Wednesday 16th February – Glyders, Snowdonia

Company:  Solo

Route: Pasty Marchlyn Mawr Reservoir up onto Carnedd Filiast and around ridge onto Elidir Fawr  and Elidir Fach and navigating down off the peak back to quarry and road.

Weather:  Freezing point 400m, -2oc at 900m.  25mph south-westerly wind.  Bright sunshine with little cloud.

Peaks: Carnedd Filiast (821m), Mynydd Perfedd(812m), Elidir Fawr (923m), Elidir Fach (795m).

Noticeable events: Sat on top of Carnedd Filiast out of wind with sun on my face looking out over radiant snow-covered peaks – at 12noon on a week day!!  That’s why I love the mountains! Ridge up to Elidir Fawr is a slight adrenalin rush in the snow!

Lessons learnt: Beware of sweating in cold, sunny, windy conditions.  Can very quickly lead to hypothermia of peaks!

Carneddy - below Carnedd Llewelyn. Tuesday 15th February 2011

Company: Ian (High Trek)

Weather: 0oc at 400m.  Thick fog above 500m.  20mph south-easterly winds.  Mainly dry with snow on ground above 400m.

Route: Up to Flynnon Llugwy Reservoir, micro-nav around to Craig Llugwy and saddle of Carnedd Llewelyn.  Rope work over rocky gullies practicing roped descents and leader abseils.

Peaks: Carnedd Llewelyn (1065m) ~just short of summit due to time constraints

Noticeable events: Abseiling down ice covered rock-slabs - a wee bit nervous!

Lessons learnt:  Always use a compass bearing to navigate in fog - especially in craggy terrain.  And don't start dreaming about next weeks shopping list!!
Classic abseil is definitely more comfortable than South-African.

Snowdon Range - Monday 14th February 2011

Company: Ian (ML training)

Weather: Freezing at 400m, -2oc at 900m.  25mph south-westerly winds.  Blizzardy intervals with snow above 400m.

Route: From Gromlech boulders up and around Llyn Glas (directly below Crib Goch) practicing continuous micro-nav.  Gully scramble with ropes to practice, indirect belays and attaching to anchors.

Peaks: -

Noticeable events:Lots of snow!  View to Llyn Peris with Sunhitting emerald green waters - beautiful!

Lessons learnt:  Place stopper knot BEFORE adjstable knot when belaying person - avoid gulleting!!
Scan area before start of walk to locate features on map (1:50,000) and match map with real life.

Yr Aran - Sunday 13th February 2011

Company: Solo

Weather: 4oc. Drizzle and thick fog above 500m.  Miserable!! 

Route: Watkins path up to waterfall.  Then nav'd West off path to 'play' around finding features and practicing micro(ish)-nav with 1:50,000 map.  p to summit of Yr Aran.  West down ridge and contoured around to disused quarries on north side of Yr Aran.  Over saddle down into valley South of Snowdon and back down to road
Peaks: Yr Aran (747m)

Noticeable events: Bwlch Cwm Llan and disused quarries spooky in thick fog and mist hanging over water - felt like you could feel the atmosphere of the working mines.

Lessons learnt:  When you're miserable and wet with a mountain to climb put your head down, count steps and take it steady-lock your mind in and crack on!  Oh, nd remember to take your mobile - camera and safety!!

The Crimpiau - Mon Jan 31st 2011

Company:  Doug Clarke

Weather: Cloudy with sunny intervals with patches of thick mist.  Temp ~4oc
Route: The Crimpiau range and around Llyn Cowlyd Resevoir

Peaks: Crimpiau, Craig Wen, Creigiau Gleision (634m)

Noticable events:  Visit from 4 wild Welsh Mountain ponies at lunchtime.  One of the top moments of my life so far I reckon!!

Lessons learnt:  I'm not as bad at navigation as I was 2 weeks ago - am definitely getting there!  Also, having 1:25 scale on one side of map case and 1:50 on other makes nav a lot easier - actually quite like 1:50's - lie of the land is much more obvious!

Derwent Edge and Back Tor - Tues 18th January 2011

Company:  Solo (with Ted the dog!)
Weather: Mild, cloudy, winds noticable but not too strong
Route: Derwent resevior cycle hire car park across reservoir and North along Eastern side up to Derwent Dam.  Cut off East along Abbey Brook around back of Howden Moor to approach Lost Lad from North East.  Along Derwent Edge over Back Tor, Derwent Tor, Salt Cellar and Wheelstones (both superb rock formations) to cut back down along old packhorse route past Grindle Barns - Nationmal Trust (fantastic history presented by work of local Primary kids.  Great place for an afternoon of quiet contemplation enjoying the wildlife).
Noticable events:  Mobile phone dies at start - hencve no photos.  Ate emergeny rations in the car and dog chased a lost sheep.  All things that taught me big lessons!
Lessons learnt:  See above - won't do any of above again!

Heaven on Mam Tor - Wed 19th January 2011

Piercing blue sky, blinding sunshine and warmth - yes I did say warmth!  How many times do you get that combination on a Peak in Derbyshire?  Add to that a full day of it, breath-takingly beautiful mist at sunset and the views that only the hills around Mam Tor ofer - somehow totally unique.  What a fantastic day!  I'll not say much more and just let you enjoy the photographs, but a few extra points for the sake of my logbook:
Company:  Leading Chris Jones (the old woman that he is!)
Weather: As describe4d - perfic!
Route: Scramble up ridge in Winnets Pass, across to Mam Tor and around Edge cutting back down to Castleton
Noticable events:  Scramble up apparent 'gentle' ridge with ropes for safety turned into a fairloy hairly traverse of face over slippy rock and moss to eventually scramble onto top. 
Lessons learnt: Take a 30m rope even if you don't think you'll need it, taking a couple of slings and carabinas 'just in case' you want to anchor into to not very much.  Eat lunch in the Sun!