{"id":2910,"date":"2013-03-22T14:27:03","date_gmt":"2013-03-22T14:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.haydnwilliams.com\/blog\/?p=2910"},"modified":"2024-09-09T19:07:17","modified_gmt":"2024-09-09T18:07:17","slug":"desperately-sea-king-snow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.haydnwilliams.com\/blog\/desperately-sea-king-snow\/","title":{"rendered":"Desperately Sea King snow"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having assumed that we’d had the last of the winter conditions in North Wales for the year, I was pleased to see some significant snow fall this week. The disadvantage of the internet-era is that I get very jealous when I see other people running around, so with time conveniently already booked off I went in search of the white stuff.<\/p>\n

\"Sunrise

Sunrise over the Moelwynau. \u00a9 Haydn Williams 2013<\/p><\/div>\n

I woke in Beddgelert at 05:30 on Thursday morning, to glorious sunshine and a clear blue sky. I packed my stuff and headed up to Pen y Pass, with the intention of doing a loop over Snowdon on to Yr Aran and back over Y Lliwedd. The sunrise was fantastic, and it started as one of the nicest days I’ve had up there in a long time. I made a route-choice error in deciding to go over The Horns – visually stunning, but physically tiring as I had to break trail all the way.<\/p>\n

\"Y

Y Lliwedd – my initial plan was to return this way. \u00a9 Haydn Williams 2013<\/p><\/div>\n

The pace quickened at the Pyg Track, which was nicely compacted by previous traffic. At the bottom of the zig-zags the weather closed in and the wind picked up. I headed for the summit in total whiteout and very strong winds before giving up shortly after and returning to the bwlch. Navigation was a bit touch-and-go through waist-deep drifts, as visibility was non-existent and my footsteps filled with blown snow immediately.<\/p>\n

\"My

My trail on the Horns. \u00a9 Haydn Williams 2013<\/p><\/div>\n

On the way back down I met a mother and son who were in trouble and basically unable to get get off the hill without more support than I could give them, and so I called 999. We hunkered down for a while before 22 Squadron arrived and dropped some MRT guys further down the hill. They roped up the pair and walked them down a few hundred metres, before we were all flown in one of the icon yellow RAF Sea Kings to Ysbyty Gwynedd, where they were treated for hypothermia (and I got to check out the Mountain Medicine<\/a> posters).<\/p>\n

\"Welsh

Welsh Winter! \u00a9 Haydn Williams 2013<\/p><\/div>\n

Everyone was OK in the end, but it could have been a lot more serious. I’ve shortened proceedings somewhat in the paragraphs above; you can get an idea of conditions in a video that the MRT have released<\/a>.<\/p>\n