This is a beginners guide to finding a winter route that is in condition in North Wales. Winter climbing conditions are determined by weather patterns and once you understand those you are better equipped to choose routes that will be in condition. 

Routes that are in condition are safer, more fun and less likely to be damaging to the environment (turf, flora etc). 

Guidebooks

The obvious place to start if looking for a winter climbing route is the guidebook. The best by far is North Wales Winter Climbing, published by Ground Up. It provides definitive coverage for each of the major winter climbing venues:

Ysgolion Duon (Black Ladders)
Llech Du
Cam Glas Bach
Cwm Lloer
Glyder Fach
Clogwyn Du
Clogwyn y Geifr
Craig y Rhaeadr
Clogwyn y Garnedd (Trinity Face on Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa) 

You might also be able to find the original guidebook (published in 1988), simply called Welsh Winter Climbs. 

There is also lots of information on the usual Facebook groups and UKClimbing.com but just because people are out doing routes doesn’t mean that they are necessarily in condition so read reports with an open mind. 

The Main Route Types

We can broadly describe winter climbing routes as falling into the following styles:

Snow Gullies
Ice Climbing
Mixed Climbing & Mountaineering  – The most reliable routes each winter

They require different weather patterns to come into condition so lets have a look at them in a bit more detail.

Classic Snow Gullies

Examples of these routes would include:

Central Trinity on Clogwyn y Garnedd
Banana Gully on Y Garn
Parsley Fern Gully on Clogwyn y Ddysgl

These gullies require refrozen snow (Neve) to be in condition. For this to happen there needs to be a snowfall that is significant enough to fill the gullies. There then needs to be a rise in temperatures so that the snow begins to melt, this then needs to be followed by a freeze so that the snow freezes solid. This is known as a freeze/thaw cycle. 

If you climb these gullies immediately after the first fresh snowfall they won’t be in condition. At best they will be a wade fest or at worst a significant avalanche danger. In addition you risk having to deal with loose rocks and damaging the turf. You will know if the snow has refrozen because it will be solid, you won’t be wading through deep snow and you won’t be cramponing down into the turf beneath. 

Because of the need for a freeze/thaw cycle the easy gully climbs are generally in condition later in the season and with climate change the required conditions are becoming rarer and rarer – simply because the snow in the gullies is rarely surviving the thaw part of the cycle. (Heavy rain at all levels will strip snow out incredibly quickly, normally in less than a day here in North Wales). 

Ice Climbing

Examples of these routes would include: 

Sergeants Gully in Cwm Glas
The Idwal Stream in Cwm Idwal
Aber Falls
Craig y Rhaeadr

These routes are generally frozen streams and waterfalls. They need a period of sustained cold weather and some water feeding into them. The latter is improved when there is snow on the mountains as the snow will feed the waterfalls in any thaw cycles. 

These routes are easy to see whether or not they are in condition. You walk in and if they are there you decide if the ice is thick enough to climb it. 

Mixed Climbing & Mountaineering

These routes provide the most likelihood of sport as they only require the ground to be frozen and some snowfall. Examples of this routes would include: 

The North Ridge of Tryfan
Y Gribin, Glyderau 
Cneifion Arete
Clogwyn y Person Arete

Routes that are summer scrambles often make great winter mountaineering routes. 

The turf has to be frozen before the snow arrives. (Snow acts as an insulating layer). If the turf is not frozen then you will need to stick to routes that are entirely rocky routes (like the North Ridge of Tryfan or Y Gribin). 

Live Conditions Monitoring

The best way to establish the ground conditions is to use the BMC live conditions monitoring for Eryri. 

The cold and wet conditions which make Eryri (Snowdonia)’s winter crags sought after venues for winter climbers also provide sanctuary for rare Arctic-alpine plants, with the inaccessible location preventing sheep grazing. The turf these plants live in is easily damaged by ice tools if not fully frozen; even a single ascent in marginal conditions could irreparably damage the plant or habitat. But in well frozen conditions, the turf won’t be damaged by climbers – good news for plants and climbers too, given loss of turf can quickly change a route from steady to a desperate grovel. Better for the plants. Better for the climbers

Sets of temperature probes have been placed in crags which take readings at hourly intervals and transmit to base stations.

North Wales White Guide

The North Wales White Guide is a free download to inform and educate winter climbers in Snowdonia on how best to enjoy the area, while minimising damage to protected habitats and fragile environments.

Weather Patterns

First snowfall of the season:

We often get a dump of snow around the end of November and this will generally give the first winter routes of the season. I will be looking at the classic easy ridges like the North Ridge of Tryfan, Y Gribin, Crim Lem Spur etc. At this stage the gullies won’t be climbable. 

Sustained Period of Cold Weather

I will be looking at the streams and waterfalls to see what is freezing. In March 2018 I was able to climb Aber Falls which felt like a lifetime tick. I cycled to the falls every day for 5 days before I decided it was climbable and it only stayed in condition for one day. That same week the ice routes higher up the mountains were not formed – a temperature inversion meant that it was super cold at sea level but warmer higher up. You need to watch the temperatures across the whole mountain and head out with an open mind to see what is in condition. Don’t be too set on any one objective. 

After a Freeze/Thaw Cycle

This is when the classic snow gullies and the harder mixed climbs are more likely to be in condition. I will be heading to the high crags with an open mind. Venues like Cwm Cneifion or the Black Ladders will be the most reliable. I will walk in and see what the conditions look and feel like before deciding on a route. 

Avalanches

Avalanches do happen in North Wales. I have been on rescue all outs where people have been injured in avalanches and I know of other incidents where people have had to be dug out of the snow following an avalanche. 

The greatest risk here is being knocked off your feet and suffering trauma injury as a result. 

If you are going out in winter you need to understand how to avoid avalanches – this is too big a subject to form part of this post. Consider a course ????