Berwyn run

Peaks: Cadair Bronwen
Area: Berwyn
More like a badly equipped hillwalk than a run, we were stymied by waist-deep drifts across the Berwyn ridge, a fairly common occurrence when running in full winter conditions. A cold snap coincided with my trip to Malaysia and the days following my return. Much of the snow has already disappeared from lower levels and it was a predominantly slushy run up from Llandrillo until the slopes beyond the stone circle of Moel Ty Uchaf. Soft snow then gave way to much deeper cover, drifting in many places. The snow also had that characteristic unpredictable quality, every fourth or fifth step leading to a plunge through the crust (which otherwise supports your weight). This is always exhausting, and was the primary reason for John B's hypothermia in similar conditions on Creigiau Gleision a few years ago. We plodded on to the top of Cadair Berwyn, then down the ridge (the duckboards under feet of snow in places) until we reached the col. Strong winds and dreadful snow conditions meant we had to descend, which made for an interesting nav test as the path was undetectable until we regained our footprints.