February 1962
Feb 4th & 5th
With the mist down to the road we were very hesitant to leave the cars at Rhyd Ddu.
A Sheppard was desperately looking for a piece of moorland for compass work & R Harold with his tarbuck at the ready. R Harold won and we started out for Sentinel Ridge. R Harold & A Sheppard, J Drummond & J Craig, J Baker & C Shannon ascended this very greasy (Mod) VS without incident. Nearing the end of the climb A Sheppard became cheesed off with R Harold & cut the rope and finished the climb. R Harold has a different 'tail'. The other party consisting of J Sands, J Fenner & Valerie & S. Jenny had an adventurous time in Cwm Silyn where Shanni was the reason for getting them chased off a mountain & a near relative of J Sands forced him to do a rock climb by striking out with his back legs, unfortunately his camera wasn't at the ready.
24th Feb 1962 J Cooke's meet
A disastrous day-inspected Tan y Bwlch and met Mr Roberts then proceeded to Caer Fran-here Jenny slipped and fractured her thigh. Spent rest of the day installing her in hospital at Caernarfon.
Feb 24th
We left Pen y Pass at about 11.30 en route for Cwm Glass Mawr with a view to climbing on Clogwyn y Ddysgl. As usual the mists were shrouding the summits of the Snowdon group, and a small quantity of snow could still be seen as the mists shifted about on the tops.
After a speedy walk up the cwm we rested at the foot of Rectory Chimney and I led off up the first pitch. Once my hands touched the rock I became aware of the extremely cold rock and this in fact caused us a great deal of bother throughout the route. At the top we ran up to Crib y Ddysgl & on to Snowdon. Still having energy left we went to Lliwedd at a fast pace and returned to Pen y Pass by 5.0pm.
A good day in spite of the cold strong wind and mist, and Rectory Chimney gave Harold a chance to use his brand new rope (show off).
R Harold
August 1962
CAER FRAN
Sat 4th August 62
Mike & Gilbert spent the day doing crevasse rescue in the barn, while the rest divided themselves between Tryfan and Cwm Silyn.
Chris & Buff, Ray & Jackie went up the Ordinary, Bob & George tackled Kirkus' later to be followed by Ray & Buff.
Sun 5th
Day out to Craig yr Ysfa-weather great.
Mon 6th
Weather continued good.
Bob & George, Ray & Buff had a great day at Cloggy!!! 3 routes fell.
Ray & Buff staggered up Narrow (450 HVS) and then slithered up Curving Crack (200 VS) leaving a good deal of blood, sweat and skin on the way.
All this was cheered on by Val & Jackie.
Ray has a pair of PA's they are great though he has hardly worn them. Someone??? keeps hogging them.
Free lift down Snowdon for Bob on the railway-or as an alternative slabs of slate or a tray on the lines. Both tried & recommended.
GREAT WEEKEND
Dinas Mot backdated (three weeks ago)
Ray & Buff had a desperate day doing the ultimate Direct, Western Slabs & West Rib-Ugh!
All serious stuff. V hard. (Duff)
Not many climbs left for us to do will have to set up some new ones of our own.
Sat 11th August 62 & Sun 12th
Working Meet
Hard works were done by the following:-
A great difference can now be seen in the interior decoration of the cottage.
Light grey paint has been daubed on most of the walls in the lounge and mens dorm, and dark grey for the woodwork. It is hoped to have the three doors in the lounge different colours.
Fred rearranged the kitchen with new cooker & tables etc. Alan S did a great job of the lounge fireplace. Guest room completely decorated in a day by Bob, Val, Brenda & John. The weather on Saturday was foul but Sun was quite reasonable. Because of this four skivers were tempted out onto the 3 cliffs.
Sat 18th August Ray & Buff
Had a hard day on Tryfan-did three VS routes, Belle Vue Bastion, Long Chimney, & Scars very hard. The weather was dry & warm although cloudy.
In the evening we had a brain storm and repainted the women's dorm looks much better now.
Sun 19th August
Weather foul as forecast by Fred, (blast him) who had written to Ray-giving him a list of jobs to be done.
Jobs done as follows:-
Windows cleaned & washed. Fireplace polyfilled & painted. Kitchen shelves painted - one cupboard painted. landing & stairs washed down. Plus a general clean round.
A satisfying weekend on the whole.
Monday 20th August 1962
AF Johnson & Co!
Arrived here 2.45 pm with six boys 10 - 13. Boys delighted with Caer Fran. Spent afternoon sorting out, seeking out and making beds. Weather fine until evening. Down to Llanberis for sheets at GPO then halfway up the hill next door but driven back by rain.
Tuesday
Up 7.30 am. Breakfast enormously. Up that hill, down to Llanberis shopping. Weather showery. Lunch even more enormous. Down to Caernarfon. Swimming. Raining. Enjoyable!
Supper enormous. Indoor games to give clothes a chance to dry! Bed. Phew! Hope for a fine day tomorrow.
Wednesday
Better day: started badly but cleared by lunch.
Walked up Snowdon and back along the path which everyone seems to take from here (ie Llanberis not Caer Fran) & everyone was taking it today. Weather ideal, not hot but lovely views and broken sunlight. The boys enjoyed it despite one or two groans. One tells me tonight this is the first time he has ever washed up! - the blessings of a poor upbringing!
Thursday
Foul day for weather. Almost continuous rain. Went to Llandudno in search of the sun but did not find it.
Boys happy to spend some time on 'amusements' but disappointed not to swim. This was alleviated when we returned as they all had to strip and push the van up the field which was pretty waterlogged. This covered them in mud so we splashed in the stream now in spate. All said they were tired so early to bed 9.15 pm - although they don't sound tired now! - 9.30! (Could use several drying rooms)(Still enjoying every minute!)
Friday
Dull morning: games around here after emptying the Elsan. Could not find area designated by four stakes so made a pit on the far side of the field where the 'ladies' is marked L with stones. 'Operation Emptying' either shunned or participated in with morbid interest. Up to Llyn Dwythwch - very wet & boggy, down to rowing on the lake, back for supper. An early start (comparatively) tomorrow so this is the last entry. Our grateful thanks for a splendid week. We have left you an ashtray and various towels etc which may be of some use.
Good climbing for the future and many happy days here.
from
AF Johnson.
There follows the six signatures of:
Sat 25th August 1962
George, Chris & Nick & Bob arrived in the Pass about 2 o'clock. Bob & George went to the Wastad and did Shadow Wall, Cornix & Crackstone Rib while Chris & Nick were on the Cromlech doing Flying Buttress & Spiral Stairs.
Having spent Friday evening at the hut in the company of boy scouts, a party of six got an early start at Lliwedd.
Various routes: Ray and Buff did Yellow Slab, Red Wall and Longland's (Buff leading of course); Alan Stuart and John spent a swinging couple of hours on Rocker; Jim Murray and Clive Bromelow went up by way of Central Chimney, Red Wall and finished Longland's to the accompaniment of advice, encouragement, plaudits and orange peel from the gallery. After teas, coffees, grapefruit juice etc at Snowdon Caf, Alan led descent at brisk gallop by way of P y G Track.
Sunday 26th August
Weather lousy. Odd jobs done in the hut. (Alan Stuart and his fireplace, notably). Invasion of Dolbadarn Castle and Llanberis by party and sweet young thing called Roberta who joined the party (she was picking flowers).
Friday 31st August
Scotland here we come!!!
Chris, Bob, George, Nick, Ray & Buff.
Wednesday-Sunday August 29th to Sept 2nd
Weather remarkably fine for August 1962-Had a lazy five days doing odd jobs in hut and pottering around district.
In the Pass saw two on Kaisergebirge Wall with a 3rd sitting on the ground-Christine (3½) informed us that she wasn't climbing because she had no string to climb on-(out of the mouths of...)
Fred and Bett Smith, Ian and Christine
September 1962
Sunday Sep 23rd
Ray & Buff came out for the afternoon, so as Ray could do a few jobs for Fred. No climbing this week unfortunately, hope the weather holds out till next week.
Sep 29th & 30th
Working Meet-NOT ENTERED!!
One can only presume that nothing was done worth mentioning.
Space will be left in case it was otherwise.
(in another hand:-)
A very large working party with 17 on Sat and 19 on Sunday. The weather was incredibly bad but the hut withstood it satisfactorily. A start was made on the installation of Hot Water System, also tackled were ceilings, window frames, decorating, gutters, rendering inside & out and much cooking. Excellent weekend with an hilarious Saturday evening. (Home from poem!)
October 1962
Sat & Sun 6th & 7th
Arrive at the hut rather late on Sat so decide on the Moel Eilio - Foel Goch ridge just to get warmed up, we need the exercise. The weather was fine towards the evening but earlier in the day it had been rather cloudy.
Sunday was spent on Cyrn Las doing monthly ascent of Main Wall. The route was generally damp, especially on the crux pitch ie the gangways. But above in the sun the rock was warm & rough. We then ran over to Clogwyn y Ddysgl for the 'Gambit' before descending the ridge via Parson's Nose en route for the road. A fine day both in the climbing and in the weather.
Ray Harold, Buff
Sat & Sunday Oct 13/14th
Fred and Bett Smith came on a private working party with Ian and Christine & joined on Sat by Chris Shannon and on Saturday (pm) by John Sands and Joan Fenner. Jobs accomplished - kitchen ceiling finished and painted kitchen wall render completed and part plastered - kitchen decorated (1st coat) in Cementext. Gable wall rendered, broken pane replaced. PAINT BRUSHES LEFT DIRTY WERE CLEANED (much endeavour). Grate cleaned and painted with stove enamel. John, Joan, Bett, Fred worked until 2 am Saturday night in flush of enthusiasm. Underside of staircase decorated. New step fitted at back door. So watch your step!
Ray & Buff also arrived on Friday evening for a climbing weekend. the weather was lovely but both climbers were in a festering mood.
Sat climbs on 3 cliffs. Crackstone Rib, Trilon, Nea, and The Wrinkle. Enjoyable.
On Sunday we were both joined by Chris and tackled Central Chimney & Red Wall on Lliwedd, also enjoyable.
Oct 21st
Spent a pleasant day on Dinas Mot. (Ray & Buff) doing Direct and Western Slabs. Weather warm & dry unlike the rest of the summer.
20th Oct 1962
Arriving at the Slabs infested with a living mass of gaily garbed people the party, George, Chris, Nick, Pete, and Glen and Bob carried on to the Devil's Kitchen and preceded to climb Devil's Staircase (Pete, Glen, Bob & George). Nick and Chris not having aqualungs and felt-soled clettershoes abandoned Hanging Garden Gully. We then all descended to the Slabs. Pete & George did the East Wall Girdle, Bob got stuck on the overhang on Heather Wall and had to get dragged off by George, Glen abseiled off. Nick and Chris soloed the Ordinary Route in search of the rest of the party. We eventually all joined forces and made a late descent and arrived at Caer Fran in a state of semi starvation.
21st Oct 1962
The above mentioned party all went to Lliwedd and had a good day doing Avalanche, Red Wall and Longland's Continuation.
Back dated 6th Oct 1962
First ascent
Named 'Peeler's Groove' 90 - ft (Hard Severe)
The above named climb is on Pen e arl oanen* (please excuse pronunciation) 600 ft above the A5 main road opposite Jonses barn way over the other side of the road down in the valley (THE BARN)**
This climb was done in one leadout.
Climb a few feet (3) off the screes onto a grass ledge and pull up onto a sharp edged pinical it was necessary to insert a peg into the groove to enable one to pull into the groove. After this, climb to about 35 ft an a hard move is done still in the grove*** (a peg protected the leader here. We considered this a wise thing to do) step out left of the grove and step onto a little ledge from this ledge climb up two short twin cracks on left. of ledge good belay and stance on top.
The climb was so called because both climbers concerned fell out of the grove hence the name.
R Dukeson George Homer
(The above account has been rendered as closely as possible to the original in order to preserve the flavour of the entry. The handwriting is clearly that of R Dukeson. The following comments were inserted. Ed.)
* Which country is this mountain in?
** Is this climb on Jones's? Barn
*** Orchard or mountain?
Oct 26/28
A cold wet weekend after all the dry weather - nonetheless Jim Murray, Fred Smith and Colin York climbed. A most enjoyable weekend. Ray & Buff climbed.
Sat
Sun
Dives Route Ray Harold, Buff Shannon
Oct 26/28
Ramblers Association party (10)
November 1962
Nov 17th
An unbelievable November day - a fierce blizzard raging with snow deepening rapidly - towards evening the precipitation increased and the temperature dropped steadily. The snow line descended until at 10.30pm Caer Fran is getting its first winter covering of snow. The pass is deserted - not a tent or a climber to be seen.. We managed to walk up to the Causeway where the driving snow was unbearable and we retreated soaked to the skin. When descending it was difficult to stay upright against the wind.
Nov 18th Sunday
Unbelievable again - during the night a blizzard raged and this morning the Pass was blocked as low as Bont Cromlech. Drifts up to 5ft and a level depth of up to 12".
We walked up to P y P and thence up the Miner's Track to Llydaw - the road was completely obliterated with 8ft drifts. It was impossible to progress even to Glaslyn and we climbed up the slopes to Bwlch Moch and down into the Llanberis Pass past Dinas Bach. The snow was in wonderful condition requiring steps to be cut in places and hard kicks elsewhere.
It is to be a long drive home tonight as the Pass is going to be closed for some days according to the CCC gang who had made little progress during the day.
Nonetheless a most enjoyable weekend.
Fred Smith, Alan Smith, Albert Gill.
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