{"id":46877,"date":"2025-08-28T10:15:53","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T09:15:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/?p=46877"},"modified":"2025-08-28T10:16:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-28T09:16:00","slug":"seniors-gully-and-seniors-ridge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/2025\/08\/seniors-gully-and-seniors-ridge\/","title":{"rendered":"Seniors Gully and Seniors Ridge"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After weeks of wall-to-wall sunshine and prolonged drought, Rhys and I had planned a day in the hills to tackle a couple of scrambles on the Idwal slabs. Typically, we somehow managed to pick the only day with rain forecast \u2014 not just the day, but the exact few hours! Still, it was in the calendar, I\u2019d booked annual leave, and Rhys had a free window, so we carried on regardless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We arrived at Llyn Ogwen around 8 am under grey skies, spitting rain, and cloud hanging low over the mountains. Our plan had been Idwal Staircase, then Seniors Ridge, and a couple of Glyder summits. But Idwal Staircase is essentially a waterfall when wet, and we wanted our first attempt in dry conditions. Instead, we turned to the slightly drier, less technical Seniors Gully, with Seniors Ridge to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Idwal<\/a>
Idwal Slabs with Clouds hanging on the tops<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

At Llyn Idwal the weather was closing in, so Seniors Gully it was. It proved a straightforward scramble \u2014 not spectacular, but enjoyable, with a few interesting moves, and crucially, safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Seniors<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
\"Rhys<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
\"Up<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
\"Scrambling<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
\"Me<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Rain picked up as we topped out, and the ridge was lost in cloud. We grabbed the last of the views and headed into the mist. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Last<\/a>
Last of the views – looking down on Llyn Idwal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Soon it was raining hard, with gusts strong enough to knock us off balance. Higher up, the wind drove sharp rain into our faces. We cinched hoods, pulled on layers, and pressed on. The scrambling on Seniors Ridge was fine, though nothing too dramatic, and before long we topped out on the rock-strewn summit of Glyder Fawr (1,001 m). We didn\u2019t linger \u2014 there was nothing to see but rain, and it hurt! Plans for extra summits were quickly abandoned in favour of a retreat down the Devil\u2019s Kitchen. The scree slope isn\u2019t our favourite descent, but once out of the worst of the wind it was at least more comfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Embracing<\/a><\/figure><\/div>
\"More<\/a><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We stopped for lunch partway down, then continued to Llyn Idwal, dodging heavy showers. At the base of Idwal Staircase, now a raging torrent, we were amazed to see two people climbing it \u2014 one steady enough, the other clinging on miserably to the wet rock. They were basically climbing a waterfall; we were glad we\u2019d saved it for a dry day (and now have the perfect excuse to come back).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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