Author Topic: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party  (Read 4945 times)

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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The Uk has been experiencing some very mild temperatures this past week, it was 11C at 2am in the morning last Sunday evening, that's unseasonably mild for the final days of December.


The mild weather made me think about New Year, and what to do, maybe an ascent of Snowdon like last year.


I popped in Porthmadog to get my AAA batteries, for my Petzl, and decided the weather looked spot on for a summit party on top of Snowdon.


Parked my car at the top of the Llanberis path road, at 10-04pm, not expecting to encounter much footfall during my walk of 5miles, but for the first time in heading for the summit for New Year, there were lots of these glow worm lights heading off into the distance, and what a surprise when i arrived at the summit at exactly 11-51pm.


The number of New year party revellers, with their head torches bobbing around, was incredible.


There must have been close to a hundred walkers at the summit last night, and the party atmosphere was electric.


Numerous tents kipping down for a chilly night under the stars, and heaven knows how much litter will be there in the morning, as many appeared to be swigging from a bear bottle, and due to the unseasonably mild, windless conditions, even a camping stove cooking up a New Year feast, it was a magical experience.


The news that Snowdon is the most visited summit in the whole of the Uk, throughout the year, does not surprise me, but i recon the revellers upstairs last night, would have easily beaten any of the pubs back down in llanberis, for sheer numbers.


Unlike last year, when the weather was just awful, i walked carefully up the summit steps at just before midnight, and with around twenty other revellers touched the trig point as New year came in.


With the very mild conditions, i could have stayed around on the summit for quite a while, looking at the amazing stars in the heaven.


Away from any light pollution, the number of stars in the sky takes your breath away, i wish i could have stayed longer.


There was no wind, and even though it was around 2C, it felt much milder, with not a breath of wind.


It was an amazing experience sharing the New Year at the highest point south of Scotland, with so many walkers, and if this is a fortaste of things to come in the future, the New year party on top of Snowdon will become the place to be.
« Last Edit: 15:20:55, 01/01/20 by Dyffryn Ardudwy »

Islandplodder

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Re: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party
« Reply #1 on: 12:38:43, 01/01/20 »
What a lovely way to bring in the New Year!

Hillhiker1

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Re: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party
« Reply #2 on: 14:05:44, 01/01/20 »
Sounds fantastic! O0  I'm dead jealous!

gunwharfman

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Re: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party
« Reply #3 on: 15:17:27, 01/01/20 »
Sounds fantastic!

Strider

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Re: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party
« Reply #4 on: 15:24:02, 01/01/20 »
Slightly jealous, what a great way to see the new year in :)
Not all those who wander are lost

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party
« Reply #5 on: 15:29:50, 01/01/20 »
It was great fun, and the weather was outstanding for a change.
There were so many people there last night, that i wished i had taken some photographs to post on the internet, but the darkness and low light conditions would not have caught the party atmosphere.
Few party goers in London or any other highly populated area of the Uk, would believe that so many had made the effort to climb a high mountain to see in the New Year.

I suppose most of them would not really care, rather preferring to blow a large sum of money on an organised event, but with so many well behaved walkers, seeing in a new decade, under the stars, i know where i would rather be.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE,  AND HERE'S FOR A SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR OF ADVENTURE.

GnP

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Re: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party
« Reply #6 on: 17:00:22, 01/01/20 »
Sounds great and super description. Happy New Year one and all.
A night under silnylon. Doesn't have the same ring to it.

richardh1905

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Re: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party
« Reply #7 on: 17:00:36, 01/01/20 »
Great way to start 2020 :)
WildAboutWalking - Join me on my walks through the wilder parts of Britain

Glyno

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Re: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party
« Reply #8 on: 17:32:19, 01/01/20 »
Hey D.A, I was on Snowdon's summit at midnight last night! The stars were spectacular, a night to remember that's for sure!

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party
« Reply #9 on: 18:08:34, 02/01/20 »
WOW, which route did use.
Coming up from Llanberis, i saw there were numerous walkers using the Snowdon Ranger path, and the Pyg and Miners routes also looked quite busy as well.

I am still trying to figure out why the summit was so busy,  was it the almost perfect conditions, or just the fact that Snowdon is receiving far more visitors, and the novelty of reaching the highest mountain top south of Scotland, seemed like a good idea for a lot more people.

Up until midnight the weather was perfect, but on my way down just after New Year kicked in, there were a few flurries of snow, and coming down from Glogwyn station, the Llanberis path was eying up quite quickly, took me a lot longer than usual to get down.

My walking poles would have come in handy, just to keep my balance.

Still amazes me how everything seems to take longer in darkness, i thought i would never get back to my car.

I am still really glad i made the effort, as weather that good, in late December has to be taken advantaged of.

Dread

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Glyno

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Re: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party
« Reply #11 on: 16:13:52, 03/01/20 »
WOW, which route did use.



I went up the PYG track and down by The Miners Path. Left the summit at about 00.15 and was leaving Pen y pass at 2am. Tucked in bed by 03.30 :-)


Not sure why it was so popular other than the pretty confident weather forecast and the current trend of people wanting to be on Snowdon at unusual times of the day (night). Personally, it's something I've fancied for a while and the fact that Mrs Glyno was working nights swung it.

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Great start to the new decade. Epic Summit Party
« Reply #12 on: 14:08:21, 04/01/20 »
A real shame i missed the spectacular Broken Spectre, that a few walkers saw, whilst coming down the Llanberis side, just after 8am.
Its a rare weather occurrence, with the weather conditions have to be spot on.

It appears to be in many of the National Papers, as well as the daft TripAdvisor review from the  walker from Leicester, who found the fairly easy Snowdon Ranger path, a nightmare trip.

Just in the right place, but at the wrong time.

 

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