Winter on Tryfan

My first proper day in the mountains of North Wales for 2018. There had been a fresh dusting of snow on the higher peaks overnight, but down on the valley, things were starting off brightly. Storms were due by evening, so we made our way around to Tryfan's 'Heather Terrace' as fast as we could after a slightly delayed start.

From the terrace on the east face, we began to ascend Little Gully, just as the mists rolled in. There was some thick ice around and the odd patch of old snow. The higher we climbed, the more eery it became!

Then, having joined the top section of North Gully, seemingly as a reward for our efforts, we topped out, momentarily above the clouds!

Arriving up on the North Ridge, conditions changed completely. Thick ice lay between the rocks and there was a little of snow about too. This wasn't too much of a problem, but the arrival of a gale force wind was! The temperature plummeted. As everyone in the group was still keen to make the summit, we pressed on, crouching low to avoid slipping and getting pushed around by the wind too much. It was cold!

After a quick photo, we retraced our steps back to the top of North Gully and slowly (very slowly at times) began to descend down the slippery rocks of the west face and back into more pleasant conditions. Halfway down, we were released from the clouds, feeling tired but happy.