Page 53 - Wish Stream Year of 2017

to teach us the basics of route planning and the factors that need to be considered before embarking on a climb, such as the climate, weather and ability of the group. This proved to be incredibly useful in refreshing some of our basic skills and drills.
On Sunday morning the Exercise group climbed Snowdon via the Llanberis Path. After leaving our vehicle in the village of Llanberis we began the 1085m climb. Snowdon via the Llanberis Path provides a gentle ascent to the summit, as was evidenced by its popularity amongst tourist climbers of all abilities. The route too was clearly signposted; however, not resting on our laurels OCdt Singh took the opportunity to test the Exercise group members’ skills as refreshed the day before by asking them to point out exactly where they were on the map, using predominate contours and their subsequent valleys.
Immediately after breakfast on day three, the group departed for Glyders for the 1001m ascend
to a peak nominated by
OCdt Singh. The route
followed a rocky ridgeline
with dominating lakes on
either side, accompanied
by some steep drops.
The Glyders climb was
arguably the most physi-
cally demanding of our
climbs, owing to the ter-
rain and steep incline. This meant that the group had to use teamwork, camaraderie and, in par- ticular, its sense of humour as more time was spent on our backs than on our feet.
On day four the group set off to climb the 918m ascent to the peak of Tryfan. Upon arrival we parked next to the reservoir and orientated our- selves to the peak. Like Glyders, the ascent of Tryfan also proved physically challenging. Fol- lowing the day’s previous morning rain, the ground proved incredibly slippery, to the extent that OCdt Singh decided it may indeed be safer to take a slightly rockier ascent in the hope of avoiding injury owing to slippage. This proved to be the right decision.
For the final day, the group decided to return to Snowdon; however, this time to climb it via a dif- ferent route. We elected to follow the Pyg Track, a slightly rockier and steeper incline than the Lla- nberis Path; however, nowhere near as challeng- ing as the previous two days’ climb. Snowdon via the Pyg Track provided a final opportunity for group members to refine their orientation skills, and to absorb the Snowdonia scenery before travelling back to RMAS.
The Glyders climb was arguably the most physically demanding of our climbs
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