This morning Dan and I headed up to the Pen Y Pass carpark with an open mind and a full rack, we didnt really know what conditions were like and we didnt know what to expect. The freezing level was given to be 650m today, it was slightly higher but a good estimate by MWIS, however the temps down at the carpark were pretty warm, probably +2 degrees in the early morning, and rose throughout the day. MWIS also gave a -1 temp for 900m, and although it is a - temp, isnt all that cold, so we were immediatly concerned with snow conitions and avalanche risk. We opted to do the full Snowdon Horseshoe, in the past i have done both halfs but never strung it all together, plus Dan hasnt been over Crib Goch before and wanted to do the ridge in full winter glory.
A great day which started clear but not for long, the cloud soon set in and which meant us getting very brief clearences in the cloud throught the remaining day. Once at the summit of Snowdon, it was quite clear from the rime on the finger stone, rock etc, that the fresh snow which has fallen recently had been scoured of the summit and more than likely deposeted on the leeward slopes of Clogwyn y Garnedd, so anyone climbing there today wouldnt have had brilliant snow conditions, however im sure people got stuff done.
A good drop in temps would bring fantastic conditions as the Trinity face and Lliwedd have good cover and full lines, but it looks like the freezing level is set to rise next week bringing a thaw to lying snow.
We got round the horseshoe and back to the Pen Y Pass in 6 hours, taking a steady pace and some time spent trying to navigate down from Snowdon in a SW direction, down where the steep scree is in the summer at the end of the Watkin Path ascent route.
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