Danielle's Year in the Mountains

I walked my first ever mountains this year, as a part of the Brecon Horseshoe, so technically the first ever 2000ft summit I bagged was Craig Gwaun-Taf on the way to Pen-Y-Fan. I had never really known that walking mountains that had no official path was allowed, I had always looked at them and thought “Wouldn’t it be amazing to be up there” but never really thought I could be up there. I mean it seems silly now to think that I thought this, but if you grow up looking at the mountains and not seeing people go up the mountains then it kinda makes sense why I thought this way. 

That all changed after this first walk, and I found that I could actually go to these places and not always have to walk up them, I could Scramble or Climb or do a mixture of all 3. I can say now I am officially hooked and working my way through tick lists of mountain summits across the UK.

This year I have done various adventures, solo and partnered, this blog post is going to be a little summary of them all - mostly photos of my year. It has been an incredible one.

p.s click the arrow to slide through the photos, in the slideshow galleries below.

Lets start where it all began, The Brecon Horseshoe

As mentioned earlier, this was the day my eyes were opened to the world beyond my laptop and local mountain biking. This day was in the company of Sarah where I bagged multiple 2000ft mountains and bedded in my new walking shoes in preparation for our big adventure, the East Highland Way. I remember the clarity I felt when we sipped on vanilla chai and ate cucumber sandwiches, my head silent for once, just taking in my surroundings. 

Ben Macdui & Caringorm

This mountain walk was so spontaneous, probably not too mountain code, and looking back quite silly, but nonetheless, I have no regrets. Me and Sarah had recovered from the 8 days of walking in the Isle of Skye and were sitting in a coffee shop when we decided we were going to walk Ben Macdui and Cairngorm. It was snowy, but not too snowy but on the walk down from Cairngorm, we could have done with some microspikes. This day gave me a love for Scotland like no other, and I yearn to be back there every single day. 

Llyn Y Fan Fach & Fan Brycheiniog

After the highs of Scotland, I had my hiking bug, so naturally climbing all the mountains around me makes sense. Friends in toe, we walked the Llyn Y Fan Fach circular route, it was a wonderful walk, lovely and simple with the great company of my two close friends Dave and Tom. 

Fan Y Big & Cribyn

Following on my journey to finish the mountains in South Wales, on a hot hot summer's day myself and Dave ventured up Fan Y Big & Cribyn. Albeit it was windy atop the mountains to keep us cool. It was such a relaxed day with some peanut butter jelly sandwiches.

Pen Yr Ole Wen

My first ever mountain scramble, with Daniel and Jess. An afternoon walk and the sun was incredibly hot. I remember thinking I wouldn’t make it to the top because I was so hot and I just don’t cope too well in heat, but in Danielle fashion, I cracked on, I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of Dan and Jess. 

Tryfan North Ridge

This was my second scramble, but it was much more intense than Pen Yr Ole Wen, I loved it so much, that I was now hooked on Scrambling. It gave me another sense of adventure, but I did really need to work on descending these mountains, it was taking me ages. I felt bad on my partners, once again being Dan and Jess. Jess impressed many people at the top they could not believe she had completed this scramble.

Cnicht

This was the final mountain of our little weekend trip in North Wales, and once again we were met with super hot sunshine, although humid, and the clouds slowly came in sheltering us and Jess from the sun. The views from this mountain (when we could see them) were unbelievable but Dan did manage to lose Jess's ball in a pool of mud.

Tryfan and the Glyders

After getting a taste of the mountains in North Wales, I decided to go and bag the Glyders but this time alone. I had decided on starting with North Ridge Tryfan because I had done that a few weeks prior and then I was going to scramble Bristly Ridge to get atop Glyder Fach and then walk along to Glyder Fawr and descend somehow. I had many people comment on how “brave” I was that day to be scrambling/hiking alone, I definitely did not feel brave. 

Fan Fawr 

Back with Dave, we bagged more mountains on our circular route around Fan Fawr, I remember this day made me realise that I now wanted to leave the South Wales areas, the mountains all felt the same and although picturesque they just didn't have the ruggedness of Scotland or North Wales that I wanted and furthermore, you couldn’t climb them… you had to walk or run. 

Traverse of the Rhingos

This was such an intense 2-day wilderness adventure, that we bagged over 10 mountains, although had we of route planned better we would have done more (oops). Myself, Sarah, and Dave decided to try a 2-day hike as our goodbye to Sarah before she went away. It was probably one of the hardest adventures of the year, but I look back on it with fond memories. It was such an incredible walk, very wild and scary at times. 

Ben Vorlich

I finally got back to Scotland towards the end of the year, this time with Dan and Jess. Our first mountain walk was Ben Vorlich, sadly no views, it was an extremely wet day. We were heading up to go to a scramble on a nearby mountain but unfortunately, with the winds and the rain, we took the sensible call of heading back down. 

Ben Cruachan & Stob Daimh

This was one of my most treasured walks of the year, with 5 peaks, and 2 cols. The weather was perfect and we saw some incredible views, my legs at the end were absolutely jelly... I had never done a walk so big. I actually remember being worried my little legs wouldn’t make it but they did.

Pap of Glencoe

The Pap is recognisable, it has an odd shape and I remember looking at it thinking surely the top isn’t safe. Well, I know now it is safe, although getting up there is so long, but it did have a little scramble towards the top. It rained so much that day, and I remember Dan having to wrap me up in his really big jacket as I got cold, so I looked like a marshmallow. 

Buachaille Etive Mor

Well, this day… this was the day I climbed up my first mountain, Daniel on lead. We climbed Curved Ridge to get atop this mountain. It was an absolutely epic day albeit it ‘Not that wet’. We started in the mist of the clouds and finished with some views of the Glencoe Hills. 

Stob Coire’s & Bidean nam Bian

This started as a scramble but ended as a hike, the scramble bits were a little too difficult for Jess but nonetheless, the walk was sublime. The views on the col, the weather, it was just a perfect day on the hills. We bagged 4 peaks that day.

Geal-Charn & A’Mharconaich

Our previous week of the holiday had been so full that we decided to have a smaller mountain day, there was hail, cold winds, and rain. Which stopped poor Jess in her tracks, with Jess on Dan's back we safely got up and down the mountains with only myself getting very wet feet from the river crossing. I was sporting my new Parmo windproof which I have become obsessed with ... can you tell?

Fiacailli a’ Choire Chais & Stob Corie an T-Sneachda

We had decided to do one more mountain route before the really bad weather came in. Unfortunately, we arrived and the winds were much too heavy to take the risk, but luckily I got to bag two more mountains en route. 

Black Mountains

On our low from Scotland, it was time to get back to bagging all the mountains of South Wales, we headed on a little circular route bagging some summits around the Black Mountain range, but it just did not hit the same as Scotland bagging. Maybe it was the path they were building, it made things feel less wild…. but the descent from the mountain certainly felt wild.

Elidirs & Carnedd Y Filiast

And finally, the time came for one more holiday! Back to North Wales with Dan and Jess, I had been suffering from COVID prior so we took it easy for the first day and did a walk around the Elidirs bagging 5 peaks. 

Moel Siabod

We realised my fitness was fine and I wasn’t affected heavily from the previous walk, so with Jess in tow we headed onto our first scramble of the holiday. Moel Siabod via Daear Ddu Ridge. What a scramble, it snowed a blizzard upon us, and was such an enjoyable grade one. I hope to do this again with views. 

Cniefion Arete

Technically not a mountain, but it was a route that was a part of my Mountain Rock ticklist guidebook. We ventured over to Cwm Idwal where this mountain climbing route starts. I was so nervous to do this route but it was absolutely incredible (although my face in the photos says other things). Snow Capped mountains surrounded us, and watching the sun set as we descended from the climb, it was a truly perfect day.

Crib Coch

In the snow might I add, it is such an exposed route. The climbing was technically easy, but the exposure was humbling. Taking each step, slowly, bum shuffling my way across the wet and snowy ridge. It was a beautiful day until I slipped on ice and hurt my coccyx right at the end of the descent of Pyg Track. I vow to never walk Yr Wydda via this track, only rock climb my way up (or scramble?)

Rowan Route

Amazing, Amazing climb aside Tryfan, this once again was not a summit bagging, it was another route ticked off my tick list in Mountain Rock. This route had some amazing exposure and really fun climbing. 

And that was my year folks!

And there you have it, my year in the mountains, I went from not doing any in my life to all of these in one year. I hope my adventures inspire you to do the same. Have fun and be safe out there! 

Until next year, Dani

xoxoxox