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Summer 2013

Having “compleated” the Munros back in 2011, and the Irish furths in 2012, the obvious next campaign was to Wales.

Wales has 15 3000ft summits, which might be classified as 7 distinct mountains and 8 tops:

Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) (1085m)
- Crib y Ddysgl (1065m)
- Crib Goch (923m)
Carnedd Llewelyn (1064m)
- Foel Grach (976m)
- Yr Elen (962m)
- Foel-fras (942m)
- Garnedd Uchaf (926m)
Carnedd Dafydd (1044m)
- Pen yr Ole Wen (978m)
Glyder Fawr (999m)
- Glyder Fach (994m)
Y Garn (947m)
Elidir Fawr (924m)
Tryfan (915m)

Anne and I had climbed Tryfan (7) on a “memorable day” back in 2007. On the following day, we had climbed Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) including a detour to the top of Crib y Ddysgl. If the weather had been better, we would have taken in Crib Goch to complete the Snowdon horseshoe, but with low cloud we decided against it.

Four years later, in Ocotber 2011, we had a week based in Beddgelert, but the weather kept us off the high tops until the last day, when I did a rapid traverse of the Glyders.

So that left Crib Goch (exciting ridge walk in the Snowdon group), Y Garn and Elidir Fawr, and the Carneddau. Four mountains and six tops, achievable in three (or possibly four) outings.

With this in mind, we planned 2 -3 weeks camping in Wales in July 2013, in the hope that we would get 4 decent days for hillwalking in that time.

In fact, our camping trip coincided exactly with the best summer in the UK for years, and we achieve all of the above in 3 outings in our first 4 days of holiday!

We based ourselves at Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite at the foot of Tryfan in the Ogwen valley. Facilities were basic, but the location is unsurpassed and the owner friendly. Entertainment was provided by the arrival of a new swarm of D of E campers every evening, who had usually departed before we were up each morning!