The end, its been emotional, and the big interview to finish this amazing season.

Well folks

Its all over. Yep there is a bit of snow around, but the season is really over.

AND WHAT A STONKER IT HAS BEEN

The amount of routes done this winter, the buzz , the crack, the scene, the banter, the reports, yes those bloody reports.

You lot have truly kept me busy this year. But hey its been worth it.

I really need a rest and this is the last post of this season.

To think I did my first route back in November, not sure if I could carry on. Never thought I would say that !!!

I truly thank you all for all your enthusiasm and commitment.

I cannot thank you all personally as the list is so long, but A HUGH thanks must go to

Tim Jepson
Tim Neil

for the vast amount of reports, days out and enthusiasm to the blog and Welsh Winter. Bastards kept me on my toes all season

See you all next November, take it easy, get training, and thanks again. Baggy

NOW FINALLY THAT BIG INTERVIEW.

I felt privileged to be able to interview the enchanted and gorgeous Esme Neil.

Esme is the long suffering daughter of Tim Neil. A very astute young lass with cracking looks, taking after her mother Lou , Eseme kindly offered me her insight to the Welsh Winter.

My time with her was lovely and I cannot thank her enough. Read and enjoy.




Q -What is your view on Tim's desire to climb every ice/snow route in the UK and in particular North Wales.

A- I do struggle to see the attraction at times, I mean one route is like the next, is it not ? , but when Tim comes bounding through the door and I see the smile on his face I suppose there must be some attraction.

Q-What do you make to all these grades.

A- Again fuss over nothing. I feel that in a few years time anyone will be climbing grade VIII . I mean its no big deal. Most of the grades are all easy anyway.

Q - Its a bit of a hub your place at times, vagrants just turning up at the door.

A - I quite like that, I mean some of Tim's mates are quite spicy. Take that Bullock chap, good body, good looks, if only I was a few years younger. That Toby Kepp is quite cute, but he is spoken for. All these men. Often when Tim's out my mom and I discuss which man we would like to turn up at the door.

Q - Talking of mates are they all climbers.

A - Mainly, but while Dad was away I had a night on the town with all the paddlers form PYB. What a night that was. Must do it again. Not sure if my Dad would approve, but that Catterall lad had is eye on me, tasty.

Q - Is climbing your first love

A - No way, I mean why would it be. Fuss over nothing. I am keen to have my own horse, Yacht, and fancy more kayaking and diving in the med. Oh and a nice Villa in Paris.

Q - Give me a pet hate of the Welsh Winter

A - All those guides and climbing mags my dad has all over the hse, always reading, on the phone on the net. What is it with snow.

Q- How has your winter been.

A - Very relaxed, plenty of attention, lots of gifts, mom has been an star, so has dad really, mind you a few upset stomachs, not sure why oh and plenty of wind. A really good first season.

It was obvious that Eseme would love to carry on the interview, but I had to leave, so just one last question from me.

Q - Who do you has been the biggest influence on your dad this season.

A - No hesitation, that Baggy Chap.

Sabotage

I suppose its my own fault.

Whilst away enjoying some classic Scottish conditions a closet winter climber came in under cover.

Dare I say, I thought they did a good job.

Lets see what else they might have to say.


On a sad note. I think we are near the end of the Welsh winter for this season, but is not quite over yet.

Now there is a break in the never ending supply of quality info and pictures I can update you all on more new routes.

First off

In the period of heavy snow back in January of this year, Gaz Davies and I skied from the car up to the base of the crag that day.

We put up two new routes.

A V-6 consisting of 3 pitches and a VI-6 ( Mr P's Last Great Problem ) consisting of two pitches. This last route gave continually interesting and awkward climbing all the way to the top.

Below the picture shows me on the crux of the second of our new routes that day.

Mr P's Last Great Problem



The last problem for me was trying to ski out in Freny XT boots in Fritschi bindings.

Also, I will be away in Scotland for approx 10 days, working for Jagged Globe on their climbing courses.

Therefore, I will not be in a position to update blog. I hope conditions become good.

On a last note if you have not visited the link on Eight below then have a look


Cheers

Baggy

EIGHT

I promised big news, so click here and enjoy

Erics Answer

The Somme, an answer for Eric.

You undoubtedly did do The Somme, Eric, and you are right, the guidebook/topo description is poor. When Owen and I did it a couple of weeks ago, the line was absolutely obvious as a slab of ice on otherwise bare rock and turf. Only the easy-angled ledges had snow on them. We split the two main pitches by taking the belay, which you climbed past, on the left at the top of the initial steep groove. We then climbed up to clip the sling on the chockstone as a side runner, before stepping right from the belay to climb the ice on the slab, run-out, but technically straightforward. We didn't have to climb the corner/groove to the left of the slab at all, but I can believe that this appeared to be the better option with all the snow around on Sunday - good effort! I spoke to Chris Forrest and he had clearly done the same as you a few days earlier.

Tim Jepson

This picture shows the iced slab, the sling on the chockstone and the turfy corner, looking up the big pitch of The Somme. Owen Hayward leading.



Also another ascent of El Mancho. Good to have some pics of the girls on the blog as its always the guys.

Rachael Hinchliffe top of first main pitch

Nothing then everthing at once.

As the title says, it all comes at once

The big news story will be here on Tuesday

In the meantime

Sunday 21st February - Black Ladders

After another overnight snowfall, a dozen local climbers broke an early Sunday morning trail from Gerlan, heading optimistically for the Black Ladders.
As the snow got deeper, optimism gave way to realism and plans were modified to match potentially difficult and dangerous conditions. In the event, the snow, though soft and deep, appeared to be reasonably well-bonded to the neve beneath and showed little evidence of wind deposition, even in the upper reaches of the crag. Groups disappeared into the mist, climbing Pyramid and Central gullies (amongst others?), enjoying tremendous winter sport by sweeping snow off the ice and rock, digging out belays and swimming their way up the easier sections. Adventurous, technical, physical and sociable .... a great mix!

Tim Jepson
Dodi Palmer
Dave Williams

Picture

Deep snow on the slopes beneath Central Gully



We think we climbed the Somme yesterday, but it was our first visit the crag and with visibility being fleeting we don’t know so!

The bit that’s confusing us is the description of a ‘pedestal stance’ at the end of the 3rd pitch (first proper pitch above the snow terrace at the base). From the big snow terrace after the introductory gully I climbed a cruddy iced corner groove, with reasonable rock gear at first, for about 30 metres to a ledge and crack on the left (should have belayed here!) and a large chockstone 5 metres above (newish sling and small bail out krab on this). I went under the chock and chimneyed up the back of it, before making hard skittery moves to reach some better turf. I wish we’d bailed too, instead of climbing another 35 metres of terrifying thin snow/ice crud up the continuing rightwards slanting corner groove, to a final steep pull over a bulge to the upper snow terrace. As we’d run out of rope and there was no decent kit at all we simul climbed – yikes.

Obviously conditions weren’t great, but the Somme got done last week and your blog suggests people backed off on Saturday (the sling round the chockstone was the only gear we found). The only route I can find with a description of a chockstone is Arctic fox, but the topo for that doesn’t square with the first III gully pitch we climbed to reach the snow terrace. Description of Post war doesn’t sound right either.

So maybe one man’s pedestal is another chockstone and we were just on The Somme in poor conditions. Wish we knew as it was the most harrowing day of the winter so far and we still can’t quite make sense of the description!

Cheers



Eric Hildrew

Clogwyn Ddu was bust again, lots of action.

Phil Dowthwaite on El Mancho

Saturday and late BIG news

Late News 9.00pm Sunday eve

Wales is kicking folks, more big news to follow Monday eve. Its unbelievable this winter.


Friday delivered a dump of snow to the hills, which in a way was a shame as it buried lots of good routes that were in good nick. Yes, certain crags need some snow but not quite this much. However, it does mean there is more snow to resist a thaw.

Jonny Ratcliff and I headed up to the R/H side of the Ladders to have a go at Sarajevo. Unfortunately, there was a layer of cruddy neve covering the turf which itself was a little soft in places so we bailed.

Jon On Sarajevo


We moved about 20-30m right of L/H icefall and soled to the top of the crag taking in some good IV sections of ice and mixed ground.

From here over the crag X to do another new route. This came in at VI-6 with two pitches of 45m of good and varied climbing. Not the hardest of VI-6,s as it had good gear but we thought a really good route.

Jon starting pitch 2 of the new route



Toping out to a moonlit sky with no one around was a nice end to the day.

Teams were on Pyramid Gully , Central and L/H Icefall and teams backed off the Somme.

Sunday it snowed some more in the morning but overall another nice day. .

Sunday, Si Panton and team did the 2nd ascent of Arch Gully on Glyder Fach which myself and Owen Samuels climbed last winter. Si mentioned the words brilliant route and worthy of stars.

The Old Guard Kick ASS leaving the young guns behind with VIII-8 on the cards

Chris Parkin, having already established himself as one of UK's leading new routes activists over the last 15 years has really pulled it out the bag this week.

Tora Bora, his new route, where else but the Ladders, comes in at at hefty VIII-8. This is only the second grade VIII-8 to hit Wales.

Chris as usual played down such a fine effort and contribution to UK winter climbing when I spoke to him on the phone saying " it was a bit sketchy in places, with a few scary moves, but overall not to bad.

Having already claimed VII-8 and VII-7 on the ladders in the previous 12 months, what next ? Maybe the next 9-9 . Well Chris is off to Scotland for the weekend maybe for a rest ? The old Welsh Winter Guide seems to dismiss Chris's routes of that era, not realising what an impact these were going to have in the modern world and on current climbers.

This is a major new line for UK winter climbing on one of the best crags in the UK. Chris has a habit of finding lines through impressive terrain that many others dismiss. There is one secret ingredient of Chris's which Nick Bullock the other climber to add grade VIII-8 to Wales has . They both have big !!!! when it come to having it.

This is magazine front page coverage, not repeats of routes done years ago.

Pete Harrison aka Mr Winter Wiki had done 1 route this season due to injury before pairing up with Chris for this route.

Speaking to Pete he commented

"After a winter spent shuffling along Llandudno prom with the rest of the elderly/infirm population, yesterday I went to Ysgolion Duon with Chris Parkin and spent the whole day being scared back into winter climbing. My first time climbing with Chris - what a legend/psycho/highly talented climber! We did a very direct new route up a series of corners and grooves on the buttress in between the grooves of Imminent Conflict and Broken Cease Fire, Chris led the hard pitches. The crux pitch goes up a corner crack on torques, hooks and turf, a brief rest and then topped off with a tricky verglassed slab with more torquing in a crack to reach the turf above.

It's the best winter pitch I've climbed - 45 metres of technical, sustained and pumpy mixed climbing which keeps on coming, with only adequate hard-fought gear, a brilliant lead by Chris who took a whinger onto his axes at one point. That pitch by itself would be worth doing the walk-in and route for, a five star pitch if ever there was one but the other pitches are good and challenging too, the final one being 40-45 metres of serious grade 5 turfy corner which Chris basically soloed, the loon"

The route Tora Bora, 300m, VIII 8. - has 7 pitches - three of 3/4, one of 4, one of 5, one of 6 and one of 8. Bring a good selection of pins, turf pro, and a desire to strap it on. Neither of us had a camera so no photos.

Cheers Pete

IT Does not end there, oh no, the locals are mad for it, once one gets new routing they are all after a piece of the action. Lew Hardy one of Chris's partners back in the 90's when they did other new routes on the ladders was back at the crag today. Maybe he needed to get one back on Chris ?

Anyway, he and his partner Jamie Mac headed up to the Black Ladders. On the Ladders a thin layer of fresh snow covered still good neve. Although there was a lot of water running all the ice lines looked in condition. They did a new line 30m right of Ice Fall Gully Right Hand. The first pitch may have been climbed previously (any claimants?) but their continuation gives a direct line with the first two picthes sustained and nicely contrasting. It was Jamie's first new route, so he says he has to be biased, but Lew has done plenty of routes in his many years; he had a silly grin on as well so its gotta be worth a star or two! The only one other pair in the cwm today were on Jacob's Ladder. It snowed as we descended and the temperature dropped considerably, so hopefully all good for the weekend.

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda
IV 4, 4, 1/2, 3, 1/2 *
Lew Hardy and Jamie Macdonald, 18.02.10

Another new route comes in the form of Snake Bite Direct on Snowdon climbed last weekend my Mark Lynden and Lew Hardy ( what has he lined up next I wonder )

Finally after waiting 20 years Martin Crook and Nick Walton claimed Cwm Raider IV-4 down near Beddgelert

So the Old Welsh Guard have truly stuffed us all this last week. Nice one chaps, give us some more


Well how do I sleep tonight with so much excitement in Wales. It is the place to be and believe me there is stacks of new lines out there.

What a day, what a forecast, bring it on for the weekend warriors

Anyway in the meantime a report which came in Monday ENJOY !!

Ex Tenebris Lux ( Out Of Darkness, Light ).

Baggy,

I was rather pleased to hear about your recent sabbatical to the " Gold
Coast " of Tremadog. It seems that you have now reached an emotional
and spiritual crossroads. On one side lies the Gateway to Shangri-La ;
on the other, a long and slippery road leads to the " Caverna Desparium
".

A brief history lesson may help you find the strength to fight through
this affliction.

The Protogenos Nyx had a habit of conjuring up a dark veil of mist from
the Underworld which would obscure the shining blue light of Aither.
Fortunately, her daughter Hemera was quite adept at dispersing the
mist, and once again the earth would be bathed in glorious, golden
light.

So Baggy, which one of the above ladies would you prefer to hang out
with ? I certainly know which one I'd prefer to buy a drink for !

Amazing what you can remember from repeats of Xena, Warrior Princess !

Now that you have returned to the true path, it felt only right and
proper to reciprocate the returned compliment, by going back out again.


Daemones Tenebraun ( Demons of Darkness )

The physio department ay Ysbyty Gwynedd have suggested it would be
beneficial to strengthen my left knee, so a quick jaunt up Y Garn,
seemed just the ticket ; besides, the intro in the guide referring to
" a mountain for reflective old age " hit a chord !

The snow runnels were bullet hard, in fact, it's probably the most
squeaky and pristine snow I've been on all century !

Following the initial slope of Banana, Gully,then branching left onto
and following ( what I presume was ) CD Buttress, led past a tricky,
well positioned final step to the summit and sunshine.

Surprising myself in how long the route hadn't taken, and the fact
that it was a grand day, another idea took hold. Clogwyn Du didn't
look that far away ( remind me to get my eyes tested !

Anyhow to cut a very long walk, short, I did eventually make it to the
rim of the Cwm, but not before being spotted by the PYB Winter
Skills course. Damit, I'll have to tweak that disguise even more !

By now I was resembling living proof of life after death ( a fact
noticed
by " Big Guns " Jim, who seemed a bit worried when I didn't answer
him ). Sorry Jim and Matt, but my knee was by this point trembling,
and I was having to concentrate quite hard to avoid becoming a
" Downhill Racer " ! Made it down though, then nipped up Hidden
Gully for old times sake, and rather fine it was too.

Pillar Chimney looked well iced, however L.H. Chimney looked a
touch thin at the start ( well iced on the top half though ) ; and with
that, my tally has now hit 4 routes. Can't remember the last time I
did that many routes in a single winter ! Unfortunately, I've just
seen the latest meteo, and no sign of spring arriving just yet.

Mind you, the very next day, Helen Barnard and myself did find a
blip in Winter and climbed a few sunny routes at Craig y Forwen.
In fact, it was almost too warm, but thankfully I'd packed my vest
which almost matches the Mediterranean Azure of the sky.

It's not too long now till the Spring Equinox Baggy, so hopefully
the attraction of this winter lark ( which is still a lot of faff ),
will
be short lived.

Till later

AL

Today has been a stunner, the snow which has fallen over recent days has truly put most crags above 600 back on the map and with cold temps over the next few days, bring it on.

A few pics of the the route Follow Thru on the ladders we climbed last Saturday.

First Pitch



Second Pitch





The weather has dropped snow above 600-ish mts and its been cold so crags are back to white and things look v good.