Winter Route Pen Y Fan

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 ford23 17 Jan 2019

Heading to Brecon Beacons this weekend, and weather forecast looking pretty wintery. Has anyone ever done the gullys on pen y fan in winter, do they need lots of snow or could they be worth it?

Cheers

 

3
 mrphilipoldham 17 Jan 2019
In reply to ford23:

They’ll need snow and multiple freeze/thaw cycles so no, they’ll probably be absolutely terrible this weekend. Low grade gullies are end of season objectives.

In reply to ford23:

I've climbed one very shallow gully the Brecons in a very hard winter some time in the very early 70s. It was just about OK, grade I/II. They really have to be v, v frozen up and snowy to work as proper winter climbs. Otherwise it's just very unattractive and dangerous climbing on turf (plus loose rock).

2
 Run_Ross_Run 17 Jan 2019
In reply to ford23:

I'd leave it. Nothing will be 'in'.

 

If you want a good walk though instead try the Pen y Fan an Horseshoe. It's lovely. 

 Trangia 17 Jan 2019
In reply to ford23:

Anything on the N Face can be potentially dangerous unless there is good consolidated neve. Generally its just frozen lumpy earth and grass with a thin veneer of ice. Pretty well impossible to belay safely on it without long metal stakes which would need a lump hammer to drive them in and would weigh a ton. I climbed it in the 1980s in these conditions with 3 friends, we had no adequate protection, and if one had fallen he would have dragged the others off so we decided, about half way up, that we were committed, retreat was just as dangerous as to go on. In the circumstances it was more sensible to unrope and continue to climb solo thereby reducing the risk of a mass fall.

One of my most scary climbs and I've never done it again.

Post edited at 20:57
 mattrm 17 Jan 2019
In reply to ford23:

I live on the edge of the Brecon Beacons (I'm not going to tire of saying that for a while) and it's no where near cold enough for anything to be in at the weekend.

 PaulTclimbing 17 Jan 2019
In reply to ford23:

The gullies on the flanks; far left and far right are rocky and benefit from deeper frozen snow/neve to fully enjoy them as snow plods and avoid the uneven rocks in them; they could be a good introduction to the area even with slightly less snow. They are somewhat benign and enjoyable or escapable with grade 1 to 2 rock steps. Central gully is more serious and best when its icy after a number of days sub zero/freeze thaw and snow melt to build vertical/technical ice steps/frontpointing. A similar rocky base unless snow covered. Its less escapable and rises to a 100ft headwall. This has exposed finishes on vertical vegetated rock ledges and may feel high in the grade or bold. If you choose routes on this face be secure and confident in your climbing at that grade. Expect routes to be high or sustained at the grade. It requires a deeper freeze and gear has to be sought out. Central rib the mid face broad slope leads to the summit. There are good belays if worked at, with a small number of runner placements in long pitches.  Good snow cover after frost will give good conditions, but snow can insulate and lead to mushy grass thrashing and is probably unacceptable. The snow forecast site at 886m shows a weekend thaw and a post in SW winter conditions facebook forum suggested its not frozen. Do thorough research. webcam storey arms. Weatherunderground live automated reports eg Ebbw vale. It looks like its getting colder into next week and its always a bit of a surgical strike to time it right. If you don't mind exploring go and have a look see and report what you find. Pull back if its mushy so as not to trash the joint or yourself. When its proper wintry...its just the issue of getting there! Hope this helps. Standard rock rack with a few screws, pegs and warthogs can be used.

 Billhook 18 Jan 2019
In reply to ford23:

One or two days of the temperature dropping to freezing,  a fall or two of snow does not make a winter climb.

Keep calm and carry on.

 JohnO1978 18 Jan 2019
In reply to ford23:

Its going to be really busy on the Fan this weekend due to the winter Fan Dance race. 

 alexm198 18 Jan 2019
In reply to ford23:

Absolutely no chance it will be in. 

I climbed a route on the north face last winter after it had been brutally cold and snowy for a while and it was still barely in condition. Headwall turf was not fully frozen and very aerated. Soft snow lower down over loose mud and rock. 

 ianstevens 18 Jan 2019
In reply to JohnO1978:

>  the Fan 

Was this really easier to type than Pen-y-fan? Think I threw up a little.

7
 Jim Hamilton 18 Jan 2019
In reply to Trangia:

> Anything on the N Face can be potentially dangerous unless there is good consolidated neve. Generally its just frozen lumpy earth and grass with a thin veneer of ice.

I've been up a couple of times in freshish snow conditions, and I don't remember it being that bad, although we probably wondered up a line of least resistance rather than searching out gullies.   

 

 CurlyStevo 18 Jan 2019
In reply to ford23:

I've done the north face in summer unroped, its got to be safer / easier than that?

I've rarely laughed as much but it was that or cry!

Post edited at 15:46

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