Author Topic: Defeated by Y Garn  (Read 3676 times)

Haggiseater

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Defeated by Y Garn
« on: 23:59:30, 27/10/16 »
 >:( :( :-[  Yesterday, I did not make it to the summit of Y Garn.
A combination of feeling a bit out of puff and enthusiasm, the clock ticking and low cloud rolling in made retreat the best option.
However, now I feel torn between feeling angry with myself for not achieving my goal or congratulating myself for being sensible and admitting defeat.
Does anyone else feel this way ?


Skip

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #1 on: 06:58:15, 28/10/16 »
Think positive - you had a good walk in the mountains. :)

Why do you say 'defeated'? IMO, it would only have been a 'defeat' if the walk was viewed as a competition or as a battle.

You did the sensible thing IMO and the mountain will still be there for next time.

Think positive - you still have the ascent to look forward to. :)

Just out of interest, which Y Garn was it (there are several)?
Skip

fernman

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #2 on: 09:53:18, 28/10/16 »
I can't think of a solitary day walk I have cut short, not ever, probably because I have been able to wait for the right conditions or conversely I have tailored my plans to the conditions.

When it comes to my multiple-day walks, however, I have probably cut more of them short than I have completed, nearly always because of gale, fog or wetness, once because I unexpectedly became ill.

I've recently failed for the second time to walk all of one particular planned circuit, both times because of the weaather, although one was compounded by some equipment failures. On the latest one I ended up doing almost exactly the same shortened route as before, which left me feeling partly sad and partly angry at the conditions. But they were still prime time spent doing what I like doing out in the wilds, and they were still great experiences.

alewife

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #3 on: 11:05:06, 28/10/16 »
I think the latter, I have been on the top of Y Garn in some pretty vile weather, its a slog up past all those bl00dy false summits and if its claggy at the top you're not going to be seeing anything anyway. Just go back and do it another time if it bothers you.
Alewife


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midweekmountain

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #4 on: 12:53:11, 28/10/16 »
I can't think of a solitary day walk I have cut short, not ever, probably because I have been able to wait for the right conditions or conversely I have tailored my plans to the conditions.

I agree, IF you get timing and conditions right, I don't think I have ever had a problem on straight forward roadside hills like you get in North Wales or the Lakes.

BUT

Once you start doing more difficult objective in places say in Scotland, its an all different ball game.

On one trip in JUNE I was on my forth day I was going well and the weather was settled. So I decided to do a pair of Munros, the wind got up and I had to crawl on my hands and knees in a blizzard to get to the first summit. I'd had enough so I retraced my knees/steps to the car, rang the Mrs, she said were having a BBQ tonight, so I drove back to Yorkshire and joined them.

Once you start adding winter conditions into the equation the timing/conditions, tactics even, become more critical, you soon  realise that 100% success in winter is never guaranteed. So yes I have had my share of retreating.

My advice would be that you put this down to experience, have a good look at what you could do better and apply it next time, we all learn by making mistakes.

Haggiseater

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #5 on: 13:27:30, 28/10/16 »



Just out of interest, which Y Garn was it (there are several)?


Sorry, I should have said. The Glyderau one.


I suppose I'm disappointed that I just didn't start out earlier in the day as the weather was better than expected in the morning .
I enjoyed what I did do anyway so it wasn't a total defeat !

MoelPysgod

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #6 on: 15:59:54, 28/10/16 »
Everyone experiences something like this. My most humiliating was getting to the top of Moel Eilio, hardly Wales's biggest mountain, intending to traverse the other three tops towards Snowdon. But I'd struggled so much getting up there I called it a day and headed down and home.

About a year ago I was in Assynt, and having endured three days of rain and low cloud I decided to just get out and climb something. I set my sights for Glass Bheinn near Inchnadamph, a 776m, flat-topped hill. About two-thirds of the way up, unable to see further than twenty metres and being pelted by gale-blown rain, I just gave up and went back down.

And on my first attempt at a solo scramble I tried Bristly Ridge, got spooked after taking the wrong gully at the start, and decided about halfway up to bail out like a coward. BUT the feeling the next year after returning and doing it with no problems was great.

adalard

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #7 on: 16:41:09, 28/10/16 »
I agree with Alewife and Skip - and although it's personally disappointing, there's most certainly no shame in it either.


Plenty of MRT members will attest to the fact that you don't need to be traversing the Cuillin Ridge in full winter conditions or - for those to whom Scotland's mountains are small fry, attempting to summit K2 - to find yourself in difficult or unexpected circumstances and have to take stock about whether to continue. It can happen on hills and up on the moors as well as on mountains. And it can happen to anyone at any level of experience.


I'd rather be the person who makes the call to try again another day than the one too exhausted to make sensible decisions, who ends up lost or hurt and reliant on Mountain Rescue involvement. As with MoelPysgod and Bristly Ridge, barring an asteroid strike the mountain will still be there the next time you're in the area.

sussamb

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #8 on: 16:45:53, 28/10/16 »
I remember turning my family around on their first attempt at Pen y Fan, after they'd made more than 2/3rds of the climb, as I deemed the weather too severe for my wife and 12 year old daughter.  They were gutted, but filled with delight when they made the ascent two days later ...

As others have implied, better to be prudent rather than need the help of the MRT to get down, or worse.  There will always be another day  O0
Where there's a will ...

Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #9 on: 18:32:52, 28/10/16 »
There is no shame in turning around, especially on a Welsh 3000er.
Its only a person who lacks the knowledge or experience, who would soldier on no matter what, and possibly due to fatigue or poor weather, get into serious difficulties.

Ive turned around several times, twice on Snowdon, another time approaching Carnedd Llewellyn, and on recollection Fan Y Big in the Central Beacons.

Snowdonia will be there another day, and its a shame other walkers do not readily read the signs, and retreat when its necessary.

Mel

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #10 on: 22:28:26, 28/10/16 »
... I feel torn between feeling angry with myself for not achieving my goal or congratulating myself for being sensible and admitting defeat.
Does anyone else feel this way ?

I've felt like this many a time.  It's usually bad weather that makes me turn back or change my route (especially if I'm on my own on unfamiliar turf).  I see it as a perfect excuse to return and "conquer" it  :)
 
I huffed and puffed and struggled (and I'm not joking) my way up the very same Y Garn in thick fog on a Forum meet a couple of years ago.  I admitted at the time, if I'd been on my own, I'd have turned back.  The sense of achievement of getting to the top was great but I was massively disappointed that the fog didn't lift, the clouds didn't part and give me amazing views as a reward for all my efforts.  This is what the summit looks like in thick fog  ;D  :

 
Aye, save all that hard work and effort for a day when you'll get some visual rewards at the top  O0

Haggiseater

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #11 on: 23:57:26, 28/10/16 »

 I see it as a perfect excuse to return and "conquer" it  :)
 

I'll do exactly that another day.....thanks, folks.


On another positive note, my earlier than expected descent allowed time for a very nice hot chocolate and ginger cake at the cafe in Rhyd Ddu 😋😋😋

Mel

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #12 on: 00:13:32, 29/10/16 »
Now that ^^^^ makes cutting a walk short worthwhile  O0   :D

sunnydale

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #13 on: 07:47:21, 29/10/16 »
A few years ago now, a friend and I set off to climb Cadair Idris via the Fox's path.  It was sunny down in the valley but as we climbed, the weather turned.  Heavy snow came down and pretty soon, we were faced with a complete white out.
We knew that there was a steep loose scree path to tackle just above us - somewhere - but the fact that it was our first time on the mountain and we had no idea how easy/difficult the final part of the ascent might be, we decided to turn back.
Our footsteps were already under a layer of snow, so even retracing our steps back in such conditions wasn't easy.


I don't regret turning back.  My priority was to stay safe and live another day to do it again. :)



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lostme1

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Re: Defeated by Y Garn
« Reply #14 on: 10:09:18, 29/10/16 »
I remember going to the Langdale Pikes and when we arrived there was low cloud everywhere. We went and had a second breakfast and started walking late morning. We meet someone on the way down and asked what it was like on the top. He said he couldn't see a thing due to the low cloud and mist. We had lovely views form the top, the sun shine came out and we walked till early evening.

A lovely day on the tops. If I am putting the effort in I like to see something for my hard work. Also the bonus second breakfast was a good.

The hills will always be there you just have to make sure you are as well.
These boots are made for walking.... so long as the rest of my body agrees

 

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