Area: Glyderau, Eryri
Not far off 100 ascents of Tryfan stretching back to 1988, yet I have never before done the 'direct' route which hugs the steep slopes below the west face before taking the first gully to the summit. I had always felt that my favourite Little/North gully scrambling combination up the East Face was the quickest way from A5 to summit, but that is not the case. I had 90 minutes at my disposal this morning, an early start before 9am from Ogwen, so ploughed straight up the direct. It is relentless, of course, steep from the outset with no real let-up (unlike the North Ridge). I reminisced about the West Face climbs I've done over the years (always Tryfan's unpopular side) to take my mind off the steepness, then the mist descended for the scrambly section up the first shallow gully. The rock was wet in the drizzle, which slowed progress, annoyingly, but I really enjoyed the scrambling, as ever, and touched Adam and Eve in exactly 35 minutes after leaving the A5 (34.15 for the strava segment). I think I would have been surprised back on my first youthful ascent of Tryfan in 1988 if I'd been told I'd get up the mountain in 34 minutes aged 51. The North Ridge and East Face routes both take me at least 45 minutes if I'm moving very quickly, so this is definitely a 'Tryfan pb' for me (6th on the all-time leaderboard). The mist began to clear on the descent of the South Ridge to the bwlch, and I still had some spare time before work commitments, so took the contouring path across to Bwlch Caseg Fraith. Boggy as usual, but I ploughed up Foel Goch in less than five minutes from the lake, the continued along to Gallt yr Ogof in improving weather: all brilliant. From the summit, it is a direct descent (done before) down the obscure horribly tussocky valley to Gwern Gof Isaf. Another shower for the run along the miners track back to my car in just over 90 minutes for the round.
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