Winter Roundup by Mike Peacock

Andy

For your blog request....

Well, this was my first winter taking the step from winter walking to more vertical things, and I've loved every bit of it. One highlight was having an easy introduction to ice on Cneifion Stream followed by Easy Route in glorious sunshine. That was the day I really learned how exposed easy snow slopes feel when you're 150m up them on bullet hard neve! An ascent of the Fase Gribin and Y Gribin was another great day, in bad visibility and with deep snow down to Ogwen. I think my favourite day came on essentially the last decent weekend. I had a solo exploratory venture up the uncharted North Face of Y Foel Goch (the previously unnamed one near Gallt yr Ogof) on snow and ice, and topped out under beautiful blue skies. The mountain will certainly be worthy of another visit under a decent freeze.

All the people I've bumped into in the cwms have been friendly and talkative, offering advice and tips, and all in all I think I've learned a lot. Roll on winter 2010/11!

Cheers,

Mike