A massive adventure on Snowdon.
We parked up at Nant Peris and got a shuttle from here to Pen Y Pass
We started the Full Snowdon Horse Shoe (taking in the Little Horns, onto Grib Goch and Garnedd Ugain, and then the motorway traffic leading to the summit of Snowdon and then Watkin Path leading to Y Lliwedd and back to Pen Y Pass via the Miners Path.
That was the PLAN...
A Massive Adventure on Snowdon. We started the Full Snowdon Horse Shoe (taking in the Little Horns, onto Grib Goch and Ugain, and the motorway traffic on Snowdon Summit and the Watkin Path and Y Lliwedd and back on the Miners to the Car Park). That was the PLAN.
On our way down the Watkin Path I found myself and my team having to rescue a group. A lady who was in complete panic and shivering, her lips were changing colour and she’d cut her hand (although this was not my biggest worry as she was showing signs of hypothermia), and needed our immediate help.
A number of sections of the Watkin Path which were ice and snow covered she need to be lowered by rope and until we reached level ground a confidence rope was used.
However before getting to the lower levels, we had to move the group from the icy steep incline of the Watkin Path and onto the saddle of Bwlch Ciliau, where I needed to warm Niz up as she was showing signs of hypothermia.
I gave her my spare warm clothes, used my group shelter to warm her and her group up, and her some hot fluids and food.
After 15 minutes the group were warmed up and ready to move, during this period I had reported the incident to Mountain Rescue - giving all the details I needed including our grid reference.
I didn’t need MR to come out only that they were aware of the incident and that I was going to guide them off the mountain down the Watkin Path safely.
I put Niz Kaderbahi on a short safety rope as the path was still very icy and she was not very stable and slipped many times on our descent. I also gave Niz Kaderbahi my walking pile to help her with her balance.
We eventually reached the car park at Nantgwynant GR SH 627 506.
Niz and her group were very thankful for helping and saving them.
On reaching the car park I needed to call MR, however there was no signal at this location. So as soon as we had a signal I called MR (as we had parked on the other side of the mountain Niz’s team took a member of myteam back to our parked car). MR were very happy and thanked me for guiding the group off the mountain and that a rescue team did not need to be alerted.
I learnt so many lessons from how to manage 2 groups, how to take control of a situation and Lead 2 groups, raise a incident to the Mountain Rescue, rope work down grade one icy steps, short safety rope work descending steep ground, communicating to the Niz (reassuring her, getting her body temperature up, giving warm clothes and hot fluids). I gave Niz and her son some advice of safety in the mountains, what to be worn in the mountains, turn around times, don’t go up what you cannot get back down, spare warm clothes, not to wear leggings in what was winter conditions above 700m. As we descended the Watkin Path I was also able to give their group some info of the local area with it being a slate mine.
Overall this was a very long and successful day in the mountains.
Area :
Snowdon Massif
Snowdon (Welsh: Yr Wyddfa) is the highest mountain in Wales, at an altitude of 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside Scotland. It is located in Snowdonia National Park (Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri) in Gwynedd, and has been described as "the busiest mountain in Britain". It is designated as a national nature reserve for its rare flora and fauna.
