A Short Walk in Snowdonia - Capel Curig to the Glyders

The thermometer in the car read three degrees celsius as I made the short journey from my campsite to the small cluster of houses that is Capel Curig. A few sleety flakes fell as I prepared to set off while the famous view of Snowdon from here was lost in a heavy shower. Where the clouds parted the higher hills were white with new snow and the promised weather window was looking decidedly shaky but having been denied even a short ascent yesterday by the heavy rain I was doing this whatever... well at least setting out and seeing what happened.

Heading a short distance along the path that was once the Old Holyhead Road towards the Ogwen

Looking back towards Capel Curig and Betws y Coed from Cefn y Capel

Valley I turned left on a path after a gate and followed this up towards the boggy plateau of Cefn y Capel. A number of paths lead up here and it was a case of picking the driest route - I bet this is a glorious walk on a warm summer's day but after last night's rain it was a case of following paths that doubled as streams and avoiding the softest ground. The route over the plateau was much the same though the views over the Ogwen to the snowy Carnedd Llewelyn and the tangle of rough country around the Colwyd Reservoir at the eastern end of that range were worth the discomfort. Sadly Snowdon remained hidden along with my destination - the eastern peak of the Glyderau - Gallt yr Ogof which was about as far as I indended going in the conditions. I would continue to Foel Goch if it improved thus climing two hills for the first time but this too had vanished in the mist.

Onwards towards Gallt yr Ogof with the Carneddau on the right

After a stile the path began to climb and become less wet - I won't say dry - as I began the ascent to the higher part of the ridge. The route steepened again up grassy slopes and patches of melting snow started to appear. Soon I was walking in snow though it wasn't deep and actually served to outline the path as it now wound among rocks. The mist came down to meet me and confirmed my plan to keep this a short one today. Presently my route lay across steeper rock strewn slopes and up a small snow slope betwwen rocks - not quite a gully but care was needed here as the new snow from last night conered a harder packed layer from earlier in the winter.

Foel Goch Glyder Fach Y Garn and Tryfan

For a while the walk became fun and exciting then I was on the top of the wide ridge with a view of Tryfan beyond as the mists parted.

From here I followed another snow covered path - there were no tracks at all indicating no one else had been here today - right or east towards the fine rocky top of Gallt yr Ogof whose name means something like slope of the cave. Here at 2503 feet a cold breeze blew though it wasn't as harsh as I had anticipated from below. The view north and west appeared intermittently but south was a wall of grey that threatened to overtake me at any moment. At least I could see along the ridge past Tryfan and Glyder Fach as far as Y Garn and the wild looking Ogwen Valley through which passes the A5 but soon it was time to head back to where I had joined the ridge.

The rocky summit of Gallt yr Ogof with Tryfan beyond

My option had been to continue over Foel Goch to the lonely tarn of Llyn Caseg Fraith - a fine spot - and descend to the north on the path below Tryfan to the Ogwen Valley where I would walk back east along the valley path for about 4 miles to my start point. Instead a look at the dark clouds rolling up from the south - the view ahead had gone - and the fact that it was now snowing, decided me in favor of returning the same way. If the weather window had been briefly open it was now closing and while the drier valley path was appealing it made sense not to continue further in the mist and snow. The watery trails of Cefn y Capel once more beckoned...

Note: There are two mountains in the Glyders named Foel Goch which means the Red Hill - the one I didn't climb today is at the eastern end of the ridge near the small tarn of Llyn Caseg Fraith. The other is at the far end of the ridge between Y Garn and Mynydd Perfedd and is a great walk from Llyn Idwal...

Pete Buckley Feb 2015 - my first outing of 2015