Last week was another Welsh weekend, again playing around Ogwen. On Saturday we went up the Braich Ty Du Face of Pen yr Ole Wen, which is at the top end of the Nant Ffrancon. The first section – Pinnacle Ridge – was a great start, but middle bit of heather / scree / thistles up towards Porcupine Ridge is horribly boring and all the rock is very loose. However, the top part of the route is great! JD and I took HC for her first roped-up scramble, and everything went swimmingly.

There was a bit of cloud all day, but the rain closed in as we got further up the ridge. However, it cleared up again for the last couple of pitches, and we just made it back to the car before the proper downpour started. As it happens, it was the first time I’d come down the South Spur of Pen yr Ole Wen, and the path is every bit as awful on the knees as everyone says it is.

On Sunday we fancied something a bit more relaxed, and so after a very lazy morning we climbed Y Garn via Twll Du. The weather was much better, with actual sunshine. I tried out my new Alpkit Stealthy Gourdon bag, which turned out to be blooming brilliant, and for lunch I stuck to that proven mountaineer’s diet of an orange Penguin and two Wagon Wheels (plain, not jammy). What a fantastic weekend.