So I’m back from the all important preparation course on basic mountaineering technique that’ll keep me safe up high on Mount Toubkal and Mont Blanc later in the year. The course was with 4 other budding winter walkers in Snowdonia.

I was pretty worried before going that all the snow we’d had was actually going to stop the course going ahead or worse, prevent me from getting to Snowdonia. Luckily I made the trip fine on Thursday night after a particularly hectic week at work and found on arrival that the snowfall meant perfect conditions up on the mountains.

After going through theory on what causes avalanches and what to do if I was ever caught in one (swim like crazy to the side being the answer) we set off the following morning to the Ogwyn valley and walked up to around 700m, to practice in the shadow of Y Garn. Between cups of coffee and eating bits from our packed lunch we covered how to self arrest a slide with an ice axe, build a snow shelter (mine was too wide and so putting a roof on was impossible, but it was comfortable!), cutting steps on steep snow with the ice axe and a bit of stepping up steep ice which was tricky in high winds and with the ice being really hard.

Tired from the effort we returned to a feast of various curry dishes and a well earned drink. Discussion moved onto what to try the following day, when pushed to make a decision I ventured we should go with the option our guide thought would be “the most fun”…

So Saturday morning we set off to Bethesda where we started off on a 15km circuit that included the summit of Yr Elan (962m) via a “fun” (well I enjoyed it!) knife edge ridge with occasional gust of wind and plenty of snow cover. On top of the mountain, in what was turning into a blizzard, I popped my Stroke Association running vest on top of my jacket and had photo taken, which you can check out to the right. After a brief rest on top and with visibility not allowing us to see far enough to work out the route down, I was helped to properly use a compass to get us off the mountain. Luckily we spotted my compass was shown North as South and vice verse and so we didn’t walk over any cliff faces… need to get a new compass!

For Sunday, with the weather looking like it was turning and members of the group needing to get back/tired from the past couple of days, we decided on a less technical/shorter day around a horseshoe behind the farmhouse that included Elidir Fawr (again via a ridge, not quite so exposed as before though). Coming down from the walk the subject of what to do with my additional day came up and ice climbing was decided as a good/fun option. So with the majority of the group having left it was time to pick up a couple of climbing basics. So after an introduction to an alpine climbing harness, a belay plate and how to tie rope onto the harness I was attached to a stairwell in the extension practicing what I’d learnt.

The next morning I was slightly anxious but excited and keen to get to the route chosen for the climb. Again we went to the Ogwyn Valley and this time made our way to the Devil’s Kitchen and up a steep slope to a frozen river coming over the top of the mountain, which we’d be climbing. Without going into detail what followed was an amazing couple of hours spent kicking the front crampon points into the ice, steadying myself with two shorter more aggressively shaped axes and moving slowly up the steeper sections. Those with a fear of heights may well have struggled with the potential fall behind but roped up and with plenty of contact with the ice, all I could think of was how much fun climbing was and to occasionally stop for a breather to admire the amazing views from the route. So yeah, I like ice climbing!

And after an attempt to watch how to perform a crevasse rescue (very clever but ultimately too complicated for someone who does a knot/double knot and not much more) I headed back to pack and grab a quick hot drink before the journey back.

So a big thank you to Ian and Mandy at HighTrek who ran the weekend winter walking course, who I learnt lots from and looked after me really well! Sure it’ll all come in handy at some point and leaving Wales I’m able to start to get really excited at the prospect of Mount Toubkal and Mont Blanc.