Matt & I had previously discussed heading up to the Snowdon summit via Crib Goch & Garnedd Ugain but aligning our free time had been difficult. We managed to settle on a Friday in August with predicted clear weather and discussed the route on the journey there.
I hadn’t previously conquered Crib Goch so Matt spent some time detailing what to expect and before we’d parked up I was already assured by his confidence and his assessment of my capabilities. The weather was some of the best I’d experienced up Snowdon this year for the start, and upon leaving the Pyg track for the initial scramble towards Crib Goch, Matt spent some time coaching me on improved scrambling techniques. My confidence grew as the altitude increased!
By the time we were ready to start traversing the ridge I understood what was to come would be difficult, but Matt had got me comfortable and assured in my abilities, we had a moment to discuss going back once we started along the ridge was not in our interest, and with one deep breath we started.
Across the ridge line the weather was kind. Matt slowed the pace down and kept great verbal communications throughout, guiding and assuring me. We maintained a close proximity to one another, and I never felt left behind. As we finished the main ridge traversal, the clouds above gave way to some light rain for an hour. Nothing unexpected for those who have been to Snowdon before, but Matt found a comfortable spot out of the wind for us to reconvene and discuss the impact the change in weather would have. Not deterred in the slightest and confident in Matts assessment, we reduced our pace but carried on chipping away at the route up and over Garnedd Ugain.
The next big event prior to Garnedd Ugain, was navigating the pinnacle. Not a small order for someone who has only scratched the surface on grade 1 scrambles, but Matt called out his every movement and detailed his approach to the scramble which only served to bolster my trust in his skills.
Beyond we hit the summit of Garnedd Ugain, and continued up to the summit of Snowdon. We then took a leisurely stroll back down Pyg Trail onto the miners path. These are routes myself & Matt had hit plenty of times individually and together so it allowed for a nice kick back and relax stage.
