#23.Crib Goch,Llechog linear walk.11-4-11.

A meet up was arranged on the walking forum to enable the member's to get some 1. fitness in for the 15 peak challenge and 2. to find a route off Llechog down to Nant Peris,as i was on my day's off i was able to join them.The idea was to all meet in Nant Peris and leave our car's there and go up to Pen y Pass in Joe's people carrier,walk over the "Horn's",Crib Goch,Crib y Ddysgl,Llechog,down into Nant Peris and then up Elidir Fawr.I arranged to travel with Steve (gotmeheadshaved) so he travelled from Stoke and left his car at my house and we set off at 6.30 a.m. on a glorious sunny morning.The last 3 day's were very sunny and hot in Wrexham and the forecast for Snowdonia was for rain in the morning and to brighten up in the afternoon.By the time i had driven to the Rhug Estate it had gone cloudy and looking westward the sky was very dark.On the A4086 from Capel Curig it was very misty and i had to put the headlight's on and when i pulled in to Pen y Pass to use the toilet's it was a right pea souper.Within 100 metres of leaving the car park going down the Llanberis Pass unbelievably there was no mist at all,we could see all the mountain top's in the valley and it was sunny.We pulled into the Nant Peris car park at 8a.m. and waited for the other's.This is the view from the car park.

Soon Joe,Kirsch (Little Bird) and Paul (Barlos) turned up and suited and booted we headed back up to Pen y Pass to meet a waiting Glyno and Paul (Cogstar),it was still very very misty at the car park.The decision was taken to leave the Horn's out and to ascend the Pyg Track as it was misty but again within 100 metres of leaving the car park it was clear giving us some great view's down the Pass.

I was hoping that the weather forecast was wrong and that it would stay like this all day.As we neared Bwlch y Moch the skies turned black and it started to rain and the cloud covered the top's.We donned our wet coat's and after 30 minutes had reached the Bwlch.Joe had been struggling with an ankle injury and decided to ascend the Pyg Track and visit Yr Wyddfa and meet us where the Llanberis Pass goes under the Railway line to finish the walk with us.As we gained height ascending Crib Goch we were soon in the mist and lost the view's,the wind picked up significantly and the rain got heavier.Cogstar said that when he put's his wet trouser's on the rain generally stop's so he put them on.The rain got worse !.Steve was struggling on the ascent so i stayed back with him whilst the other's pressed on.

It was a difficult ascent as the rock's were very slippery and the wind and rain not helping us either but we soon arrived at the arete to join the other's.I first "walked" across Crib Goch in 1992 and this was my 16th time but these were the worst condition's i have encountered on the traverse,hellishly windy from the north and with a bit of sleet/hail thrown in for good measure.

Kirsch wasn't happy in the condition's and we made slow progress across.We eventually reached the Pinnacles and found a bit of shelter from the wind,relief.The decision was taken to miss out the Pinnacles and to traverse below them on the sheltered south side.We came across a massive rock that had fallen across a gully and we could all fit under it and get out of the rain to grab a bite to eat and a drink.Joe phoned up to say he was at the tunnel waiting for us and i said to the gang that we were a good hour away,he would have to wait for us.I was walking in my new Montane trouser's and they were keeping the water out up until our stop but after leaving our refuge and setting off in the rain i noticed my leg's starting to get wet so i stopped and put my wet trouser's on.Ascending up to Bwlch Coch we were back in the wind which if anything it was getting stronger and as Glyn was leading he made a great decision to stay on the south side of Crib y Ddysgl and found a decent path that ran about 100 metres below the the crest.I remember Howie telling me about this path as he had found it year's ago whilst walking in the mist and it brought him out by the zig-zags.After 50 metres on this path the rain stopped and amazingly the cloud lifted revealing the cwm in all her glory.

The path soon petered out and turned to scree but we were not far from the zig-zags and carefully walked across to them and came out by the wooden poles which are now adorned with coin's !.

We walked up to the monolith and turned right down the Llanberis path.We hadn't seen a soul all day as we were the only ones mad enough to go over Crib Goch but there were quite a few on the Pyg and Miner's path and load's coming up from Llanberis,yes the trainer's,short's and carrier bag brigade were out in force,we were passing a right motley crew as we were descending.It was still very windy but sunny and the view's were good.

1 hour and 15 minutes after Joe had phoned us we eventually reached him by the tunnel and he was freezing,poor thing so we immediately set off for Llechog which we soon arrived at.We located the stile and descended steeply down the north face.We couldn't find a path and the going was tough over heather,rock,scree,bog,moss,steep drop's,generally it was horrible.

Glyn and Joe had spotted a path/sheep track ? over to our left so we made for this and the going got a bit easier for a while.We eventually reached the Afon Nant Peris and in the 1 mile from Llechog we had dropped down 1,800 feet !.The river was shallow but Kirsch said she knew of a bridge down stream and set off with Joe and Barlos to find it,me,Glyn and Steve just waded across the river and cogstar went upstream to find a crossing.We reached the boardwalk a short distance from the car park and soon we were all reunited.On the descent i asked Steve if he wanted to do Elidir Fawr but he said he was shattered and didn't fancy it so i told the other's that we wouldn't be climbing it and everybody made the decision to leave it as it had been a tough day.I took Glyn and cogstar back up to Pen y Pass and we all drove to the Tyn y Coed to have a pint with Barlos and a de-brief.All in all it was a great day out and we clocked up 6 miles with 2,800 feet of ascent.


MILEAGE        156.5
ASCENT          60,450
TOPS               47.