Idwal ice climbing/Y Garn mountaineering/Famau run

Crag/Peak: Cwm Idwal/Y Garn, Glyderau
Routes: Central Route (wIII 3,3,2:led p.2), Banana Gully (wI:descent)
The truly extraordinary winter conditions continue in Eryri, so it was great to have another opportunity to briefly get out there during my Easter break - shame I was a little restricted by various embarrassing injuries. Mick was free too, but only for the morning, so we started early from Ogwen and ploughed up to the crags in superb conditions of gradually rising cloud and relatively light easterly winds by recent standards. Central Route is one of the few remaining gaps for me in terms of the accessible ice climbs in Idwal, so Mick led up the long shallow ice groove which gives the climb its identity (my arm and neck still aching after 'whiplash'). This is a good pitch, more open than neighbouring climbs South Gully and Chicane Gully, albeit not as memorable as either of these. In contrast to Face Route on Monday, however, progress was eased by the amount of traffic this climb has had over recent days: hooks possible, and some precise little steps kicked out in places. A steepish initial section of water ice leads to an easing on good neve, before another steep but excellent section of quite brittle ice goes up to a ledge and screw belay. I led off up the second pitch, which takes in a few more steps of enjoyable water ice before easing into a snowy gangway. This gently spirals off to the left, above South Gully, and I ran the rope out to belay on screws on another water ice step. Mick led up a final slabby section of ice and we split up above the drifts on top of South Gully: Mick descended and I ploughed up to the ridge of Y Garn in the familiar strong easterlies (back again!) but also some hints of sunshine: the line of Monday's outing, Face Route on Cyrn Las, is particularly notable from here. At the summit, I got out of the wind for lunch, and enjoyed a superb show as the cloud lifted from every peak and the sun started to peek through. As I descended the NE (Banana) ridge, two chaps emerged from Banana Gully. They reported nice neve conditions, so I traversed across to the gully from the ridge. This was pseudo-Alpine in the sunshine: deep, crisp neve, and absorbing movement across to the gully. This gave an excellent descent, and was particularly enjoyable as Banana Gully was the first winter route I ever did - with Tim in 1989 perhaps? The snow wasn't particularly consolidated at first, but wasn't too bad, and got better as the gully narrows a bit as it curves. Cwm Clyd is beautiful in these conditions, under metres of snow with the lake frozen solid. After a quick bite I descended quickly to Llyn Idwal, removed crampons and jogged to the car. After the long drive to Cadole via a coffee in Mold, I joined the Friday night run up Famau: a mixture of drifts and slush, but it was nice to look across to a sunlit Ogwen (and Y Garn!) from the summit in the same day, and the descent remains snow-covered and very good fun. As usual after this kind of day, I bonked on the steps above Loggerheads and was virtually walking by the time I got back to the pub.