Our team approaching the summit of Y Garn
Monday dawned bright, distinctly colder and showery. Our objective that day was to be the North East Ridge of Y Garn followed by a traverse around onto Glyder Fach and then a descent down the Y Gribin ridge and back to Idwal Cottage. Finally some proper weather. A cold North Westerly air stream was feeding in a regular flow of showers and as we headed higher these turned increasingly wintry. By the time we were on the Glyders and well above 900m we experienced our first flakes of snow of the 2009/10 winter.
Picking their way up Y Garn's NE Ridge
Unfortunately Tuesday did not dawn as promising. The forecast gave us barely a few precious hours of relatively dry weather. And so Rich and myself headed across to Tremadog to give Rob and Laura (Mountain, Trek and Travel) and X their first experience of multi pitch rock climbing with an ascent of Boo Boo.
From there things, personally speaking when abruptly downhill. Rich Bailey promptly keeled over with flu like symptons and several hours later I too was knocked sideways by a fever and soaring temperature. We both headed for the protection of beds and duvet covers.
So whilst we moped around feeling ill, Martin and Russel Thompson from WL Gore headed across to Llanberis for a damp ascent of the Parsons Nose. Clogwyn Y Parson Arete is the classic grade 3 scramble thats rears up out of the upper reaches of Cyrn Las towards the skyline of Crib Goch / Crib Y Ddysgyll.
By the time the fourth and final course started, Rich and I were feeling little better so it was left to Martin, Alec and Russel to carry the torch, enjoying, if that is the right word a thoroughly wet ascent of Snowdon from Ynys Ettws in Llanberis.
The soaring ridge line of Cneifion Arete (Mod)
The final day ended very much on a similar theme, Rich spent a very wet dry, climbing very wet rock at Tremadog with Kevin from Facewest, Jane brushed up her navigation with our southern sales manager Alec and everyone else experienced scrambling 'on steroids' - climbing swathes of rock in a full-on mountaineering experience.
And so that brought to an end our Autumn series of mountain training events. Over the past two weeks we have provided training to some 35 retail staff from all across the country, from large multiples to small indepedents, all of whom who will now hopefully be able to provide our customers with even better service and knowledge of our products. I'm just waiting for the next one now....
