Elidir Fawr
Date: 14-Jan-2010
Map: Landranger 115
Weather: Almost perfect - bright, except for up on the highest peak
A circular walk from Deiniolen Village to the waterboard track, up to Marchlyn Mawr reservoir. Traverse the hillside to Carnedd y-filiast. Along the ridge to Mynydd Perfedd, walk the ridge of Bwlch y Marchlyn and up to Elidir Fawr. Along Bwlch Melynwyn and drop down to Elidir Fach, down the hillside to the reservoir and back to the village : 8.7 miles – as measured by Satmap GPS.
I made a last minute decision to walk down here and given the weather I nipped off to 'Snow and Rock' to purchase an ice axe, goggles and crampons. The roads around the village were a little dodgy to say the least and I drove up as high as i could before parking up. The weather looked encouraging for most of the ground to be covered but there was a little bit of high cloud on the highest peak. I set off up a very snowy lane out of the village, with snow drifting up to 2 to 3ft high - no way through for most vehicles, and certainly not for the local music teacher whose car was blocked in up to the windows - maybe the local kids had shovelled it on a bit deeper. They'd also built an igloo in the middle of the lane, although that had been flattened by the time I got back but the car was still snowed in. Another new purchase for me was a merino wool base layer and some liner gloves - just right today as I get too hot wearing mitts. The snowy lane gave way to a wide 'First Hydro' track and up ahead I could see my first objective of Carnedd y Filiast, with Moel Eilio lit up by the morning sun away to my right. The track was icy but I didn't don crampons yet and just weaved my way uphill. Under normal conditions it would be an easy walk up to the reservoirs, but I had to take care and walk in the snow which slowed me up. It was a solitary day and peaceful, no company and no wind, with the gentle hum of the fence wire and a nearby stream.
As I progressed up the lane the ground was almost 100% covered in snow and the drifts were much thicker - up to 6ft against walls and banks. I had good views back down to the coast - Anglesey, Beaumaris and the smaller Carneddau hills. I passed by a very frozen Marchlyn Bach reservoir sitting beneath some nicely folded slates. The sun was still behind Elidir Fawr which gave a blue tinge to my pictures, but the sky was clearing to leave a blue, white, grey vista - fresh air, fantastic. The snow was mostly crusty, but I sank in deeply on occasion, with most of the loose powder snow blown away - good crampon conditions. Up ahead my first objective was bathed in sunlight but frustratingly Elidir Fawr was wearing a cloud cap, with mist blowing in and over all day - except when I'd finished of course. Once I was off the waterboard track there wasn't a discernable path to follow on the ground, although from a distance I could see a snow filled line traversing the hill. It was still ok for boots, quite deep at times, but not too slippery. Up to the bwlch the slope became steeper up to Carnedd y Filliast so I decided to don crampons for security. This was the first time I had used them and I found them fine for walking - I didn't stab myself or end up walking like a cowboy. But in my usual muppet style my shiny new ice axe was warming itself up in front of the fire at home. I wound my way up the slope and it was easy compared to struggling with the usual conditions. The snow was firm enough not to take a boot print, just the scratch marks from my crampons. Higher up towards the summit the snowbound Carneddau came into view across the Nant Ffrancon valley, while to the north the cloud base was dropping over the coast. There was some great ice sculpture on the boulder strewn summit, and I had to be careful not to disappear in a deep drift between boulders, as I was on my own and very wary of getting injured.
The bonus of the crusty snow was the depth of cover which enabled me to stride away over the rocky summit area. There were glorious grin inducing views further around along the Ogwen Valley, with the Glyderau, Tryfan and Pen yr Ole Wen prominent. But away to my right the mist and cloud were blowing up and over Elidir Fawr, covering it's shapely summit. It did clear now and again to give me an idea of the mountain ridge ahead. Due to the lack of wind here I didn't feel chill in the sunshine, so I donned sunglasses and walked along the wide plateau to Mynydd Perfedd. On the way across was a 2m wall, but with so much snow I just walked over the top of the ladder stile. The fences looked like waffles glinting brightly in the sun, covered with thick rime ice. There wasn't any wildlife around today and it was utter peace, apart from the odd jet down in the valleys - heard but not seen. As I approached Mynedd Perfedd it became increasingly misty, but it wasn't wet up in the cloud. The summit shelter came into view and obviously with all the snow blown about it was as much use as a chocolate ash tray. The cloud cleared to allow me views down over the Marchlyn Mawr reservoir and the dark water looked very cold - ahead of me was a grey/white sky and a dodgy ridge walk. Luckily for me I couldn't see much of the drop below me so I didn't think about it too much. I was glad of the crampons and knew from the map that this was the worse part of the ridge, and I'll have to return to get a good look at this when it's clear. The walk up to the top of Elidir Fawr was just white on white with no discernable sky and ground. So I just plodded on up being careful not too drift too far to my left, and taking a compass bearing up to the summit. Up on the top of Elidir Fawr are a series of crags, with deep snow drifts and boulders, so I had to carefully navigate along. It was chill in the wind blowing in from the south and I pulled up my snood to cover my face and made haste for the end of the ridge.
I wasn't sure of the route down from the ridge, but did come to a point where I had to turn away towards Elidir Fach, as down below was an awful lot of rubble. So I took another compass bearing and strode off down the snow covered slopes. It was the easiest descent I'd had for a long time due to the snow cover and wearing crampons. I still couldn't see anything ahead so I kept checking the GPS as I headed back towards Marchlyn Mawr reservoir. Eventually I dropped down below cloud and could see I was in the right place, so made a beeline for the reservoir. There is a path down from Elidir Fawr but I didn't find it until I was nearly back at the reservoir, with a steep slope to traverse at the end, successfully negotiated with my spiky boots. I passed by a big access tunnel, snowbound but bristling with CCTV to keep the baddies out. I stopped for lunch by the water, with some soup and sarnies, with today's walk sponsored by Jaffa Cake rolls - delicious. My hands got cold in five minutes, so donned my mitts and set off down the icy track with my crampons still on. I tried to cut a corner here and there as the tracked looped downhill, but just succeeded in sinking deep and taking as long as I'd have taken on the track. Back on the track the sun was shining on a brilliant day, and the famer was out with his tractor trying to clear a way forward with a sprinkling of grit. Behind me the cloud was thinning above Elidir Fawr - typical, and along the lane a JCB had cleared the igloo, but the music teachers car was still blocked in. This was a brilliant day with brilliant views - mostly - a short walk but only 2700ft of ascent this way round.
