Crib Goch winter traverse

Peaks: Crib Goch
Routes: Crib Goch Traverse (wI/II:sol), East Ridge (wI:sol)
The classic winter traverse in perfect Alpine conditions on St David's Day. Good as that sounds, it wasn't really the game plan for the morning - my sights were set on the Trinities. But after slogging up the Miner's Track from Pen y Pass in stunning conditions of shifting mist and sunburst, it was clear that the snow was too soft and unconsolidated for comfort. I had a look at the gullies anyway, since I'd made the effort. New snow made the going slow as I laboured up the slopes to the Spider, then continued some way into the narrower Left-Hand Trinity (having done Central some years ago) before concluding that there was too much new, drifting snow and descending back to the Pyg track. Crib Goch had looked stunning all morning, unlike the mist-shrouded main peak, and the means of salvaging something from the morning soon presented itself! I left the path, then picked an intricate route to Bwlch Coch up steepish slopes of perfect untouched neve under a deep blue sky: excellent. After emerging at the Bwlch, I climbed the final pinnacle thus getting straight into the trickiest part of the traverse, the exposed ledge. More awkward this way round: it was fully iced-up and therefore interesting. The remaining pinnacles gave entertaining mixed climbing before I gained the ridge: stunning full winter conditions of deep virgin snow on old neve, no footprints, the entire ridge to myself. In other words, a very rare treat and half an hour to savour. After breakfast alone on the sunny summit, watching the mist peel away from an entirely white Carnedd Ugain and dark clouds rolling over Siabod (but me getting sunburned) I descended the East Ridge as the snow softened. Some awkward steps with crampons balling up. I last did the winter traverse, in full conditions, in 1995 - but I don't remember much sunshine. This was therefore a tasty bonus morsel in a winter full of treats.