Glyderau run

Peaks: Elidir Fach, Elidir Fawr, Mynydd Perfedd, Foel Goch
Area: Glyderau, Eryri
If I make a Paddy Buckley attempt this year, and it is an enormous 'if', I plan to start from Llanberis. This would perforce be the first climb, the immense haul also taken by Pedol Peris, and I wanted to refine it as much as possible. I started well outside Llanberis so had a decent lakeside warm-up before taking the zigzag path through the lower quarry to the incline that heads up past Australia. This is very steep but very direct, and joins the open hillside not too far from the top of Elidir Fach. The headwind was strong and cold here, and this continued up Elidir Fawr, where I went to the right end of the summit ridge - numerous thick snow drifts made for soft and tiring progress, but they were intermittent. A helicopter buzzed around the summit continually, which was then engulfed by mist. Good running along the ridge, then staying high for the continuation to Mynydd Perfedd. The clag stayed thick for the haul up a cold Foel Goch, but then cleared as I contoured round to join the Elidir Fawr race route down the ridge on the far side of Cwm Brwynog. This is brilliant, and unsung, and the weather gradually cleared as I descended to give good views across to Elidir, down to Nant Peris and up to Crib Goch. All the way down to Nant, then up through the quarries to Twll Mawr, before descending back to the road for a long warm-down through Llanberis. Just time to nip up and down the simple routes at Lion Rock near Fachwen before lunch.