Cwm Glas

Peak/Crag: Carnedd Ugain (Cwm Glas)
Routes: Sinister Gully (wIII:2,2,4,2,2:led p.1,2,4), Gyrn Las Ridge (wI/II:sol)
Another very enjoyable mountaineering outing, rather similar to last Monday but arguably even more varied and pseudo-Alpine in tone. Our plans were initially more ambitious, involving a route out of Cwm Glas followed by more routes on the Trinity Face. But the weather was again far worse than forecast, and my knee injury remains a real concern (tried a brief run on Friday, very painful). As a result of this surplus energy, we stormed the steep walk-in past Gyrn Las in less than an hour: moving, as so often, into a different world as we gained Cwm Glas - an Arctic bowl of snow and ice. We began up Parsley Fern, intending to do Left-Hand, but Sinister Gully looked like it had good ice (although the main pitch was in the clag) so we moved round and ploughed up the enjoyable wide slabby ice groove at the start. Superb neve led to a flake, so we tied on and I led up the next easy pitch - a series of icy steps and flakes to more good snow-ice. After another belay, I led up frozen turf to the base of the main pitch which Vic led. This was steep water ice for 10m at most, then the angle eases, although sugary snow covered all the ice on this section making for a slightly insecure finish. The route then eases but remains great fun. Two long pitches up a shallow continuation gully, superb snow-ice conditions, lead to more open slopes which lead tiringly to a little 'breche' on the Crib Goch-Crib y Ddisgyl ridge. Lovely long route, easy but interesting: very odd that there was no evidence of any recent ascents as it is normally pretty popular and was in fine nick today. A fully rimed up ridge gave interesting scrambling to the rather hostile summit of Carnedd Ugain, before a bearing north around the lip of the cwm to gain the Gyrn Las ridge in very poor viz. This didn't have thick cover, but did have a blend of old snow and verglas on the tricky chimney sections which gave good sport: an added bonus and a satisfying end to the day. Back in time for a late lunch: my knee thanking me for the short day.