G3CWI, M3EYP and myself set out for our Xmas SOTA outing this morning at 7am, heading straight to Lymm Truck Stop for breakfast. The original plan was to do Cyrniau Nod GW/NW-034, but the lane approaching it was impassable from about 5km south of the parking spot, due to thick ice across the road surface.

   

We changed plan to Carnedd y Filiast GW/NW-032, a very long walk, but accessible from a main road. After the failure to reach the access point for Cyrniau Nod, the subsequent discussions as to replanning, and a brew stop in Bala, it was about 11am when we began walking up the track opposite the lake.  Most of this route, once above the initial climb, was damp and squidgy - not with mud or peat, but with fast thawing ice and snow, which was nonetheless rather thick in places. After a long descending section, we reached a stream that needed to be forded. However, there was a lot of fast moving water cascading across, and fording did not look possible.

A couple of rocks that could be used to get across were identified, even though the water was rushing over these as well. After much debate and testing, we decided to go for it. Once on the other side, we pressed on with the long slog. At about 100m vertically below the summit, and less than 1km from it, the snow became so deep - but soft - that we were slowing down alarmingly. With the snow situation worsening as we gained altitude and knowing that the steepest sections were right towards the end, we assessed our likely summit and activation times against remaining daylight.

The priority was to have got down and back across that stream before sunset. With no possibility of that if we pressed onto the summit for an activation, we reluctantly turned back. It was a very long walk back, and we reached the car just as darkness was taking hold around 5pm.

This hill is a very long walk indeed, and frustratingly we had got so close - but we will have to revisit it another day. However, the day was not yet done, and we went to a pub in Bala for a pint of X-Mws (X-Moose) Ale, and thence onto Llangollen for a hearty meal (and more beer - Robinson's Mr Scrooge).