A quick account of Friday’s 9-5 on Tryfan…
9.00am Parked up in the layby and off to the first route of the day..
Milestone Gully 1+
Had a look at the mantelshelf but a bit early for that sort of thing so skirted round to the right and then up the gully. I struggle with gullies – dark, dank restricting and intimidating - and I’d avoided this one for years, but once embarked on the first few juggy, dry holds it’s a lovely romp. I counted 11 pieces of tat at the top. Upwards and onwards to no. 2
Milestone Continuation. 3
With the objective simply to gain the right amount of height to traverse the north ridge shoulder to the Heather Terrace I only climbed the first cracked slab, pulling desperately on the wobbly chockstone at mid height before escaping awkwardly down to the left before the overhang. Harder than I remember. A damn sight harder than the scramble on tryfan bach for instance which is a real jug ladder. Hey ho, round onto the HT and bypassing my normal fave Bastow Buttress, as today’s target was
Nor Nor Groove 1+
which was easy and nice and then up into the atmospheric surroundings of the gully itself where I climbed the ‘slabby boulder’ with difficulty before checking out the chimney which leads up onto Nor Nor Buttress above its hard arête pitch. Looked very Old Fashioned and not one to try with my rather large rucksack. Enjoyed this route - airy, sunny and open it's a complete contrast to Milestone gully. A right turn at the ETP and back round to scramble the north tower where 2 guys were having an epic about the ‘impossible’ downclimb into the notch, only for a competent family group to show them the way A few odd looks as I descended the scree couloir (keeping to my right which is easier) down the West Face to pick up the next scramble
Notch Arete 2+
I never fancy on-sighting the harder scramble lines and I’d been guided up this recently and loved it. Slabby and steep with perfect rock and sandpaper friction. Solo today I put the rock shoes on and started off up the ‘easy’ start on the left hand end of the platform. Despite a total absence of a scramblers twin horrors of loose rock and complex route finding it still got the adrenalin going as the holds are positive but small, with few real jugs and always the full west face below you...
Lunch at the top – what a view – then back over and down Tryfan and after a quick time check (13:45) up the last of the day
Bristly Ridge 1
Which is so much nicer since I recently (via here) discovered the better left-hand gully start which gives lovely steep scrambling on good rock. Met 5 parties descending as I went up the ridge alone and then from the summit a long gentle descent east and then cutting back into Cwm Tryfan
5.00pm Car And then a 5 hour drive home including a welcome shower at Telford services
Post edited at 21:32
