Last day of the Year - Roger Dyke
By Roger Dyke
"Meet us in the big carpark by the lake at Llanberis. It may be a bit icy, so Dave's bringing a spare ice-axe for you."
"Thanks Duncan - that could be handy"
Driving south across Anglesey 30 minutes later I could see it was going to be a brilliant day. It was, in more ways than one...
I should have got a clue when Dave Kenyon produced a set of crampons [never even touched a pair of those before] and two short ice-axes.
"I don't need two axes Dave - I can stop myself fine with one"
Dave looks baffled and goes for a quick word with Duncan: "Be best if you bring both really"
The six of us - Duncan & Sabina, Dave Bone, Dave Kenyon and Rob Allen - steam up from Ynys Ettwys toward Cyrn Las. Happy memories from 1969 of a quick dash on the back of Jesse's motorbike at 6am, bacon butty in hand, to do Main Wall before he met a client at 10 for a day's guiding.
I steam slower than the main team, but Sabina stays back to keep me company.
The A team put crampons on and vanish to a half-frozen waterfall while the rest of us push on, to be joined by Tony Gask who must have set a speed record coming direct from the Hut on foot. He and I talk sailing. I still hadn't twigged why I had two axes on my pack.
We put crampons on below Parsley Fern Gully. The name meant nothing to me then: now I know it's the traditional beginner's route. A dozen or more folk up ahead seemed to be going slowly - with ropes. "Doesn't matter" says Duncan "We can solo past them at the side."
The penny starts to drop, but before I have time to think "Do I want to do this?" Sabina has whisked me off and is showing me how to use crampons in snow - then harder snow - then on ice. Then how to use the axes "Don't hang on grimly to the shaft - let the wrist-strap take your weight. It's easier if you don't put your axes in so high - keep them closer to your feet." Dave's axes are a delight - I had never imaging how secure a few millimetres of axe pick into ice could feel. And compared with swinging a felling axe, these little toys are just a delight.
Front points really seem to work, just like on the TV... This is a whole new world, and more fun than I had ever imagined.
Reality kicks in as both sets of points come out while I am shifting the axes, but one axe holds and I get it all together again. Sabina had reassured me at the start that the snow was very soft lower down so I'd probably stop if I fell off; but it seems better not to, especially as we have just passed a belayed leader bringing his second up. [Must be beginners: why don't I qualify as a beginner?]
All too soon we are approaching the top and I follow Sabina out to go diagonally up a smooth virgin sheet of ice to do a bit more overtaking. I'm hot, it's tiring, but I know that is because I'm using far too much effort: I really want to keep on going to learn to be more efficient at it - but we are on the ridge now.
A stop for a drink and some photos - amazing visibility - then we're off over Crib y Ddysgl and along the narrow ridge to Crib Goch. As we go along the ridge a voice behind says "swing your feet wider when you walk - this'd be a bad place to catch a crampon in your trousers" and I realise Dave K is keeping an eye on me from behind. 4 hours back, I would not have dreamed of being on this ridge in snow.
Over the Pinnacles - which I have only done twice before ever - and I'm starting to get the hang of using crampons and axe on rock. Works well. Half the party take theirs off, but I keep mine on and I'm glad of them later. The team wait a couple of times for me to catch up. This is brilliant - best day in the hills for a long time. I would never have thought for a moment of being up here doing this with snow around.
The team bash on like a train and half way down I have to ask for another break - this is rapidly becoming the most exhausting day since the Kettleshulme Walk that needed the John Castick Rescue Car. One tricky bit of slippery rock, and I demonstrate my great skill at Climbing by Numbers as the team call "left foot onto a ledge a bit further down: now get your right hand on the chockstone by your right knee..."
Then eventually we're back at the cars, and then the Hut for a quick coffee, and who was it put a steaming bowl of onion soup in front of me? Did I need that! Back across Anglesey to the family, on a real high.
"Did you meet up with your friends OK?" "Yes, a really good day"
Yes, indeed.
Postscript:
Two days later, up to Glaslyn with Jesse and somehow we found ourselves kicking steps, then cutting steps, with one long axe apiece, up a gully to the west of the lake. This was scary, especially at the top where there was a clear glaze of thin hard ice over turf. What a contrast with the security of crampons and two short axes! How many times that day did I swear never to go where it might be icy without them?
Thanks, Duncan, for [once again] getting me to do something I could do - but wouldn't have if I'd known beforehand. And thanks Dave for lending the gear, and Sabina for the coaching.
Anyone got axes and crampons to sell?
