Central Trinity Gulley

Central Trinity Gulley

Page Type Page Type: Route
Location Lat/Lon: 53.07206°N / 4.07796°W
Additional Information Route Type: Mountaineering
Seasons Season: Winter
Additional Information Time Required: Half a day
Additional Information Difficulty: Depending on Ice conditions
Additional Information Number of Pitches: 3
Additional Information Grade: I
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

This winter route lies on the eastern side of the cliff that forms the summit of Y Wyddfa and seldom comes into condition these days and therefore this description is a historical one. The route follows the central "prong" of the Trident of three separate gullies and is possibly the easiest one of the three.

Getting There

(see the main Y Wydffa page for general directions).

This winter route, is accessed easily from the PYG track or the Miner's track and traversing across the hillside near the point that both tracks meet above Glaslyn. Depending on conditions, the stream flowing into Glaslyn may be frozen and can be ascended over iced-up steps to a small plateau below start of the gullies.

The route is obvious from the trail as the Trident shaped collection of three gullies can clearly be seen from the PYG or Miner's track as you ascend the path.

Route Description

 
Glaslyn & Llyn Llydaw
The Miner's track seen from high on Y Wyddfa, winding its way up from Llyn Llydaw past Glaslyn


Climbing with Chris in January 1970, we were blessed with good clear conditions and we ascended the frozen waterfall from Glaslyn in a series of big steps. Then we roped up and moved onto the snow slope below the three separate gullies of the Trinity. Our chosen climb was the Central Trinity.
 
Pant y Lluwchfa
Chris enjoys the water ice of Pant y Lluwchfa



The route was mainly hard frozen snow but at the gulley constriction point, this had turned to ice for about forty feet due to melt/freeze and the actions of running meltwater.



We took a belay on snow stakes below this hard section and an ice axe belay above it. The angle was reasonably easy though, possibly 50 degrees at most and we soon ascended the hardest part and onto the last snow slope before exiting the gulley, arriving almost at the summit of Y Wyddfa
 
Top pitch of Central Trinity Gulley
Chris waits for Johnnie on the final pitch just below the Y Wyddfa summit

Essential Gear

Winter clothing, Ice axe and crampons, normal navigation equipment, food and water. As this route finishes close to the summit, the weather there can often be severe in winter and therefore normal winter precautions should be taken.

More information

If anyone has further information about this route or fotos of the contriction section, please send to me and I will add in to the page with full credits given.

Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.