Glan Dena, Ogwen, 16th-18th October 2026

The second trip to Wales for 2026 was organised by Emma W and eleven of us travelled to the justifiably popular Glan Dena hut at the eastern end of Llyn Ogwen. The hut is perfectly positioned at the base of Tryfan with numerous options for climbing, scrambling and walking in just about every direction. We were very fortunate with the weather and although it was cool, the sky remained mostly clear for the weekend.

Derek W and Ewart P jumped the starting blocks way before everyone else. They saw the incoming forecast and drove down to the hut for Thursday night which gave them an extra full day on the hills. They chose to scramble the grade 3 Dolmen Ridge route which was both testing and very enjoyable.

Dave M, Dave Ca and John L made a 9am start on Friday morning to arrive at Glan Dena by lunchtime. Following close behind were Steve W and Gav M. After bagging a bed and fridge-space all five made their way across the road to Milestone Buttress where Direct Route (HVD) proved to be an entertaining and worthy opener for the weekend. Three pitches of very polished, cold rock helped focus the mind and tune up some of the outdoor skills not used so much in the recent days.

All five of us decended by abseiling down the steep, wet gully to the right side of the climb. Thank heavens we had twin 60m ropes and were able to do the abseil in one and therefore not linger in the numerous cascades resulting from the previous week's rain.

Paul M with Alex D and Jenny G arrived in the early evening and just a bit later Emma made up the full set. Everyone settled in, washed their dishes and put them away before finalising plans for Saturday.

Dave Ca and John were first out of the door on Saturday morning. A prompt start was needed for Amphitheatre Buttress (VDiff), high up on the Craig yr Ysfa. The pair found the long route to be in mostly dry and good condition and although cold and in shade, had a thoroughly enjoyable, alpine style day.

Derek and Alex headed up Heather Terrace on Tryfan to climb Grooved Arete (HVD 4a). There were mixed opinions about the severity of the route and the time it may take to complete, however, they were confident that the conditions were good and the daylight sufficient for such a venture. They were right. The route was in good shape and all the technical moves were managed without shaking their confidence, completing the route a bit later than anticipated but still in very good time.

Steve and Gav had plans for Heather Wall (VS 4c) at Idwal Slabs. However, the rock on this part of the crag was particularly wet and slime-covered so moved around to a less slime-covered and more polished but lower grade Hope (VDiff).

Jenny and Emma wandered along to Bochlwyd Buttress where the low altitude crag was expected to be a bit warmer than up on Tryfan. It was not the case owing to the crag being out of sun and the north-north westerly breeze blowing straight onto the face. The Five Pitch Route (S 4b) was climbed in two pitches and only one costume change when Emma donned all contents of her portable wardrobe to keep warm. The cold continued biting so the decision was made to try Milestone Buttress for a second climb. A further decision was made at Milestone Buttress to escape the cold and head back to the hut for a glass of wine.

Dave M and Paul went for a circular walk to the north side of the Ogwen valley taking in the summits of Pen yr Ole Wen, Carnedd Dafydd, Carnedd Llewelyn, Pen yr Helgi Du and Pen Llithrig y Wrach. It was a very scenic walk covering 12 miles and 1300m of ascent. There were a couple of easy scrambles during the ascent and descent and in the clear conditions the high ridges provided tremendous views in all directions. The seasonal coffee shop at Gwern Gof Isaf was still open when we passed by and so had a welcome break before returning to the hut.

On Fiday, Ewart had twisted his knee and felt that he would make things worse if he persevered with climbing or walking on day two. He had a restful day but by lunchtime the magnetic attraction of his Welsh farming background got the better of him and he could not resist paying a visit to the LLanrwst Ram sale. Thankfully he kept his hands in his pockets and managed not to bid for any of the stock, one ram selling for £26,000.

Everyone made it back to the hut before it got dark. This must be a first by my reckoning. There was no shortage of volunteers to help prepare the team evening meal which was organised by Emma and contributed to, in some way, by everyone.

The meal was great. Two choices of veggie curry and loads of other sides. Nice one Emma! Also thanks to Mrs W for the apple crumble. Very well received and enjoyed whether with real custard, dairy free custard or on it's own.

The evening wouldn't be complete without a team debrief on the mezzanine level in the hut. After clearing away we retired to the upper tier where our chief route-finder of the evening, Emma, put together the new test-piece, Whisky Traverse (E45.5%).

For some the challenge was too much and bailed before even gearing up. Others only managed pitch one before succumbing and nobody made it past pitch 2. The fresh air and efforts of the day and a second day of decent weather in prospect seriously tempered the enthusiasm and I, for one, was grateful. The evening was not without its jollity. Steve had learned, prepared and rehearsed (many times with Gav as his audience) the Ballad of Idwal Slabs written in 1947 by Showell Styles when at the Gan Dena Hut. Steve gave a full recital, without notes, while attempting pitch 2 of the traverse. A very worthy effort and very entertaining.

Sunday morning was a busy morning of cleaning, sorting gear and vacating the hut. Another group was using the hut with us over the weekend and we made sure that our responsibilities and more were taken care of. Thanks again to everyone for putting in the unselfish effort.

Six of our group went down to Tremadog to have a day of climbing in the sun and the warmer weather. All six had a pleasant and successful visit to the crag. Steve and Gav climbed One Step in the Clouds (VS 4c) and were followed by Jenny and Emma. The route proved to be entertaining although other adjectives have been heard. Pitch 1 had a rockfall several years ago and is now, arguably the hardest pitch on the climb.

Paul and Alex opted for Christmas Curry (S 4a) to complete their weekend. Both enjoyed their climb on warm, dry rock and a classic, popular route.

Derek and Ewart were travelling together and Ewart was still nursing his twisted knee so did not want to venture onto the hills. They went for a brief shopping trip to Capel Curig but neither have admitted to having spent any money.

Dave, Dave and John had a simple plan for the morning and crossed the road from the hut and scrambled up the North Ridge of Tryfan. Just a fun and relatively simple way to enjoy the day although some attempts were made to find a more adventurous line up the well-tried route. The weather was terrific, the crowds were elsewhere and it was a great way to finish off what had been a very successful and pleasant trip to Wales.

So, that was another fine trip away with York MC. Thank you to everyone for taking part, getting involved in every aspect of the weekend and sharing time with others in the great outdoors. Special thanks go to Emma for organising the trip and securing the hut again. We look forward to the next one.

Cheers!

Dave M