UKC

Tryvan's North Tower

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Eve 10 Jul 2015
Hi Not a member of the forum, more like a long time lurker looking for some advice.

So back at the end of may myself and my other half decided to take on Tryfans North Ridge, We made it up as far as the North Tower (or so i think its called) and I decided to bottle it after sitting eating lunch for about 30 mins and due to seeing guys with harnesses and ropes etc, i think it kind of spooked me and we headed back down the north ridge.

Its really bugging me now, even though i know we did the right thing at the time, so were heading back up to wales (a 6 hour drive) just for the one day to hopefully complete what we started.

Can anyone give me some advice or knowledge of the tower if you've been up it and what to expect when on it and the kind of path/direction we should be taking? also how far were we from adam & eve?

Thankyou to any replies in advance

Eve x

 Offwidth 10 Jul 2015
In reply to Eve:

If you were where I think you were there are a few tricky scrambling moves (for a grade 1 scramble) then easier scrambling to the top. If in doubt stay right. There are also rough paths with a bit of easy scrambling up the west side and up the south ridge if such moves are too much for you.
In reply to Eve:
There are a few steep walls that you come across as you ascend the North Ridge, so it's difficult to be sure where exactly you were, and there is some confusion in guidebooks / online over what is the 'North Tower'.

Most of these walls can be bypassed, whilst what I presume you mean by the North Tower is best tackled directly (you can bypass it on the East side via the 'Eastern Traverse' and up the top of North Gully, but it's not necessarily easier). As Offwidth has said, there are a few exposed moves at the beginning then it becomes a lot more obvious and easier.

Wait a while, and at this time of year as long as you start early there will be plenty of other people to follow, but otherwise follow the polished holds on the rock.

Take a look at https://www.thebmc.co.uk/how-to-scramble-tryfans-north-ridge

Worth saying, too, that once you've got this far, it's usually safer to carry on up to the summit and descend via the South Ridge or the Western descent path than to descend the North Ridge - lots of people get in trouble trying to descend the North Ridge, especially if you end up too far over to the West.
Post edited at 11:37
 andrewmc 10 Jul 2015
In reply to Eve:
If you want to feel better go look at the Ogwen Valley mountain rescue page for all the people who get stuck on Tryfan because they've got in over their heads but not turned around...

Going down should always be an option!

Following people up can be very useful to help you find the way but equally it can all go horribly wrong if they themselves don't really know!
Post edited at 13:12
 Offwidth 10 Jul 2015
In reply to Ron Rees Davies:

Aree with most of that but I think that just following polish is a bad idea as all the main ways are polished and they need to figure out the polished way that is easiest for them. Obviously if there is no polish they are off-route.
In reply to andrewmcleod:
> If you want to feel better go look at the Ogwen Valley mountain rescue page for all the people who get stuck on Tryfan because they've got in over their heads but not turned around...

Tryfan's North Ridge is a bit of an oddity for this - There are MORE people that get STUCK because they turn around (usually at the point we're discussing) and try coming DOWN the North ridge and get lost than there are people getting stuck because they've kept on going. Have a look at the OVMR 'Incidents' page and scroll down looking at the "Tryfan" and "Tryfan North Ridge" incidents - esp. no's 48, 42, 39, 24 (from this year alone). Descending the North Ridge is not an easy way off!
Post edited at 14:01
 andrewmc 10 Jul 2015
In reply to Ron Rees Davies:

Interesting but seems very true. The difficult bit is turning around early enough then (it is often easier to go up than down, it is certainly navigationally easier when climbing a pointy mountain!). Some of the people in MR reports should probably have turned around in the car park and done something easier and/or got the basic equipment they were lacking...
 Mark Haward 10 Jul 2015
In reply to Eve:

Hard to know exactly where you were but it sounds as if you may have been only 10-15 minutes from the top at the most. There is a short section where you scramble down for 2-3 metres into the top of a gully which looks and feels awkward but is actually fine if you take your time and look for the holds. From there head a little right and up and the scrambling quickly eases.
You could always take a scrambling rope for confidence if you know how to use it.
 Sean Kelly 10 Jul 2015
In reply to Ron Rees Davies:

Descended the North Ridge during a dreich May day after a very wet ascent of Grooved Arete, and it's certainly gives cause for caution and good choice of route navigation, especially in the area mentioned. Best to keep right (in decent) if in any doubt.
 Garston 19 Jul 2015
In reply to Eve:

If you were where I think you were.....

There are a couple of moves to start the last part of the North Ridge (staying true to the ridge and not deviated left towards Heather Terrace) that feel scary and as though you are commiting to a real climb. Once past these moves the actual scrambling becomes easier but the exposure becomes greater meaning that it is very much psychological. I would absolutely agree with previous posters that Tryfans North Ridge would not be something I would advise to descend! Indeed a few weeks ago not long after I was last up there a Lady lost her life after she had turned round and took a fall while descending.

In summary, none of the scrambling up near the summit is too difficult so dont worry about getting stuck but the exposure can be quite scary. (I climbed it at night a couple of years back and this wasnt a problem as I couldnt see the drop!)

Stay Safe,

Chris
 johncook 19 Jul 2015
In reply to andrewmcleod:
Although I have done this route many times, a few months ago, a friend who is doing an MIA (I think), said he wanted to lead a group to the top of Tryfan and back. Oh my! What fun. Not only that, but at the start he was telling anyone who would listen how good he was and how he knew where he was going and what he was doing. We started at 11 am. I stopped the others from doing anything that might hurt them, to his constant comments about me trying to take over! I kept quiet (unusual for me!!) until the descent which we started at 3:00ish. He could quite easily have got himself and others into serious trouble. Down climbing, jumping off highish drops, sliding down loose stuff etc. At about 4:30 he was obviously getting the party into a serious spot of difficulty (along with another 6 or 7 people who had been fooled by his apparent knowledge/ability.) and I took over. Just over an hour later it was getting dark, but I had got them all down to a point where there was nothing too serious, just the 'paved' path. Final blow, he didn't have a headlight. The only light in our party was mine.
The moral of the tale, do not follow another party, they may be as incompetent as he was.
PS. He managed to get his certificate, god knows how. I would not even go with him again in his attempt to log more mountains. Also warned off friends and quickly and quietly removed his ads for volunteers he posted at local climbing walls.
Enjoy your trip, take care, and ensure that if things are not going well that you turn back.
Post edited at 13:07

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