SummitPost.org

James_W wrote:

Arthur Digbee wrote:Hey you American highpointers: have any of you done Mt Sunflower, sea-to-summit?

Not laughing now, are we?

Of course they are not laughing. The joke is already on american highpointers.

ki11er c0wz!



we could have been eatten! look how pissed they look!

xDoogiex wrote:

James_W wrote:

Arthur Digbee wrote:Hey you American highpointers: have any of you done Mt Sunflower, sea-to-summit?

Not laughing now, are we?

Of course they are not laughing. The joke is already on american highpointers.

ki11er c0wz!



we could have been eatten! look how pissed they look!

I am so sorry this image proves it is no laughing matter. We sometimes forget about the great objective hazards involved.

Vitaliy M wrote:2929 ft? Does the route start below sea level?

One of my few contributions:
http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock ... ntain.html

2245'

Vitaliy M wrote:

Bryan Benn wrote:

With powder snow I'd have been in a white out and totally dependant on compass on map to get back down. And that is exactly what I had to do on Snowdon on 22nd February this year! I will get my TR up soon.

Just wondering...If one is in a white out, compass will be helpful because you will at least know which direction to go (if you know where you came from). But unless you oriented yourself to where on the map you actually are before the white out, it is pretty useless during a whiteout, since you can't see any landmarks..right?

The summit ridge of Snowdon runs above a slope to one side that leads down to a railway that runs in summer. To get to the summit area I had sort of felt with my feet and senses to zig zag along the top part of the slope. At times vis lifted to around 5 metres or so, difficult to estimate. I came back down the slope the same way, hoping I would hit one of two marker points. One being the large vertical stone that marks where a track goes very steeply down to the PYG track, and also a sign where the track I was on crosses the railway. In those conditions the 7 foot stone was only just standing above the snow and only the top of the the railway marker sign was visible. But my zig zagging on the terrain that was obvious underfoot worked, as I hit the railway marker. I was helped by the vis going from zero to 5 metres and back from time to time.

From that sign I was able to get a compass reading.

It was the most terrifying moment I have yet had in the mountains. Leaving the marker behind and heading out onto very deep wind blown snow only seeing as far as my feet, and knowing that within seconds the marker would be gone, as would soon the slope to the summit ridge I had followed to that point. But I know that part of Snowdon quite well, (I've summited ten times in winter conditions now on my own, in just two winters), so despite my considerable apprehension was fairly certain I was going in the right direction. An easing in the snow and cloud around 800 metres from the railway marker got me sight of a rock formation I knew well, enabling another compass reading that quickly got me below the cloud base and safety.

I'll think very hard before putting myself in that position again. Conditions were awful and I heard a very loud roar from an avalanche the other side of the summit ridge: I think Dan, (Nanuls) may agree that avalanches are not that common on Snowdon. But a climbing blog reported avalanche debris in that location a few days later.

I've gone on a bit, but hope Emmie reads this. Just take care as you expand your range of mountain walking Emmie. Don't be in a hurry to head up mountains in severe winter weather. Even with two of you such situations could be very difficult to get out of. And that was a day when the valley I started from had wall to wall sunshine! Typical Snowdon winter weather.

Small mountains can be very hard walking in winter guys! Snowdon, the biggest in England and Wales is only 3,560 feet.

Thanks Bryan again for your help and advice.

That storm on Snowdon sounds pretty scary and it will certainly make me think twice about climbing it in winter unless with someone with experience.

Scarfel Pike is next but not until end of September. Will this be too late??

Will probably try Snowdon in October but will see if anyone with experience will join us? or help us out?

Good going. The Welsh mountains may not be the biggest, but they are very beautiful and there are plenty of routes up each one depending on how hard you want to make it. North Wales has some of the best rock climbing in the world, from mountain crags to sea cliffs, and Llanberis boulders to slate quarries.

Don't let anyone tell you it's all walking! You can do practically any type of mountaineering, whether it be walking or hiking, scrambling, rock climbing and snow and ice or mixed climbing in the winter. If you live in England or Wales, Snowdonia is as good a place as any to learn.

I've had years of pleasure from the mountains there and will continue to

emmieuk wrote:Thanks Bryan again for your help and advice.

That storm on Snowdon sounds pretty scary and it will certainly make me think twice about climbing it in winter unless with someone with experience.

Scarfel Pike is next but not until end of September. Will this be too late??

Will probably try Snowdon in October but will see if anyone with experience will join us? or help us out?

Scafell will be perfect in September; it doesn’t usually get snow until much later on.

Snowdon should be fine in October too, though it can receive some snow and ice later on in the month, usually higher up.

If you do intend to go up in winter conditions, I’d definitely advise you take someone experienced with you. Depending on when you’re in the area, I’d be happy to help you both out, feel free to give me a shout.

Cheers
Dan

Thanks Dan that is really kind of you

Really want to do one in the winter as it is winter climbing with snow etc that I really want to get into

emmieuk wrote:Thanks Dan that is really kind of you

Really want to do one in the winter as it is winter climbing with snow etc that I really want to get into

I'm very pleased Dan has offered to help. Mountains in winter can be fabulous places, but also very dangerous. No better way to start than with someone who knows what they are doing.

The rewards can be good. See theweb page from my March 7th walk. Not sure I'll ever see conditions like that on the top of Snowdon again in my lifetime. It was a couple of weeks after that zero visibility walk I mentioned. And whilst all the lower down snow had thawed, I went back as I wanted to see what the summit area looked like. To even get a clear view from the summit was something!

I wasn't disappointed!

The best snow scenes are after you click the link at the bottom of the first page full of photos!

I do have a Trip Report coming soon, as I want some of those photos here on SP.

beautiful and incredible photos Bryan!!

I am totally envious and cannot wait to do this myself.

What month was this again?

emmieuk wrote:beautiful and incredible photos Bryan!!

I am totally envious and cannot wait to do this myself.

What month was this again?

7th March this year Emmie. Mother Nature was very kind to me.

That was my tenth winter ascent of Snowdon and the only one I got scenes anything like that. I suspect if they are to occur again they are more likely towards the end of winter.

I plan to do the same again this winter. Wait at home in Kent, monitoring the weather on Snowdon everyday until it looks right, then off I go. I'll do that throughout the winter period.

WOW Sounds thrilling!! I cannot wait until I am able to do the same

Looking for another climb to do this Saturday

been totally bitten.

Will get my pics up tomorrow night some gorgeous scenery..would do it tonight but off to the football...to see Everton tonight hehe

Hey Bryan, when are you going to post those photos here? I could use some of them in my pages. Also, give me a shout when your next in Wales, it's about time one of these meetings worked out, even if it's just for a pint!

Emma, I'll probably be in Snowdonia overthe weekend of the 4th/5th September if the weather's alright, let me know if you guys are interested in meeting up.

In the meantime, I maintain quite a few pages on Summitpost about Snowdonia, which may (I hope!) provide some inspiration for planning furture adventures. Best start here: Snowdonia/Eryri

Dan, I need to get my act together to do my TR about my last winter in Snowdonia. I'll try and start it soon!

Reckon I'll be back in Snowdonia from late September, so I'll let you know when I've made plans.

emmieuk wrote:thanks Bryan!

I dont take any notice of the Mt Sunflower jokers....people start somewhere and for a party girl who usually spends a saturday shopping or recovering from a hangover and where the only thing i have ever climbed is my stairs, I did OK.

I do actually find it pretty petty that grown adults joke about the heights and challenges just because they have done something ten times harder.

That is definitely pittiful of them; you can bet there are people who could look down their noses at what those jokers have climbed. The peak you describe reminds me of one of my favorites around here, Old Rag Mountain; it has a couple of false summits on the way up and a bit of rock scrambling. I've done a few fairly big ones, but I do always enjoy Old Rag.