to pitch, unfortunately it was more exposed to the wind and required a few pegs in before the poles were inserted.
I was thankful to have my shelter up just before nightfall and quickly inflated my sleeping mat to give some insulation from the freezing ground.

Force 10 Ion 2 pitched by the beautiful Llyn y Cwn.

After taking off my sodden boots and clothing I got into my sleeping bag and cracked on with some hot food and a drink.

After broken sleep of two hour intervals (due to the unrelenting wind all night long) I had a quick breakfast and departed just as it was starting to get light, my headtorch and flashlight lighting up the way ahead.
The route down the Devil's Kitchen was treacherous and thankfully the steep and slippery bit didn't take too long to safely navigate.

Llyn Idwal with Pen yr Ole Wen rising up behind.

On my slow stroll down to Llyn Idwal I passed a couple of people on their way up the Devil's Kitchen.
An impressive collection of small waterfalls got my attention and I ditched my pack to get the tripod and wide angle lens out.

The path leading to the Devil's Kitchen.

As I got to the far end of Llyn Idwal I tried to be creative (as the ever increasing wind was whipping up some impressive waves) unfortunately the wind was so strong that all I achieved was to get spray on the camera lens!

As I took the final path back to the car I passed a multitude of groups on their way up, it surprised me a little as the weather was suppose to be closing in.

Looking back at Glyder Fawr and the Devil's Kitchen.

Despite a minor hiccup with my navigating, I'd ended 2014 on a huge high, Wales had well and truly blown my mind and I look forward to exploring it further in the not so distant future.
I'd also like to wish my blog readers and Twitterers a Happy New Year, see you on the hills! :-)