Not wishing to jump the gun on the no-doubt forthcoming review of the Mescalitos, are they any good? I've been pondering getting a pair for scrambling trips, but they looked like they might be a bit uncomfortable to walk in - and since most scrambling trips in this country seem to involve a fair walk as well, I wasn't sure how good they'd be. Any views ?
P.S. I agree, Clogwyn y Person is a brilliant scramble. The grade 3+ up the middle of llwydd gives it a good run for it's money in terms of situation, but the rock's not as nice and it's a bit hard and contrived.
P.P.S. Surely with all your connections into the gear-supply industry you could blag a new pair of trousers for your partner ? Troll Jesters are Sooo 1980s :-)
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 The Mescalitos are fantastic - not only are they superb on scrambles and low grade rock climbs, but they're also very comfortable to walk in. Just about the only thing I can't see them being great for is water resistance. Also, I don't know how long the sole will last, but so far, so good. I will put a proper review up in the next day or so and then update it in the light of further abuse.
The Troll Jesters were actually attached to a very nice young lass from Leicester rather than my depleted battery climbing partner, but if she reads this and would like to get in touch, I'll see what I can do... It seems like an act of kindness really...
Cool.
Jon
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>...rather than my depleted battery climbing partner...
Your climbing partner is a hen ?
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Nope, he's like an electronic device with low batteries - every so often he springs into life and makes a short bleeping or other noise before relapsing into silence.
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 Just resurected this thread to say that the Clogwyn is FANTASTIC.
Some of the moves are a little beyond me to do with any grace as yet, but I got up them without needing to be dragged up by the rope. Totally enjoyable, certainly one of the best days in the hills I have EVER had.
(Not sure if it IS the best but I'll have to think over that given a little time.)
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 ah, but the rope was kept rather tight for the last bit...................... OK, it probably isn't part of the official route but it'd be a shame to miss it out!!!
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I'll be honest and blame my boots for that one Dave...they weren't stiff enough to jam in the way I needed too, and they weren't sticky enough on that slimey-nasty-hand-hold-free-chimney you took us up!
And it was funny how those other two chaps just sort of wandered AROUND that bit too..........
(cheers though...Top day!)
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Nah, blame my sense of humour for that one, I've done that bit three times now and still not managed to do it with any style as yet, but it's good for a giggle, it's not really grade 3 type stuff, probably somewhere around the diff/v-diff mark, specially when it's a bit wet.............
Cuillin Ridge next??
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 Just resurrecting this thread to say it is probably the finest grade 2/3 scramble in Wales.
I must disagree with Jon about the descent though. We descended the same way as we went up.taking the difficult option wherever one existed, and it was bloody marvellous. We stayed roped throughout but down climbed rather than lowering or abseiling. Not just possible, but almost as good a descent as an ascent.
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 I find my mescalitos are comfy to walk in though not quite as comfy as my boots.
I do find that you have to be quite precise as to not lacing too slack or tight.
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 It's a superb route. Worthy of being raved about. I did it in a torrential downpour that lasted all day.
We set off late after hanging about in Pete's Eats hoping the weather would improve. It didn't. The first bit that says "up the obvious gully" was an obvious waterfall, and the water streamed through cuffs and down arms to our armpits as we climbed. I felt uncomfortably wet and cold for the entire route and my hands were numb and clumsy. I got out the rope on the first pitch and it stayed out for the entire route. I never did find the Grade 2 bit; in the wet the whole thing felt consistently at least grade three, and poor visibilty made it hard to plan the line. The chimney was deperately slippery and it took three attempts to crack it. Luckily gear placements were abundant the entire time. There's a sloping slab a bit further on from the chimney, and on first glance I thought it looked easy enough to not require gear and left almost all of it at the stance. Halfway across I regretted that; it turned out to be slippery, off-balance and over a nasty drop. I had to improvise by using the only nut I had with a prusik as an extender.
When we go to the top we were so knackered that our brains were functioning badly and in spite of trying to be careful about the navigation, we still ended up on the wrong ridge and had to backtrack.
We got down to Pen y Pas late and still had the long walk along the road to where we had parked our car near the CC hut.
As we were changing out of our sopping wet gear with stiff numb fingers, the weather unleashed a final parting downpour.
It was one of the best days on the hill I've had.
:-)
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We set off from the CC hut where we met up with Ian as planned. From the hut you could just make out the first ridge on the way up to Llyn Glas, everything above that stayed in cloud the whole time.
I think the secret of the obvious gully is picking the right place to start up the right wall. We got by moving up in stages to about 30m where we used a large hex as a belay. After that we only used a nut twice for leader protection and managed on the spikes all around us....though only about 1 in 10 we kicked were actually secure eneough to use.
The only time the cloud gave any visibility was when a big drop was involved, and then visibility was only downwards :) It took us a little over 2 hours to do the scramble, which was pretty good going.
On the way down Ian decided to wade acrosst o tlook at the trees on the island in Llyn Glas......to be bombarded with seagull vomit by the irate gulls that had laid their eggs on the island.
Never has a brew been more welcomed than when we got back down to Ynys Ettws.
If I got the choice of only ever being able to do 1 scramble again in my life I'd choose this one but in decent weather (if possible in Wales).
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Good weather does happen in Wales! A few weeks ago Si, John C, Dave-Boris and I did Bryant's gully in glorious weather and the route was excellent. It is totally different in character to Clogwyn y Person but very worthwhile.
A lot of it involves picking good lines inside an enclosed gully and there are some intimidating walls to overcome, but it's a fantastic route and wonderfully long! Starts just up from the road opposite the CC hut and ends near the ridge. It's quite a serious route but if you were OK on Clogwyn y Person you'd be fine on Bryant's.
The day before that we did Amphitheatre Buttress (VD) and that was fantastic too.
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You can't do Bryant's in fine weather, it makes a mockery of the whole thing ;-)
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Tomorrow we're planning LLiwedd's West Peak via Bilberry terrace :)) I love the long ones you can choose from in Wales. Last trip was Milestone Gully Approach (So I'm used to dingy wet gullies lol) followed by Milestone Buttress Continuation, and for once the weather wasn't bad....we could see the bottom most of the time, but when we did Glyder Fawr North West face Route it was typical Wales....when it stopped raining it was only to snow.
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 Jon, consider it mocked then!
Next time I do Bryants, I promise itll be in bad weather.
I know this because the weekend mentioned above exhausted our ration of good weather for Wales for the next 10 years.
Clogwyn y Person sounds great, reckon thats one for later this year....
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So you're the one responsible for 10 years of rain and snow on me are you Si?
Seriously Si Clogwyn Y Person is great, give it a go as soon as you get the chance.
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Ha! Have just found the entry for Bilberry Terrace in my logbook. I don't dare say how long ago, but it was ages! All I can remember is that the route finding was "interesting" and there is a multiple choice of lines, especially nearer the top. I'll be interested to hear what you think of it.
I did North West faced route 18 months ago. All it says in my logbook for that is "rained a lot"; sums it up really!
Idwal staircase which is nearby is a very pleasant route and I'd recommend that if you get the chance.
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Thanks Alison, I'll have a look at it next chance I get. The problem for us with north West face Ropute was the North West 30 mph wind carrying the snow and rain, it made the ledge by the quartzite band a little intimidating. other than that I couldn't work out whwre it got its grade 2 from as navigation was simple, holds plentiful and nothing particularly difficult about it.
I can see we're going to meet up on some classic route one day.
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It's a few years since I did it now and my memory for details isn't brilliant but I remember the Clogwyn Y Person Arete as being quite short in actual scrambling terms. I can remember the gully to start which I went up and down a few times umming and aahing about whether I ought to be trying it or not with my limited experience and then another quite strenuous and serious chimney but then it got a lot easier and merged into walking pretty soon.
I camped in Cwm Glas got up at dawn and came back over Crib Goch without seeing anyone.
One scramble I really enjoyed doing in Snowdonia was the one Steve Ashton calls the Idwal Staircase in his book mainly because the face above the wet gully start is very open and has a couple of interesting terraces you can wander along to add to the sense of exploration in picking a good line. But personally I like the various ghyll scrambles in the Lake District best.
Oh and some bits of Bryant's gully are dangerously loose without a rope.
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