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August 1985 - My Solo Walk from Brecon Beacons to Snowdon
"The Fourteen Peaks"
The next day, Thursday, I decided to take it easy to start with. I needed some supplies so I hitched into Capel Curig. Ellis Brigham sold me some socks, a small solid fuel Tommy cooker and a new map case as the old one (less than a fortnight old) was falling apart. I also bought a new shirt as my old one was in a bad way with only three buttons left in the front and a tear in the shoulder. It wasn't very nice on the nose either. After a good meal in the Pinnacle Cafe I hitched back to Beddgelert. I lay out in my tent contemplating my route and what I was letting myself in for. I'd heard conflicting stories, someone I knew had taken three days to do it, a fell runner had run round it three times in a single day. During my walk I had covered around 15 miles a day (on the days I was actually able to walk) over easy ground but the 14 Peaks is about 23 miles with many thousands of feet ascending and descending over some very rough ground. The blisters had been plastered up but would they play up on a hard days walk?
Four thirty on Thursday afternoon saw me setting off with a pruned rucksack leaving the tent and all extra stuff (including my camera as it was quite heavy - a Zenith SLR with telephoto -So I didn't take any photos on this trip) in the campsite at Beddgelert. I took with me the minimum of bivouac equipment. I had talked to the campsite owner who said she would call out the rescue if she didn't hear from me by 11 am Saturday. I had a card with her number on so I was OK if I needed to ring her. This was the only time I actually let someone know where I was going to be on the whole walk. I think it kept her happy, but I think I was doing it more so that she would look after the tent. I set off up towards Snowdon and reached the col between Yr Aran and Snowdon around 5.45 and realised I had done my usual trick of not filling my water bottle. However I found a little trickle in a boggy patch of grass. Setting off up the final pyramid I could see smoke blowing away from the summit. There was a train up there . If there was a train then I knew the cafe would still be open. I was hoping to get to the top before the cafe closed so I could grab something to eat and drink so I put a spurt on. This must be the last train of the afternoon I didn't know if the cafe would stay open after the train had gone and so I was working up a lather as I practically fell into the cafe. The guard out side was shouting All Aboard but the cafe was still serving. I bought a cup of coffee a fruit pie and a can of drink and went outside to see the train pull away.
As I sat on the top I sneezed was I starting a cold? I had got sweaty on the walk up and now I was feeling a little cold. A night on the top of Snowdon wasn't going to help. The wind was coming from the south so I looked for a bivvy site on the north side above Clogwyn dwr Arddu (Cloggy) I found some slightly overhanging rocks but they also sloped. This was the best site I could find so got out my sleeping bag put it in my plastic Bivvy bag laid out my rucksack and tried to get in. The slope made it difficult and I found myself being crumpled up at the foot of my bag. I managed to cook up a cup a soup on the solid fuel cooker, had a bite and attempted to settle down to sleep. It had been clear all day and as it got dark the lights came on in the valley. They stretched all the way up the coast to Blackpool. It got cold outside but was quite warm in my bag. I had to take off some clothes to cool off. During the night the wind changed and started rustling my poly bag. I managed to doze but proper sleep was impossible.
By four am it had clouded over and at 5 a few spots of rain fell. It took me half an hour to raise my self into getting water on for a cup a soup. I did it all from inside my sleeping bag and so when I did get out of my pit I cracked my head against the overhanging rocks That woke me up! It was now light enough to make a move, so rucksack packed I went to the summit a few yards away. The mist swirled and was not very encouraging I was counting on good visibility for those parts of the route with which I was unfamiliar. I left the summit of Snowdon at 6.15 in light drizzle and headed towards Crib Y Ddsygyl the second peak. There was movement, another person was bivvying up here and was now packing up. Traversing Crib Goch (3) wasn't a great problem I had done it several times before. I did take a compass bearing to get me started on it as the mist blanked it out. I crossed over the pinnacles taking the easiest line, there are some difficulties which have resulted in accidents in the past, I wasn't going to be a purist and cover every high point just the ones that mattered. I came down from the ridge into Cwm Glas overlooking Llanberis Pass. I skirted down round the cliffs of Dinas Mot, coming out of the cloud at about 1000 ft. and jogged down to the Llanberis Pass road through a still silent campsite. A woman was walking up the road, she asked if I had seen three walkers who she said were doing the 14 Peaks. All I could see was the guy I had seen on the summit he was 20 minutes behind me just coming out of the cloud. As I walked and jogged down the road I noticed something blue by the road I picked it up and saw it was a waterproof jacket I hurriedly stuffed it in my rucksack and carried on to Nant Peris. This little village is just up the valley from Llanberis and I called in a shop for breakfast, a pasty and a can of Lucozade.
I was nearly 3000 below the summit of Snowdon and now the Glyders were in front another 3000 feet up. Elidir Fawr (4) was the first peak in the Glyders and this was my first mistake which must have cost half an hour. The path led up the valley round the back of the mountain, the man behind had gone straight up the front. I didn't know if there was a path up there but it saved him some time as he got to the summit before me. The clouds were still low and the mist made visibility bad. I was now quite wet (again) but there had been some clear sky in sight when I was in the valley so I was still hopeful. It was now around 10 am as I approached Elider Fawr. I was in two minds about carrying on at this stage because the weather seemed unpromising and I didn't want to risk it too much but I continued, touched the top of Elider Fawr turned and started traversing the Glyders proper. The drizzle stopped and clearer patches blew over but the sun was still hidden and was still misty. I decided to carry on.
Over Y Garn (5) and down to Llyn y Cwn (Lake of the Dogs) I was following cairns over the rocky ground. As I left Llyn y Cwn and started up Glyder Fawr (6) the ragged clouds blew over and out came the sun. What a difference it made. I reached the top and was amazed that I could see almost my whole route now the cloud had risen and broken up. I have been on the Glyders many times but I had never been able to see them as clear as this. Usually (for me) it is very misty and you only get an impression of the weird jumble of rocks on the top. Now I could see it entirely. Large rocks boulders piled up 50 ft high with spikes of rock sticking out at strange angles. I passed one of these piles called Castle of the Winds just as some cloud came back and I lost my way a little. Over Glyder Fach (7) and down the scree next to Bristly Ridge across the col and up to Tryfan (My favourite mountain - You generally have to use your hands to get up it whichever way you go). I was warming up and drying out now. The Ogwen Valley and Carnedd Range presented a magnificent view but I had to enjoy them on the move. On the summit of Tryfan (8) is Adam and Eve, two great blocks which can be seen from miles around. A party trick is to jump from one to the other (which I did long ago on my first climbing trip) The blocks seem very exposed perched at the top of the mountain above the steep east face. My descent of Tryfan was down the west side past Llyn Bochlwyd across the boggier lower ground.
A stop at Ogwen Falls for a hamburger and large tea. I had also caught up with the guy I had seen on Snowdon. He was now about 20 minutes ahead. I took my boots off while I was eating my burger and squeezed some water out of my socks. My feet were holding up quite well until then. When I put my boots back on they seemed a bit tight so I took out the foam inners. I fancied my feet had become slightly swollen but setting off they didn't cause any more problems
It was 3.20 pm when I set off from Ogwen. I had lost about 2000 feet coming down from Tryfan and now I had to get back up to 3000 feet on the Carnedds. From Ogwen the Carnedds are straight up Pen yr Oleuwen (9) and this is a steep walk I had not been looking forward to. I had already done a good days walk (for a normal day) but I had to go on. I got rather warm, the sun was out and the afternoon fine, and I got thirsty, however I had done it again, my water bottle was empty! I carried on up. The slope was south facing and dry but as luck had it I managed to find a trickle about half way up and got some water into my bottle. I met some walkers coming down the path and they seemed surprised to see me going up at this hour because it was middle to late afternoon and 'normal' people should be heading down for evening meal and pub.
It is reasonably level on the Carnedds and it was now a matter of just keeping going. The weather was still reasonably clear with some clouds that threatened to block out the late afternoon sun. The tops are wide and level and it would be easy to get lost if it was misty. Carnedd Dafydd (10) was easy to find and I skirted along the top of the cliffs of Ysgolion Duon (the Black Ladders). I contoured round Carnedd Llewelyn as I wanted as straight a route as possible to get to Yr Elen (11) and outlier of Carnedd Llewelyn. As I approached the top I met up again with the walker who I had been bumping into all day he was still ahead of me. I touched the top of Yr Elen and turned and headed for Carnedd Llewelyn (12). A cloud had blotted out the top for a few minutes but I found the summit cairn when it passed. I took a compass bearing for the next summit Foel Grach (13). The evening was drawing in and I had only a few more hours of daylight left. I didn't want to get lost on the Carnedds which are probably the loneliest part of North Wales. For this reason there is a mountain refuge hut on Foel Grach and I stopped to have a look ( I hadn't been there before). I felt I needed to investigate it in case I got stuck there for the night. To my surprise I found a young man and a tired looking boy. They were talking about going back to Ogwen the way I had come. They were risking it a bit as they would be lucky to get down before dark. They said they were staying in the 'Green Hut' a corrugated iron hut (comfortable but basic) in the Ogwen Valley not far from Capel Curig. I knew it well. It was a long walk to get there. I was not hopeful about me getting down before dark and told them so. They showed no sign of moving so I left them.
I now realised how tired I was as I headed off towards the last peak Foel Fras. I could see it at the end of a broad ridge with a slight dog leg in it. The cloud was coming down, the earlier warmth of the sun had gone and the light was fading. I took a path which cut off the dogleg to give the shortest route but took me over some boggy ground. (I have since found out that some people now consider this a fifteenth top - It wasn't when I did it!) As I neared the summit a wall loomed up which followed the path towards the top. Up ahead was movement was it walkers? If so they were out late. as I got nearer I realised my eyes were playing tricks, they were ponies. The wall led over the top of the mountain and seemed never ending. The wind was blowing me along so that helped but I didn't like the thought of turning back into the wind to find the way down after the top. It was so relieving to find the trig point on the final summit Foel Fras (14). I got out of the wind and pulled out my waterproof and gloves. It was now quite cold and I had to force my self to set off the way I had come. I remembered I had some Penguin chocolate biscuits and a Mars bar in my rucksack. I ate the Mars bar and put the Penguins in my pocket. I had to go back the way I had come facing into the wind which was now quite strong. The sun was dipping below the horizon and more clouds were building up. I crossed the dog leg I had passed on the way up and dropped down into Afon Caseg. It was now getting quite dark I could see the lights of Bethesda at the far end of the valley about four miles away. Before it got too dark I see the bottom of the valley was very marshy, I didn't want to go bog hopping in the dark so started contouring round the valley side. This added about a mile but was better than getting stuck. The sheep tracks I followed seemed to climb up and round out of the valley so to lose height I had to keep crossing to a lower track. Eventually I found myself on a more definite path which led towards the lights of Bethesda. The path showed up as a white streak in the dark. I had no idea where in Bethesda I would come out but I followed the path down into the valley. The bottom of the valley was wet and muddy and I couldn't avoid it. I didn't care anymore so I splashed through. The lights got nearer until there were street lights only 100 yards away. But I'd lost the path my torch wasn't much use and I couldn't get to the road because of high walls backing onto gardens. The map was useless at this point. The map case had leaked and the map was a soggy pulp. I followed the wall but it led away from the lights but towards a farm and a track leading down the hillside again. Things were definitely looking up the track became a road and took me into the village.
I had done it and I was safe. It was now gone 9.00 pm and I think I had just avoided an epic.
I needed a rest and something to perk me up and where better than a pub. The Douglas Arms in Bethesda is an old haunt and in I staggered. They charged me 16 shillings and sixpence for my pint. Yes prices were still quoted in pounds shillings and pence 15 years or so after decimalisation. When asked about bed and breakfast they recommended a number of places one of which was the Victoria Pub down the road but a customer said that they weren't doing it that night as the landlords wife was in hospital but there were other B&Bs along the street. I knocked on the door of the first one and they took me in.
I was absolutely shattered what with a walk of nearly 26 miles and with no sleep the previous night I was all in. My feet were almost numb with the pounding but the my leg was ok. I had a wash, too tired for a shower and went to bed but still couldn't get to sleep, it was too soft.
Breakfast beckoned next morning so I hobbled downstairs. The landlady chattered away in Welsh to her family. My first task after breakfast was to phone the lady at the campsite to stop her calling out the rescue. My next was to call in at the Police station to hand in the waterproof I had found. Bethesda Police Station was deserted so I had to go to Bangor. It was also the nearest place with a bank. I hitched to Bangor bought some cold care pills got some money and found the Police Station. The bus took me to Caernarvon and hitched from there back to Beddgelert arriving back at the tent around 2.30pm. My ordeal was just about over, tiredness caught up with me and I crashed out on my sleeping bag. I did wake up again at 5 pm and decided to hitch round to Capel Curig to stay in the bunkhouse at the Snowdonia Cafe. Unfortunately it was full up so I carried on to the campsite next to the A5. I celebrated in the Tyn y Coed pub with a meal and a few pints. Another broken night followed. I was still too tired and the wind disturbed me.
Sunday morning came and it was time to go home. I hoped to get home by rail from Betws y Coed but the summer service had ended a few days previously. So back to hitching. An eventful trip home with lifts from a couple of playboys in a flash mini. They said that if I hadn't been interesting they would have dumped me miles off my route, and later in a van full of lads smoking funny weeds who took detours off the motorway to avoid being stopped!
I arrived home. I had done it I had walked from the highest point in South Wales to the highest point in North Wales and then walked all the highest peaks in North Wales in one day. I was very pleased with myself, also very tired and in need of a long bath.
