Another day staying in the Oread hut and this time a shorter route around the local area, originally I’d thought about Moel Elio and a return on the train but the times didn’t really work although this was still an option as we left but it meant a fairly lengthy walk out along the valley and the route was going to be a bit vague. In the end it made sense to cut back across to Rhydd Ddu by a shorter route.

Another fairly clear day and some great views around the area, this is looking at Mynydd Mawr where I’d been on a recent trip in rather worse weather.

After a slightly wet day on Elidir Fawr with Jason I was pleased when Sunday started fine and dry. I was staying in the Oread Mountaineering Club hut in Rhydd Ddu, North Wales, I’ve used the hut a couple of times as a base when I’m in the UK as I’m a former member of the Oread. The hut was rented out to another club but another member was also there, Julie, although our times as active members didn’t quite coincide so we’d not met before.

Julie also fancied a walk and neither of us had firmer plans than to head in the rough direction of the Nantlle Ridge and see what looked good as we got to the col. So we decided to join up and decide as we walked. When we reached the ridge it looked pretty good towards Moel yr Ogof which had been on my mind to do anyway. We crossed into some open country to lengthen the ridge line a little and started make the ascent.


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I’ve been in Snowdonia for a while doing some training and some personal hillwalking, this is a random collection of photo’s in between some fairly wild weather. These rather fantastic Welsh wild ponies were high up the Carneddau range, I’d climbed the beautiful Pen yr Ole Wen ridge from Idwal cottage. I’d climbed this in the winter years ago and recall how good it was so I wanted to go back and do it again.

Finding these ponies was just a bonus, they look so at home in the mountains and it’s great we’ve still got space for them to roam free like this.


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Scrambling towards some steeper ground on a Mountain Leader course from Plas y Brenin in the typical wet Welsh weather.