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CLIMBING IN THE BRITISH ISLES
_WALES AND IRELAND_
CLIMBING IN THE BRITISH ISLES
_3 vols. 16mo. Sold separately._
I.--ENGLAND. By W. P. HASKETT SMITH, M.A.,
Member of the Alpine Club. With 23
Illustrations by Ellis Carr, Member of the
Alpine Club, and 5 Plans. 3_s._ 6_d._
II.--WALES AND IRELAND. By W. P. HASKETT SMITH,
M.A., and H. C. HART, Members of the Alpine
Club. With 31 Illustrations by ELLIS CARR and
others, and 9 Plans. 3_s._ 6_d._
III.--SCOTLAND.
[_In preparation._]
London and New York: LONGMANS, GREEN, & CO.
CLIMBING
IN
THE BRITISH ISLES
_II--WALES AND IRELAND_
=WALES=
BY W. P. HASKETT SMITH, M.A.
Member of the Alpine Club
=IRELAND=
BY H. C. HART
Member of the Alpine Club; Fellow of the Linnean Society
Member of the Royal Irish Academy, etc.
WITH THIRTY-ONE ILLUSTRATIONS BY
ELLIS CARR
Member of the Alpine Club
_and others_
AND NINE PLANS
LONDON
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
AND NEW YORK
1895
_All rights reserved_
PREFACE
The present volume is intended to deal with all parts of the British
Isles except England, which was the subject of Vol. I., and Scotland, to
which Vol. III. will be devoted. Nothing is here said about the _Isle of
Man_ or the Channel Islands, because it would, no doubt, be considered
absurd to advise anyone to visit those islands whose main object was the
acquisition of mountaineering skill. Pretty as the former island is, its
hills are nothing more than hills, except where they are also railways
or tea gardens; and even on its cliffs, which are especially fine at the
southern end, comparatively little climbing will be found.
In the _Channel Islands_, on the other hand, the granite cliffs, though
very low, being usually only 100-200 ft. high, abound in instructive
scrambles. Many such will be found in Guernsey, Jersey, and especially
in Sark, but the granite is not everywhere of equally good quality.
The _Scilly Isles_, again, are by no means to be despised by climbers,
especially by such of them as can enjoy knocking about in a small boat,
which is almost the only means of getting from climb to climb. The
granite forms are somewhat wilder and more fantastic than those in the
Channel Islands. Peninnis Head is only one of many capital scrambling
grounds. An article by Dr. Treves[1] gives a very good idea of the kind
of thing which may be expected. If anyone should think of proceeding,
under the guidance of this volume, to regions with which he is so far
unacquainted, he will naturally ask how the climbing here described
compares with the climbing in other parts of Britain or of Europe. How
does Wales, for instance, stand with regard to Cumberland or the Alps?
On this point some good remarks will be found in the _Penny Magazine_,
vii., p. 161 (1838), where the writer assigns to the more northern hills
a slight superiority over Wales. An impression prevails among those who
know both that the weather of N. Wales is, if possible, more changeable
than that of the Lakes. Climbers will notice this chiefly in winter,
when the snow on the Welsh mountains less frequently settles into sound
condition. Perhaps sudden changes of temperature are partly to blame for
the greater frequency in Wales of deaths from exposure. Winter climbing
is very enjoyable, but proper precautions must be taken against the
cold. A writer on Wales some 300 years ago observes that 'the cold Aire
of these Mountainous Regions by an Antiperistasis keeps in and
strengthens the internall heat;' but a good woollen sweater, a warm cap
to turn down over the ears and neck, and three pairs of gloves, two
pairs on and one pair dry in the pocket, will be found quite as
effectual. Dangers, however, cease not with the setting sun, and many
who have defied frost-bite during the day fall an easy prey to
rheumatism in bed at night. A groundless terror of the Welsh language
keeps many away from Wales. The names are certainly of formidable
appearance, and Barham's lines are hardly an exaggeration.
[1] _Boy's Own Paper_, May 5, 1894.
For the vowels made use of in Welsh are so few
That the A and the E and the I, O, and U
Have really but little or nothing to do.
And the duty, of course, falls the heavier by far
On the L and the H, and the N and the R.
The first syllable PEN is pronounceable; then
Come two LL and two HH, two FF, and an N.
But appalling words like 'Slwch Twmp' or 'Cwmtrwsgl' lose half their
venom when it is explained that W is only a way of writing OO. In spite
of its apparent complication the language is so simple and systematic
that anyone can learn enough in a quarter of an hour to enable him to
pronounce with ease and moderate accuracy any place-name with which he
is likely to meet. Irish is less regular, but wonderfully rich in
expressions for slightly varying physical features, while the Manx names
are more interesting than the hills by which they are borne.
In comparison with the Alps what was said in Vol. I. of Cumberland
applies equally well to Wales, and nearly as well to Kerry or Donegal.
The most striking peculiarity of Irish mountains is, next to the size of
the bogs, the large amount of car-driving which has to be done before
and after the day's work. But this is an intrusion on the province of
another. Old Thomas Fuller, on sitting down to write a detailed account
of Wales, which he had never seen, genially remarked that 'it matters
not how meanly skilled a writer is so long as he hath knowing and
communicative friends.' That precisely describes the Editor's position,
especially with regard to Ireland, to the treatment of which no other
man could have brought knowledge at once so wide and so accurate as Mr.
Hart. Unfortunately he, like his own 'carrabuncle,' was somewhat
elusive. After months of mysterious silence he would glide into sight,
great with solid mountaineering matter, gleaming with pearls of botany
and gems of geologic lore; but, alas! in another moment the waters of
bronchitis, or influenza, or inertia would close over the mysterious
monster's back, and he would glide away into unknown depths where the
harpoon of the penny post was harmless and telegrams tickled him in
vain. Now the carrabuncle is caught at last, and readers will be well
repaid for a few months' delay. They will be astonished that one pair of
eyes could take in so much, and that one pair of legs could cover so
much ground.
Among many other 'knowing and communicative friends' the Editor would
especially dwell on his indebtedness to Mr. F. H. Bowring and to Mr. O.
G. Jones. The latter has contributed the whole of the section dealing
with the Arans and Cader Idris, and his minute knowledge of that region
will be evident from the fact that the quantity which our space has
allowed us to print represents less than half of the matter originally
supplied by him.
For most of the sketches we are again indebted to Mr. Ellis Carr, for a
striking view of Tryfaen to Mr. Colin Phillips, and for the remainder
(taken under most cruel conditions of weather) to Mr. Harold Hughes of
Bangor.
W. P. H. S.
_August 1895._
CLIMBING IN THE BRITISH ISLES
WALES
WHERE TO STAY
=Aber.=--This station on the Chester and Holyhead Railway is in no sense
a centre for mountaineers, though a good deal of work _may_ be done from
it. We ourselves 'in our hot youth, when George the Third was King,' and
a dozen miles extra tramping at the end of a day was a mere trifle,
managed to do many of the mountains of North Wales from it.
Its only attraction is a pretty valley, at the head of which are some
not very striking waterfalls. The surrounding rocks have, however, been
the scene of a surprising number of accidents. Most of these have been
caused by slipping on the path which crosses the steep slope of the
eastern bank and leads to the head of the main fall. Such was the fatal
accident on April 13, 1873, to Mr. F. T. Payne, a barrister. His sight
was very defective, and this fact goes far towards accounting for the
accident.[2]
[2] The _Times_, April 16, 1873, p. 6.
In 1876 a very similar case occurred. A young man called Empson, who was
staying at Llanfairfechan, was killed in descending, apparently at the
very same spot.[3]
[3] The _Times_, September 9, 1876, p. 8.
In April 1885 Mr. Maitland Wills, described as an expert mountaineer,
while walking with two friends from Capel Curig to Aber, fell near the
same spot, and was instantly killed.[4]
[4] _Ibid._ April 7, 1885, p. 7.
In August of the same year Mr. Paget, the Hammersmith Police Magistrate,
fell and was severely hurt.[5] And these by no means exhaust the list of
casualties, which is, perhaps, only second in length to that of Snowdon
itself. It may be mentioned that there is a climb or two on the west and
steeper side of the falls.
[5] _Ibid._ August 3, 1885, p. 10.
* * * * *
=Bala=, reached from London in about 7 hours by the Great Western line,
is a very pleasant place to stop at on entering Wales, being situated at
the foot of the finest natural sheet of water in the Principality, and
having railway facilities in three directions. By the aid of the rail
Cader Idris, the Arans, and the Rhinogs can be easily got at. For the
first mountains Dolgelly, for the second Drwsynant and Llanuwchllyn, for
the third Maentwrog would be the best stations. This is also the best
place for Arenig Fawr, which can be done on foot all the way, or better
by taking the train to Arenig station and returning by rail from
Llanuwchllyn after crossing the hill. Lord Lyttelton made Bala famous
last century. What he said of it will sufficiently appear from some
lines (long since erased by the indignant ladies of Bala) which were
once to be seen in a visitors' book here:--
Lord Lyttelton of old gave out
To all the world that Bala trout
Have all the sweetness that pervades
The laughing lips of Bala's maids.
Which did his Lordship mean to flout?
For fact it is that Bala trout
(Ask any fisherman you meet)
Are bad to catch, but worse to eat.
O Maid of Bala, ere we part,
'Tis mine to bind thy wounded heart;
And in thy favour testify--
Though seldom sweet, thou'rt never shy!
There is, however, one objection to this epigram, for the poet talks of
trout and the peer of Gwyniad; let us, therefore, hope that in regard to
the fair as well as the fish the poet's harsh judgment was equally
unsound.
* * * * *
=Barmouth=, a capital place from which to visit the Rhinog range and
Cader Idris; and the Cambrian Railway extends the range of operations in
three directions, so that even Snowdon is within the possibilities of a
single day's excursion. There is excellent climbing practice to be had,
not only just outside the town, but actually within it.
* * * * *
=Beddgelert= (i.e. 'Gelert's Grave') is one of the gates of Snowdonia,
and it is the gate by which the judicious will enter. It is, moreover,
perhaps the prettiest mountain resort in Wales. Penygwrhyd is more
central for climbers pure--and simple--but has no pretensions to beauty
of situation; Llanberis has its railway facilities, its quarries, and
its trippers; Bettws y Coed is delicious, but it is right away from the
mountains. For combination of the beauties of mountain, water, and
wooded plain Dolgelly is the only rival of Beddgelert. Snowdon on the
north, Moel Hebog on the west, and Cynicht and Moelwyn on the east are
enough to make the fortune of any place as a mountaineer's abode, even
if there were no Pass of Aberglaslyn close by.
The nearest station is Rhyd-ddu, on the Snowdon Ranger line, nearly 4
miles off, and it is uphill nearly all the way. To Portmadoc, on the
other hand, the distance is greater, 6 or 7 miles, but the road is
fairly level, and nearly every step of it is beautiful, both in winter
and in summer. Indeed, there was a time when winter in this romantic
village was more enjoyable than summer, for in warm weather the eye was
much obstructed by the hand which held the nose; but that was many years
ago. The ascent of Snowdon from this side used to be the most
frequented, but in the race for popularity it has long been distanced by
Llanberis. It is a good path, and easily found. The start is made along
the Carnarvon road for some three miles to the Pitt's Head; then up the
hill to the right to Llechog, and across the once dreaded Bwlch y Maen.
A more direct and very fine route leads straight up and over the ridge
of Yr Aran, joining the regular path just short of Bwlch-y-Maen. By
going up the Capel Curig some 3-1/2 miles, and taking the turn to the
left more than half a mile beyond Llyn y Ddinas, Sir Edward Watkin's
path up Cwmyllan may be utilised; but at the cost of 3-1/2 miles' extra
walking along the same road the far finer ascent by Cwm Dyli may be
made. This is the same as that from Penygwrhyd, but with the advantage
of including the lowest portion and waterfalls of Cwm Dyli, which are
extremely fine. The classical climbs of Snowdonia are within reach for
good walkers, but others will find abundance of opportunities for
practice within a mile or two, and for the Garnedd Goch range (which has
in it some choice bits) there is no better base. The road to Portmadoc
on the south and to Penygwrhyd on the north are not only among the most
beautiful in the kingdom, but present the most alluring of problems to
the rock climber within a stone's throw. There is a corner of the road
about 6 miles from Beddgelert where Crib Goch shows over a foot-hill of
Lliwedd, and a rocky ridge runs down from the east almost on to the
road. This ridge, though broken, bears some very choice bits, including
a certain wide, short chimney facing south.
A separate guide-book to this place (by J. H. Bransby) appeared in 1840,
and there have been several since, among the best being one published at
the modest price of one penny by Abel Heywood.
The place plays a great part in Charles Kingsley's _Two Years Ago_, and
it was at the 'Goat' Inn here that George Borrow was so furious at the
want of deference with which his utterances were received by the
company.
* * * * *
=Benglog=, at the foot of Llyn Ogwen and the head of Nant Ffrancon, is
only second to Penygwrhyd as a climbing centre, but, unfortunately, the
accommodation is so very scanty--Ogwen Cottage, the only house, having
no more than two bedrooms--that the place is little used. For Tryfaen,
the Glyders, the Carnedds, Twll Du, and the Elider range it is
preferable to any other place, and beautiful problems are to be found by
the climber literally within a stone's throw of the door. It is about 5
miles from Bethesda station on the north and the same distance from
Capel Curig on the east, all three places being on the great Holyhead
Road. Penygwrhyd is 2 hours away, whether by road (9 miles) or over the
hill. In the latter case the shortest route is by the col which
separates Tryfaen and Glyder Fach, and then over the shoulder east of
the latter mountain. To Llanberis the way lies by Twll Du and Cwm
Patric, and though much longer than the last could probably be done in
nearly as short a time.
* * * * *
=Bethesda= is 5 miles from Benglog, and that much further from all the
best climbing. See, however, p. 18.
* * * * *
=Capel Curig= (600 ft. above sea level) is 5-1/2 miles from Bettws y
Coed railway station, 4 miles from Penygwrhyd, and 5 from Benglog, is a
very good centre for strong walkers. Most of the best climbs are within
reach, but none very near. For Snowdon Penygwrhyd is much nearer;
Benglog is better for the Glyders and the Carnedds; so that, while being
pretty good for nearly all, Capel Curig is not the best starting-place
for any. It has no exclusive rights, except over Moel Siabod on the
south and the wild unfrequented district in the opposite direction,
which lies at the back of Carnedd Llewelyn.
Hutton, who visited it at the beginning of the century, calls it 'an
excellent inn in a desert.'
The Alpine Club had a meeting here in 1879.
* * * * *
=Dinas Mawddwy=, reached by rail from Machynlleth, is a pleasant,
secluded spot amid mountainous surroundings, but not conveniently
situated for climbing anything but Aran Mawddwy. All the advantages of
the place may be equally well enjoyed from Machynlleth. Old Pennant
records how in his rash youth he used to toboggan down the peat paths of
Craig y Dinas, 'which,' says he, 'I now survey with horror.' A Welsh
bard, whose poems must have been neglected in the place, declares that
it was notable for three things--blue earth, constant rain, and hateful
people.
* * * * *
=Dolgelly=, which ends in _-eu_ in many old books, in _-ey_ on the one
side and in _-y_ on the other of the modern railway station, and is
commonly pronounced by the residents as if it ended in _-a_, is said to
mean 'hazel dale,' a name which the place can hardly be said to live up
to. There is, however, no doubt that it is one of the prettiest places
in Wales and one of the pleasantest to stop at. In the first place the
communications are very good, for by the Great Western Railway there is
a capital service to Shrewsbury and London, while on the seaward side
the Cambrian Railway puts Barmouth and Portmadoc on the one side, and
Machynlleth and Aberystwith on the other, within easy reach. There is
good scenery on all sides of it, while for Cader Idris, the Aran
Mountains, and the Rhinog range there is no better centre. Many people
have an objection to going up and down a mountain by the same route, and
have an equal horror of the long grind round the foot of it, which is
the result of going down a different side of the mountain if you want
to return to your starting-point. At Dolgelly you enjoy the advantage of
being able to take a train to the far side of your mountain, so as to
come back over the top and straight on down to your sleeping-place. For
instance, a very fine way of doing Aran Benllyn and Aran Mawddwy is to
go by the Great Western to Llanuwchllyn and then come back along the
ridge of both mountains. In the same way one can begin a day on the
Rhinogs by rail, walking from Llanbedr or Harlech to Cwm Bychan, and so
over the Rhinogs and Llethr, and down to Dolgelly again. Even Cader
Idris is rendered more enjoyable if the train be taken to Towyn and
Abergynolwyn, whence the walk by Talyllyn and up to the summit by way of
Llyn y Cae is in turn pretty and impressive. As a rule it is far better
to go out by train and come back on foot than to reverse the process,
and for two reasons--first, by taking the train at once you make sure of
your ride, and have the remainder of the day freed from anxiety and the
fear of just missing the last train a dozen miles from home, with less
than an hour of daylight remaining; secondly, if you don't miss the
train it is because you have come along at racing pace. You are in
consequence very hot, and have to stand about in a draughty station till
the train (which is twenty minutes late) arrives and then follows half
an hour's journey with wet feet, for wet feet and walking on Welsh hills
are very close friends indeed.
There used to be a saying about Dolgelly that the town walls there are
six miles high. Of course this refers mainly to the long mural
precipice which forms the north point of Cader Idris. Abundant climbing
is to be found on this 'wall,' which, with a small part of Aran Mawddwy
and a few short, steep bits along the course of the river Mawddach,
constitutes the best rock-work in the immediate vicinity of Dolgelly.
* * * * *
=Ffestiniog=, a very pleasant place to stay at, with good communications
by rail with Bala, Bettws y Coed, and Portmadoc. There are climbs
near--e.g. on the Manods and on Moelwyn--but on a small scale, the good
ones being mostly destroyed by the colossal slate quarries.
_Blaenau Ffestiniog_ is the more central and less beautiful; the old
village (3 miles away) is far pleasanter. The Cynfael Falls, about a
mile off, include the well-known 'Hugh Lloyd's Pulpit,' and are very
pretty, but have been almost as fatal as those at Aber. Readers will
probably remember the death of Miss Marzials at this spot.[6]
[6] The _Times_, August 25, 1885, p. 6, and August 27, p. 8. See
also the _Times_, October 2, 1837, p. 3.
* * * * *
=Llanberis= (i.e. 'Church of Peris'), being a station on a railway which
has a good service from England, is the most accessible of all the
mountain resorts in Wales. As a consequence of these facilities the
place is often intolerably overrun, especially during the late summer
and autumn. The true lover of the mountains flees the spot, for the
day-tripper is a burden and desire fails. Whether the railway will have
the power to make things worse in this respect we cannot yet decide, but
it seems unlikely. It is only of late years that Llanberis has possessed
the most popular road up Snowdon. The opening of the road over the pass
in 1818 did a great deal, and the visit of H.M. the Queen in 1832 did
still more to make the place popular, and the pony path up Snowdon and
the railway settled the matter. The other mountains which may readily be
ascended from here are those in the Elider and Glyder ranges, while
climbing is nearly confined to the rocks on both sides of the pass,
which includes some work of great excellence.
As early as 1845 a separate guide-book for this place was published by
J. H. Bransby. Now there are several.
* * * * *
=Machynlleth= (pronounced roughly like 'Mahuntly,' and by the rustics
very like 'Monkley') lies midway between Plynlimon and Cader Idris, and
within reach of both, yet can hardly claim to be a centre for
mountaineers. Of submontane walks and scenery it commands a surprising
variety, having railway facilities in half a dozen directions. This
makes it a capital place for a long stay, varied by an occasional night
or two at places like Rhayader, Dolgelly, Barmouth, or Beddgelert. The
best way of doing Aran Mawddwy is by way of Dinas Mawddwy, and the
ascent of Cader Idris from Corris railway station, returning by way of
Abergynolwyn, makes a most enjoyable day.
* * * * *
=Nantlle=, once a very pretty place, is now little more than an
intricate system of slate quarries. A low pass (Drws y Coed) separates
it from Snowdon, of which Wilson took a celebrated picture from this
side. There are some nice little climbs on both sides of the pass and on
Garnedd Goch, which runs away to the southward of it.
Nantlle has a station, but Penygroes, the junction, is so near as to
make it a more convenient stopping-place. Anyone staying at Criccieth
can make a good day by taking the train to Nantlle, and returning along
Garnedd Goch or over Moel Hebog. Snowdon too is within easy reach.
* * * * *
=Penygwrhyd.=--In Beddgelert Church is a monument 'to the memory of
Harry Owen, for forty-four years landlord of the inn at Penygwrhyd and
guide to Snowdon: born April 2, 1822; died May 5, 1891.'
Harry Owen it was who did for Penygwrhyd what Will Ritson did for
Wastdale Head and Seiler for Zermatt. Intellectually, perhaps, he was
not the equal of either of the other two, but there was a
straightforward cordiality about him which made all lovers of the
mountains feel at once that in his house they had a home to which they
could return again and again with ever renewed pleasure.
The house stands at the foot of the east side of the Llanberis Pass, at
the junction of the roads from Capel Curig (4 miles), Beddgelert (8
miles), and Llanberis (6 miles), and at the central point of three
mountain groups--Snowdon (the finest and boldest side), the Glyders, and
Moel Siabod. The last is of small account, but the other two groups
contain some--one may almost say most--of the best climbing and finest
scenery in Wales. Most people come to the inn by way of Bettws y Coed
and many from Llanberis; but by far the finest approach is that from
Beddgelert, and by this way the first approach at any rate ought always
to be made. Ascents and climbs innumerable may be made from here, and
many valuable notes on climbs may be found here in a certain volume
secured from the profane mob by lock and key.
In the same volume also several sets of verses occur much above the
ordinary tourist level, among them being a very smart study of the
climbing class in the style of Walt Whitman, and a few telling
alphabetic distichs of which _habitues_ will recognise the force.
K--for the Kitchen, where garments are dried;
L--for the Language we use when they're fried;
O--for the Owens, whom long may we see;
P--for the Pudding we call P.Y.G.
S is for Snowdon, that's seen from afar;
T--for the Tarts on the shelf in the bar.
The visitors' book proper also contains entries of some interest,
including some lines (given at length in the _Gossiping Guide_) written
by Charles Kingsley, Tom Taylor, and Tom Hughes, chiefly remarkable for
their breezy good temper. The lines are printed, together with a mass of
very poor stuff taken from the same source, in a little book called
_Offerings at the Foot of Snowdon_.[7] The inn and the Owens play an
important part in Kingsley's novel _Two Years Ago_. Forty or fifty years
ago there was a constant visitor at this inn who might have claimed the
invention of the place as a climbing centre. He corresponded in
profession, and also in age, to the Rev. James Jackson, the Cumbrian
'Patriarch.' He had a mania for ridge-walking, or, as he termed it,
'following the sky line.' His name I could never learn.
[7] Tremadoc, 1875.
* * * * *
=Rhayader= (_The Waterfall_, i.e. of the river Wye, pronounced here
'Rhay-' and not 'Rhy-,' as in North Wales) is a very convenient centre
for much scenery which is of great interest to the geologically-minded
mountaineer, though the hills are of no great height. The Cambrian
Railway has a station here, and makes an expedition to the Brecon
Beacons or to the very interesting Black Mountains a very simple matter,
while on the way a good deal may be seen of two of the most beautiful
rivers in Britain, the Wye and the Usk. Aberedw Rocks and Cwm Elan are
quite near, and so is Nant Guillt, with its memories of Shelley, beloved
of all who love the mountains, though perhaps few would have cared to be
on the same rope with that somewhat erratic genius. Where the Wye enters
the Vale of Rhayader there are some remarkably fine rocks (chiefly in
the 'Lower Llandovery' formation). Mackintosh calls it 'a deep basin
surrounded by very precipitous slopes, which on the side most distant
from the river channel present one of the finest and loftiest rocky
cliffs in the principality.' The Birmingham Water Works have influenced
the town for good in one respect only: they have introduced a barber,
who at the end of each week mows navvies' cheeks by the acre.
* * * * *
=Snowdon Ranger=, a small inn on the west side of Snowdon, readily
reached by rail from Carnarvon or coach from Beddgelert, or again by an
easy and interesting walk over the low pass of Drws y Coed from
Penygroes station. It commands one of the simplest ascents of Snowdon,
but by no means the most interesting. Good climbing may be found near
it on Clogwyndurarddu, on Mynydd Mawr, on both sides of Drws y Coed, and
on the Garnedd Goch range, but none are on a very large scale.
In the history of Welsh mountaineering it holds a place, having long
been the most usual starting-point for the ascent of Snowdon, and all
the early travellers came here. Cradock (1770) calls it 'a small
thatched hut at the foot of the mountain (Snowdon), near a lake which
they call Llyn Cychwhechlyn (i.e. Quellyn), which I leave you to
pronounce as well as you are able. We procured a number of blooming
country girls to divert us with their music and dancing.' Even these
delights, however, could not keep travellers from drifting away towards
Beddgelert--a change which, as readers of _Wild Wales_ will remember,
had already become marked when Borrow had his interview with the Snowdon
guide forty years ago. The early accounts often speak of this place as
Bronyfedw (a name which still survives), and for many years there used
to be a kind of 'personally conducted' (Hamer's) ascent of Snowdon from
Carnarvon once a week by this route.
* * * * *
=Tanybwlch.=--Wyndham, Pennant, and, indeed, nearly all the early
explorers of Wales stayed at this very pleasant place. At that time the
highroad from Dolgelly to Beddgelert and Carnarvon passed the door; but
the railway having now superseded the post chaise has left the place
somewhat out in the cold. It has, however, some assistance from the
'toy' line to Ffestiniog, and is a pretty little place, though Moelwyn,
Cynicht, Moel Siabod, and the Rhinogs are all the mountains which it
can command. For those coming from England the best station is Maentwrog
Road, on the G.W.R. line from Bala.
WHERE TO CLIMB
=Anglesey.=--The extreme flatness of the island perhaps gives an
increased effect to its fine rock scenery about the Stacks, which will
be respected by climbers as perhaps the earliest school of their art in
Wales. An old description of the egg-takers here contains some
interesting sentences which are not wholly devoid of point even for
climbers of the present day. 'The gains bear no tolerable proportion to
the danger incurred. The adventurers, having furnished themselves with
every necessary implement, enter on the terrific undertaking. Two--for
this is a trade in which co-partnership is absolutely necessary--take a
station. He whose superior agility renders it eligible prepares for the
rupestrian expedition. Dangerous employ! a slip of the foot or the hand
would in an instant be fatal to both. To a stranger this occupation
appears more dangerous than it really is. In persons habituated to
bodily difficulty the nervous system becomes gradually braced, and the
solids attain that state of rigidity which banishes irritability, while
the mind, accustomed to danger, loses that timidity which frequently
leads to the dreaded disaster. Fact demonstrates to what an extent
difficulty and danger may be made subordinate to art and perseverance.'
This is the voice of truth, but the solids nowadays (owing possibly to
the fluids or to the want of them) do not banish their irritability
completely.
* * * * *
=Carnarvonshire.=--Both in the quality and the quantity of its climbs
this county leaves the rest of Wales far behind. Its superiority is even
more marked than that of Cumberland over the rest of England.
Snowdon, the Glyders, and the Carnedds would alone be sufficient to
establish this; but there are numbers of less important elevations which
would have a great reputation in almost any other county.
The chief mountain centres are Penygwrhyd, Beddgelert, Llanberis, and
Snowdon Ranger, all four lying at the foot of Snowdon, Benglog (Ogwen
Cottage), Capel Curig, and Ffestiniog.
The appearance of the county must be greatly changed since Leland's
time. He tells us that 'the best wood of Caernarvonshire is by Glinne
Kledder and by Glin Llughy and by Capel Kiryk and at Llanperis. More
upwarde be Eryri Hilles, and in them ys very little corne. If there were
the Deere would destroy it.' The destruction of this wood has greatly
injured the beauty of the valleys round Snowdon, Nant Gwynant being the
only one where it remains in any quantity.
* * * * *
=Penmaenmawr= (1,553 ft.) is far from being a difficult mountain. The
ancient Britons had a fort on the top of it, and it was ascended 'by a
person of quality in the reign of Charles II.,' but it is scarcely a
paradox to say that it was the greatest obstacle to knowledge of Welsh
mountains during last century. The highroad from Chester crossed it,
and our ancestors used to go rolling off it down into the sea, and did
not like it. Therefore a journey to Wales was a great and a rare feat.
All the early travellers dilate upon its terrors. In 1795 Mr. T. Hucks,
B.A., gives a ludicrous account of his ascent, which was actually made
without a guide. 'We rashly took the resolution to venture up this
stupendous mountain without a guide, and therefore unknowingly fixed
upon the most difficult part to ascend, and consequently were
continually impeded by a vast number of unexpected obstructions. At
length we surmounted every danger and difficulty, and safely arrived at
the top.... In the midst of my melancholy cogitations I fully expected
that the genius of the mountain would have appeared to me in some
formidable shape and have reproached me with rashly presuming to disturb
the sacred silence of his solitary reign.' Penmaenmawr was not a
frequented tourist resort in those days. The genius would not expect
much sacred silence now. The writer knows of no continuous climb on the
mountain, though he has often had a scramble on it.
* * * * *
=The Carnedd Group.=--=Carnedd Dafydd= (3,426 ft.), said to have been
named after David the brother of Prince Llewelyn, rises on the north of
Llyn Ogwen and on the west of the river which flows from it. The view,
looking southward across Llyn Ogwen at the bold northern front of the
Glyder group, is one of the grandest in Wales. That to the north-west is
to a great extent cut off by Carnedd Llewelyn. The usual
starting-points are Bethesda, Ogwen Cottage, and Capel Curig, though
strong walkers occasionally attack the mountain from the Conway valley
on the west and from Aber on the sea coast.
From Bethesda the most direct way to the summit is to steer south-east
and straight at the mountain, which is full in view. The distance is
3-1/2 miles, and an active traveller, if by any accident he extricates
himself speedily from Bethesda, may reach the summit in two hours. On
the other hand he is quite as likely to find himself, at the end of the
two hours, still wandering sadly up and down the by-lanes of that
maze-like village. The natives are polite, and would willingly give any
information; but they cannot speak English, and they do not possess the
information.
There is only one street which leads anywhere in particular, only one
which can be known at sight and followed fearlessly when known. It is
the Holyhead road, and to get from one house in Bethesda to another it
is said that even the inhabitants find it safest to make for the
Holyhead road at once, and thus secure an intelligible base of
operations.
The route up Carnedd Dafydd by way of Penyroleuwen begins with over two
miles of this road, and is, consequently, a very sound opening. It is
only necessary to turn off at Tynymaes, on the left hand, and strike up
the hill and along the ridge to Braichddu, overlooking the tarn of
Ffynnon y Lloer. A sharp turn is now made to the left along the
shoulder, and the great cairn which marks the summit is soon reached.
The route from Capel Curig is very easily found. Three and a half miles
along the Bangor road, after crossing the river Llugwy, and just before
a chapel, a path strikes off on the right-hand side towards a farmhouse.
Half a mile along this path strike up the hill to the left, travelling
at first about north by compass, and afterwards, as the hill is mounted,
inclining more to the west.
A less popular route, but perhaps shorter and more easily found in mist,
and certainly more effective in point of scenery, leaves the highroad
about a furlong short of Ogwen Lake. Pass a farm and follow a stream for
a mile up to Ffynnon Lloer; from the head of the pool pick your way
through some rough ground to the left hand up on to Braichddu, when the
view of the Glyders bursts upon you suddenly with great effect, and, on
turning to the right to make the final mount to the Carnedd, some good
peeps may be had down the confused rocks of Craig yr Ysfa.
From Ogwen Cottage the last route is often the best, especially when the
party contains some weak members, as the direct line from the foot of
the lake is exceedingly steep.
The climbs on this mountain are practically limited to Cefnysgolion Duon
on the north and Craig yr Ysfa on the west, overlooking Nantffrancon.
_Cefnysgolion Duon_--i.e. 'The Black Ladders,' by which name it is
commonly known--might be forced into meaning 'The Black Schools,' and
this sense greatly bewildered a learned native, who observes, 'It is
impossible to imagine a spot less suited to the operations of the
school-master.' But we can assure him that as a school for climbers it
leaves little to be desired.
Perhaps 'Black Pinnacles' would be a better rendering, 'ysgol' being
often used in that sense, the comparison referring to a step-ladder,
seen sideways, so as to present the shape of an isosceles triangle.
The crags are on the south side of Cwm Llafar, the great hollow between
the two Carnedds, and there is nothing to do but to follow up from
Bethesda the stream which flows down it. In other words, the true line
is almost parallel to and about half a mile north of the most direct
route to the top of Carnedd Dafydd. As advance is made the slope between
the two routes becomes more and more rocky, and when the Ladders
themselves come fairly in view the scene is a very grand one. There are
two conspicuous gullies, divided by a stretch of rock which looks almost
unclimbable. The right-hand or western gully is very steep, and having
often quite a stream in it, is then decidedly hard, and requires
considerable care in winter. The other gully slopes away sharply to the
left, behind a slight projection, and has only one pitch in it, but that
is really good. Two ways here present themselves of climbing along the
left-hand wall at two different levels, neither of them too easy, or
else the gully may be deserted altogether, as the left bank forms a
ridge which offers easy but delightful climbing all over it, the hold
suddenly becoming magnificent. East of this ridge the hold is still
good, but the rocks dwindle in size, until, in the centre of the col
between the Carnedds, they wholly disappear.
This noble crag has never been much frequented by climbers, though in
1879 about a dozen members of the Alpine Club took it on their way from
Bangor to Capel Curig.[8]
[8] _Alpine Journal_, vol. ix. p. 384.
Some years before 1869[9] a Birmingham Scripture Reader fell over it,
and was, of course, killed.
[9] Mackintosh, p. 809.
_Craig yr Ysfa._--These rugged and in parts highly romantic rocks have
attracted but few climbers. A hardworking group of Bangor enthusiasts
have done about all the work that has been done here. In November 1894
J. M. A. T., H. H., H. E., and J. S., quitting the road just beyond the
eighth milestone from Bangor, reached, in twenty minutes, the mouth of a
gully, broad except where it narrows into a gorge, about half-way up.
The climbing on the left of the stream is quite easy, on its right less
so; but in either case the stream has to be abandoned at the first
waterfall, which is quite impracticable when there is any quantity of
water falling. One may climb out to the right by a small tributary
gully, or up the buttress of rock to the right, and thus turn the lower
fall as well as the upper fall, which is a small edition of the Devil's
Kitchen. Near the edge of the cliff, on the left of the gorge, is a
large tabular rock, which forms the postern to a narrow passage back
into the gully, which soon broadens out and leaves a choice of routes;
the left-hand branch should be taken by preference, as it contains a
rather difficult pitch, above which the ascent to the top of the ridge
is simple.
[Illustration: A GULLY ON CRAIG YR YSFA]
A second gully lies a few hundred yards nearer Ogwen Lake, and
contains, besides cascades, two distinct waterfalls, of which the first
may be surmounted by a small but not easy chimney close to it on the
left, which is also the side for attacking the second difficulty. Here a
necessary grass ledge above the level of the top of the fall was
loosened by heavy rain, and stopped the progress of the above party, who
completed the ascent by climbing out to the left.
The craggy portion is just over one mile long. Towards the head of Nant
Ffrancon the rocks come lower, and are more fantastic, affording a great
variety of fine problems, though few continuous climbs.
* * * * *
=Carnedd Llewelyn= (3,484 ft.) is the second highest of the Welsh
mountains. The last Government Survey gave it a slight lift, and at the
same time slightly reduced Snowdon, causing a rumour to go abroad,
alarming to conservative minds, that the latter had forfeited its pride
of place. This would have been a real misfortune, as the old-established
favourite is beyond all question the finest mountain of the two. Only
imagine the feelings of a poor peak abandoned in its old age, without
cheap trippers, without huts, without a railway, without Sir Edward
Watkin. The blow would have been too cruel! The near views from Carnedd
Llewelyn are not remarkable. They consist mainly of the crags of Yr Elen
and those of the grand north face of Carnedd Dafydd, which, however,
practically conceal the Glyders, and these again cut off most of
Snowdon. But the seaward view is very fine, and with regard to the very
distant places, such as the Cumberland Fells, this mountain has a great
advantage over Snowdon both 'to see and to be seen.' Perhaps the extra
7-1/2 miles make the difference, but it is a fact that for once that
Snowdon is to be made out from Scafell or Great Gable, Carnedd Llewelyn
can be seen half a dozen times.
For the ascent Bethesda is the nearest. Several ways present themselves,
and whichever the traveller takes he will think that he has taken the
boggiest. One way is straight up Cwm Llafar to the ridge
(Bwlchcyfrwydrum) between the two Carnedds, or inclining left one mile
short of this ridge one soon reaches the ridge connecting our mountain
with Yr Elen, on the other side of which are some fine crags. The ascent
by way of Cwm Caseg, the next valley to the north, is equally simple and
affords a good view of these crags from below. In thick weather the long
lonely walk from Aber is an education in itself to the mountain rambler,
while from Talycafn station, on the north-west, a good road comes to
within a mile and a half E.S.E. of the summit. The Capel Curig ascent is
perhaps the least interesting of all; by it the two Carnedds are usually
combined. Either the ascent or the return should be made along the Pen
Helig ridge, with regard to the terrors of which the guide-books have
used language as exaggerated as the descriptions of Striding Edge on
Helvellyn. In winter, however, there is sometimes pretty work here.
_Climbs._--A few rocks will be found round the remarkable tarns of
Llyndulyn and Melynllyn, on the north-east side of the mountain, and on
the west side of Llyn Eigiau. Better still are the rocks near where the
Talycafn road ends by a slate quarry in the rocks of Elicydu
(apparently marked as Pen Helig by the Ordnance Surveyors); but best of
all is the north-east side of Yr Elen, where there is a sort of small
edition of the Black Ladders, with the same sunless aspect, so that it
often keeps its snow in the same way till quite late in the year. In
winter, however, the grand cwm which lies due east of the Carnedd offers
splendid snow scenes and snow work.
Some years ago a quarryman was lost in the snow, and an upright stone on
the north ridge of the mountain marks the spot. One of the earliest
ascents of the mountain was that made in 1630 by Johnson, who evidently
had the spirit of the mountaineer in him, for he pressed his guide to
take him to the more precipitous places, alleging the love of rare
plants. That worthy, however, declined to go, alleging the fear of
eagles. Mackintosh too had a difficulty here with his guide during a
winter's day excursion. But his fears seem to have been entirely without
reasonable cause, and he was not so near to being robbed or murdered as
he at one time fancied. Mr. Paterson's charming book _Below the Snow
Line_ describes the route from Llanfairfechan in wild weather.
In the _Philosophical Transactions_ for 1771 will be found noted an
ascent which satisfied the climber and his water-level that the summit
was higher than that of Snowdon. Pennant too made the ascent, but came
to an opposite conclusion on this point.
* * * * *
=Elider Group.=--=Carnedd y Filiast= (i.e. 'Cairn of the Female
Greyhound') is a feature on the west side of Nant Ffrancon, on account
of the very remarkable slabs which it exhibits on that side. A hundred
and twenty-five years ago Pennant was told here that 'if the fox in
extreme danger takes over them in wet weather he falls down and
perishes.' Certainly they are dangerous enough to a less sure-footed
animal--man--and are best left alone, especially when there is any ice
about. The nearest place from which to start is Bethesda. Another hill
of the same name lies to the north of Bala.
* * * * *
=Foelgoch.=--A spur running north-west from Glyder Fawr forms the
western bank of Nant Ffrancon, and nearly three miles along this ridge
is Foelgoch (i.e. 'Red Hill'). It has a steep western side towards the
head of Cwm Dudodyn, and on the other side a very steep rocky recess
facing Llyn Idwal. Llanberis and Bethesda stations are about equally
distant. From the former place it is seldom visited, except before or
after the ascent of Elidyr Fawr.
On August 6, 1886, E. K. writes, 'There is excellent scrambling to be
had about this mountain, and some really difficult work.'
On September 29, 1894, a party of three climbed from Nant Ffrancon.
The break in the ridge may be reached either by following the ridge
itself or from the cwms on either side of it. The ascent thence to the
summit offers easy but steep climbing if the crest of the ridge be
scrupulously adhered to. Passing over the summit of Y Garn the descent
was made down the southern ridge of Cwm Clyd, which gives a good
scramble along its barren arete.
[Illustration: TWLL DU
(looking down through it to Llyn Idwal and Llyn Ogwen)]
* * * * *
=Y Garn= (3,104 ft.), near the head of Nant Ffrancon, on the west side,
is little visited, but has some very good rock on it. Benglog is much
the nearest place. The well-known Twll Du may almost be said to be on
it, and is practically the division between it and Glyder Fawr.
* * * * *