The Glyderau (a Welsh plural form, also known in English as the Glyders) are a mountain group in Snowdonia, North Wales. The name derives from the highest peaks in the range, Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach. According to Sir Ifor Williams, the word "Glyder" derives from the Welsh word "Cludair", meaning a heap of stones.
First day of the first trip of the new academic year for the UEA Fell & Mountaineering club. I was asked to prepare an introductory walk - with a reasonable but acheivable degree of challenge for our new members. This walk started with a group of 6 at Ogwen cottage, ascended via the devils kitchen, crossed Glyder Fawr & Glyder Fach, before descending via Cwm Tryfan from the saddle between Glyder Fach & Y Foel Goch. Some small navigational challenge in the intermittent mist. I've included this as a QMD as it is one of the more abitious walks I've supervised with one of the most novice groups. I felt the walk worked well with the group in question because it matched well to their general fitness and had enough terrain challenge to give a sense of acheivment without becoming overwhelming. Some sections had to be travelled quite slowly and close supervision given as group members gained confidence on the most challenging terrain. Group members reported ending the day feeling really happy about what they'd acheived and obviously felt like they'd really been 'up a mountain' rather than just on a walk.
