So one of the lads has decided that’s the plan for two weeks time. I’m not going as its the kids birthday party which to be honest I’m glad to use as an excuse. However one of the other local to here lads is up for it but I suggested he might need a bit more kit than a spare inner tube and a litre of Ribena in his camelbak!!
Obviously this time of year the weather can change quite suddenly up there, so what advice other than leave it till 5am on a summers morning?

Take crampons and a ice axe?

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/avalanche-snowdon-leaves-man-buried-6714554

Yeah as I thought a stupid idea! I’ll be in the swimming pool chucking beach balls at twenty odd kids on inflatables, which for once seems much the better option!
Ill be sending him that link! Cheers.

It is impossible to say on Snowdon anything other than a few days in advance. At this time of year though you HAVE to plan for the worst. There is a very high chance it will have snow lying at the top and unless weather is settled then the risk of snow-rain-hail-hurricane winds-plagues of locusts etc is ever present in Winter. Unless your mates are experienced winter mountaineers then I would suggest they seriously consider giving it a miss until later in the year. There are plenty of lower level rides in the area which will be adventurous enough and are likely to be rideable in any weather. On the other hand it could just as likely be a calm sunny beautiful day with no snow and would be fine. But you cannot plan for that.

Having a go “because we drove all that way to do Snowdon, so we might as well risk it and see how it plans out” is generally a bad idea. Remember only a fool learns from his own mistakes…..

I always use the addage that its better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

At least 3 layers, with a spare fleece
Windproof and waterproof.
Hot drink
Map Compass and ability to use them
Whistle,
Light
Foil Blanket
Plastic emergency bag.
Spare thermal gloves.
Fully charged Mobile phone.

You just have to ask yourself, will you have enough kit to keep you non hyperthermic till help could arrive. If the answer is no, then dont go.

Last time I went to try and do the ranger path we got as far as cloggy station before I called it and we turned round. Weather was just too mental (2 winters ago) mates have raced bikes v snowboards down it too.

It’s a proper nasty exposed mountain, if your not used to proper mountains it will be a shock!

I’d go with the kit list above with 3 tubes each, on a previous experience the choice was hit the slate water bars and get a puncture or jump from sheet ice to sheet ice….

Snowdon two days ago

He might get lucky and have a decent thaw in the next week or so, but there’s a good chance that some of this will be hanging on.

Just speaking to the lad from round our way and I mentioned nearly all from the list above, i missed off hot drink and unbelievably map and compass 😯
Personally I wouldn’t be going after seeing the snow on the link above as I’m certainly not convinced its gonna be any fun whatsoever!

I am a firm believer in pushing your luck but here I would say that they are off their bloody rocker!
The south and east facing slopes are avalanching meaning plenty of snow and it will be wet stuff at these temperatures. The Llanberis route up goes over the top of Cloggy and to get involved with the death slide there will be fatal. There won’t be a sunken motorway either. One slip of the front wheel and its many hundreds of feet down. A common accident black spot.
I am assuming that the group won’t be carrying axe and crampons, as standard a piece of kit as a cycle helmet.
I have been over Snowdon many dozens of times in all sorts of weather and happily push my luck but this one? No way.
I watch with interest !

I’d proceed with caution. People got hurt (read buried and dug out by Llanberis MRT) last weekend in an avalanche on one of the most touristy routes up Snowdon, someone else got avalanched down a gully by a collapsed cornice not far away.
More snow to come – Probably a lot more fun to go up on foot and leave the bike until the spring.