Brrrrr! It was a cold day to be scrambling on the east face of Tryfan, but we decided to go for it anyway. Splitting into three small teams, we all hiked up onto the Heather Terrance with plenty of options in mind.
John's team carried on to the Pinnacle Rib Routes, but Aled and I stayed back on Bastow Buttress, which is one of the first climbing areas that you reach. Depending on exactly where you climb on Bastow Buttress, varies the grade from V.Diff climbing to Grade II scrambling. There are plenty of good belay ledges as well as a few small ones too, which give a good feeling of exposure, as the students soon found out!
While Aled stayed out on the crest, my team moved into the gully on the left of the ridge to try and gain a little shelter and be able to move faster - it was not a day for three people to be hanging around on small ledges. At the top of the climbs, we regrouped on the North Ridge. The mist was down and rain threatened to fall at any moment. We decided to give the summit a miss and descend the North Ridge instead.
This gave the bonus for a quick photo opportunity on the Cannon Stone on the way back to the valley.
Amazingly all three teams arrived back at the minibus within 5 minutes of each other, so in the fading light, we drove straight back 'The Lodge' bunkhouse where we warmed up over several cups of tea and a good selection of cakes and biscuits. The rest of the evening was taken up with hot showers, sorting kit, a big curry, some music and more of Aunty Gill & Uncle David's 'Genius Board' game until it was time for a well earned (and needed!) sleep.
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