Clogwyn Ddu

No lectures on Wednesdays so Livingstone and I headed to Clogwyn Ddu. It was beautiful day crisp, clear and very cold for Wales. We arrived at the crag just in time to see DMM Rob take a whipper from Travesty. He gave it another go and went even further, before calling it day "because he was late for work."

The crag was well hoared up, with quite a lot of ice and looks very wintery. However, whilst some of the turf is frozen lots of it isn't. With this in mind we headed for Manx Wall as it isn't turf dependent like the El Mancho, Mankini and Blenderhead. I've done Manx Wall before so was happy to let Tom leading it. It was in harder nick this time with an unhelpful layer of ice hiding most of the hooks and runners on the first pitch. I managed to get up it without falling off thankfully.

At the top of the crag we abseiled back to the terrace and I thrutched my way up Pillar Chimney. Livingstone sketched his way up to the top of thin ice. We got back to Ogwen a little after dark.

There is no ice worth mentioning in the Kitchen at the moment. 

Me on the slog up - Poles were very useful today.

The crag this morning

Rob Greenwood having it on Travesty.

Tom Livingstone on the first pitch of Manx Wall.

Livingstone leaving the belay on Manx Wall pitch two.

Livingstone chilling having made the god awful ledge move on El Mancho/Manx Wall.

Me squirming up through Pillar Chimney.

Two chummers.

Red sky at night shepherd's delight - Snowdon at sunset.