Tryfan climbing

Peak: Tryfan
Route: First Pinnacle Rib (D:led in 6 p's)
It always feels like a bonus to get any Snowdonian climbing done this late in the year, no matter how easy, and this was a delightful way to revisit a grand old classic of the Welsh mountains. I last did this route in the early 90s: perhaps the only one of Tryfan's classic triptych that I've never repeated. Sunshine was just peeping through the milky cloud as Steve, Vic and myself slogged up to the Heather Terrace - a very familiar journey indeed. Nobody else was around, and I still have vivid memories of myself and Tim picking off all the mountaineering classics on the East Face in similar circumstances in the winter of 1992. The nomenclature of the two pinnacle rib routes has got a bit confusing over the years, but we set off up Pinnacle Rib route, the right-hand line. A deep groove, delicious in the sunshine, leads to a chockstone and steepening to flakes and a stance. I brought Steve and Vic up, then led an equally enjoyable second up the steeper front of the rib. Above, a broken series of steep walls gives a long pitch. Vic led a 10m wall left to gain the pinnacle, where we merged with the left-hand line to ensure we got the Yellow Slab. This is much harder than the rest of the route, a delicate and distinct crux up a perfect rippled slab. I'm not sure I have ever led this before: it is short-lived and leads to a groove and big holds. Above, the final (sixth) pitch takes a photogenic rib of sheaved, curving rock: I remembered this as if it was yesterday, lovely relaxing climbing with the deep gulf of South Gully beyond. The sun was dropping as we lunched, along with the air temperature, so we avoided the continuation wall and scrambled up to the summit: sunny and clear, although a bank of cloud was spilling over the Glyder ridge. I suggested descending North and Little gullies, an old trick of mine, and they enjoyed the continuation of the rock work and directness. A jog down Heather Terrace got us back to the car well before sunset: an efficient little outing.