A last minute training weekend for our forthcoming Alps and Tajikistan trips. Will joined us down from Scotland and we walked in to Dow Crag on Saturday for a blustery day's trad. Sunday was looking a lot wetter and we managed a team ascent of Troutdale Pinnacle before the heavens opened.
Hoping for a reprieve from weekends of climbing in the rain, we were sadly disappointed. An attempt on Chasm Route on Glyder Fach was abandonded and we made a soggy ascent up Y Gribin to the summits. By the time we were back into Idwal the rain had cleared a little in time for a consolatory nip up The Ordinary Route.
To prepare for our Silvretta Traverse we hired a guide for a day's avalanche training in Galtur. We spent the morning probing for buried markers in the snow before heading off-piste to dig pits and assess the snow pack.
Left work at 4pm. Arrived at Hayfield 7pm. Waited for Will until 8pm. Hiked through the snow until 10pm. Found the waterfall a bit wet for our liking. Back to the carpark midnight. Back home 3am. A great mid-week snow adventure with psyche levels running high, just a shame we mis-timed the trip!
Clay and I were fortunate to catch the last of the week's winter conditions and headed up to Trinity Face. There were teams all over the snow and at least 10 people following up the gully behind us. After a blustery top-out from Central Trinity we headed back around and climbed Left Hand Trinity which in lean conditions was a much more interesting and varied route.
A clear day down low but blustery and snowy up high. Clay, Emily and I went for a day out up Bristly Ridge, plastered in unconsolidated snow which was great fun to romp through. On top, the weather was significantly more windy and we stumbled back down the scree slopes after a quick trip to the summit. Photos courtesy of Clay & Emily.
