Gloucestershire Mountaineering Club’s Cefn Goch Hut on the outskirts of Deiniolen was the location for CUHWC’s first Easter Term weekend trip. We had mixed weather, with most summits being shrouded in cloud for most of Saturday, but with clearer weather on Sunday. Indeed, when we awoke at the sensible hour of 8am on Sunday morning, most people remarked that we should have been up several hours earlier to make the most of the sunshine! On Saturday, most people walked or scrambled on the Carneddau. Though one ambitious group completed a long walk to take in summits on the both the Glyders ridge and the Snowdon range. On Sunday, most people walked on the Glyders, but one group chose the grade-3 Atlantic Slabs scramble, which received much praise. We enjoyed a decidedly spicy Saturday evening – and not just because of the food… The singing was fantastically enthusiastic and some of the GMC members enjoyed singing along with us.
Trip Participants
Andrew Williamson, Peter Kirkwood, Jo Smith, Tom Ashton, Paul Cook, Helen Phillips, Jane Patrick, Bethan Gudgeon, Mark Jackson, Gareth Ainsworth, Artur Fernandes, Andrena Ball, Joe Hobbs, Constanze Hammerle, Simon Williams, Tom Dobra, David Ponting & Feyruz Yalcin.
Walk Reports
A ramble (trying very hard to be a poem) (CH)
Constanze, Jo, Jane, Bethan, Simon, David & Feyruz
We started from Cefn Goch - a bit delayed,
but as you'll see - the walk was well worth the wait.
Jo, our walk leader and minibus driver, showed us true grit,
"We need a parking spot? 2 metres high? I'm sure we'll fit!"
Soon we set off across a field of protesting sheep,
And first the path was not at all steep,
After much further pfaff with food, jacket and map,
The path wound up, and up, and UP!
Along a 'slippery' slope with a vertical waterfall,
We faced an 'epic' scramble - yearned for by all!
Some people (me) needed a hand and looked for the easy way,
Others straddled huge boulders - but no-one went astray.
On top we stopped for a much-craved-for lunch,
Or was it second breakfast, or maybe even third lunch?
Whilst down in the valley we had stepped into bog,
Our constant companion up there was the super-moist fog.
Fog, we agree, is convenient when pfaffing to wee,
But makes it really hard to see.
No record of all the sweets we devoured exists,
Gummy bears, jelly babies, and midget gems all perished in the mists.
On the descent we met some ponies on the run,
And were even touched gently by some stray rays of sun.
In Bethesda our compass led us straight to a pub,
Where we enjoyed OJ, real ale, and found a bathroom to scrub [out of soap!]
We met everyone back at the minibus,
And went back to the hut without too much fuss.
So what can be learnt from having joined this great walk?
Even if it says on the sheet "grade-1 scramble" - DON'T BALK!
You might end up missing out on a good hike,
And that is not something we of CUHWC like!
Photos
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