Ice Climbing on Idwal Stream

Another beautiful calm day in Snowdonia, with temperatures below zero all day! 

Although the mountains were looking glorious, I was doing some kayak rescue training - thankfully in an indoor heated pool! The Ogwen valley was looking fabulous as the sun made it's way over the horizon.

I was getting a lift to Plas y Brenin in the back of a van, so could sit back and enjoy the views of sun on snow and frozen lakes.

Llyn Mymbr was frozen over and Snowdon in the distance looked amazing.

We had a great day of training and even the less exciting risk assessment paperwork review was made much more fun over a cup of coffee by the fireside in the bar! In the valley near Betws y Coed, the frost was so harsh that it was a real Christmas card scene, yet, just above, where the sun was reaching the tree tops, there was no trace of such temperatures! Beautiful.

After dinner, feeling exhausted and ready for an early night, I popped outside to get some fire wood in to stock the stove. Looking up, I was dazzled by the amount of stars in the still clear sky above. A friend of mine had been up for a look at the ice route 'Idwal Stream' earlier in the afternoon, and said that was a good amount of ice forming. With an incoming thaw on the way, I assumed I'd missed my chance to climb it this year. However, in a spurt of excitable enthusiasm, (apart from being very tired), I could think of no good reason not to head out into the night for another nocturnal adventure in such rare conditions!

My bag was already still lying by the back door, with crampons and boots within reach, so at 21:30, after a long and physical day, I found myself crunching through the snow into Cwm Idwal under the light of a million stars. I was able to move quite quickly due to a good track having been stomped into the snow during the day, but had to keep stopping to marvel at the stars and the milky way that stretched across the Cwm. 

Soon enough, as expected, the ice materialized and I picked my way upstream! 

My torch was required as there was no moon to light the way this time. The ice formations were incredible and glistened in the light and I moved around it.

At the main steep pitch, I decided to play it safe, seeing how I was on my own in the dark and the only person in the valley! Conveniently I was able to step off the ice and walk back down to where I had started from! A process I repeated over four laps of the ice!

Having had my fill of adventure and solitude, I returned to the van (the doors of which were frozen shut!), after watching a few shooting stars fly overhead. Made it back to The Cottage at 23:30, just as Clare arrived home from a Salsa party! With more kit left scattered across the kitchen, I was upstairs and asleep in minutes...