Winter has arrived in N. Wales at last. Lots and lots more up in GM I know.
2M FM only activation, 5W FT-270, Co-Ax dipole 3M AGL. Thanks to the dozen or so chasers. I cowered in the summit shelter circle for 30 mins.
Summit Trig
A cold and damp MW0WML…
On the descent back to Plas y Brenin
Is that your “cowering” face Gerald? 
The bonus approacheth
It’s my “the snow is hurting my cheeks” face… 
Well don’t sit in it!
At least not without an insulated pad.
Up on Aran Fawddwy and Glasgwm the graupel was rather hard and it stung. 3C on AF and 1C on Glasgwm with a strong gusting northerly blowing taking it sub-zero, graupel pinging everywhere… ah, ideal conditions for an activation. 
Oh, by the way, isn’t it still autumn? Maybe this year we will get a winter…
Be careful what you wish for…
The only trouble is that this has been forecast for the last four years…
Brian
Soft southern jessies.
I’m not expecting any snow or ice this winter, as I’ve just invested in 4 season tyres
I thought I glimpsed some snow on the Carneddau this morning, could you see much in that direction Gerald?
Fighting talk! I bet I’ve done more on snow and ice than you have!
Brian
There was a bit, but whenever I was clear of cloud the Carneddau summits were not.
I moisturise you know… how else could I stay looking this youthful.
There I was thinking it was all the shandy you drank!
WX forecast is for 3/8 of a mm of sleety rain and most of the UK will come to a stop for 24hrs. Yes, I know we don’t get much snow compared to mainland Europe at the same latitude but they must be looking at us thinking “you’d think they’d expect a bit of white stuff every winter and be able to cope with the odd inch of it now and then.”
When I was a kid if it snowed you still had to walk to school (and in short trousers). Nowadays a snowflake is seen and the entire education system is shutdown for 48hrs.
I blame it on modern houses, we’re a nation of jessies now. Gone of the days when I’d wake up and there was ice on the inside of my bedroom windows. You’d get up and get dressed in seconds so you didn’t get frostbite and then I’d fight with my sister for who would sit nearest the fire to stay warm whilst having breakfast. Duvets, central heating, double glazing… it’s done us no good I tell you!
Ha ha ha ha ha… brought back memories! The joy of a “back boiler” heating system. Great when it was running, not too good first thing in the morning.
Anyway, I’m just looking forward to some more hilltop winter fun.
Here’s one of my good lady (Sue) nearing the top of a climb in Glencoe a few years back… no radio then though.
Brings back memories! I was six in 1947, we had an outside toilet and Dad dug a corridor through the snow to it, the top was above my head! Later I measured the snow line on the garden wall, we had five feet! After a week the toilet froze despite a hurricane lantern beside the pipes…At least the gas lighting held back the chill a little - we didn’t get electricity until a couple of years later! Oh yes, with the canals frozen coal stocks weren’t replenished so we ran out of coal and had to burn furniture. They don’t make 'em like that any more, thank God! 1963 was a doddle by comparison…ten years later I was wild camping at the top of Glencoe, handy for the Buachaille and the Kingshouse! I remember the water carrier freezing…and having to chip my gloves off the summit cairn with an ice axe!
Brian
“Luxury” we used to dream of having an outside toilet, we just had a hole in the ground and sucked on frozen gravel for breakfast if we were lucky….
Mike
Yes, I remember, that was a good sketch!
Brian
I didn’t “wish” for it Brian, just made a statement. I seem to recall 2009 / 2010 might have been the last hard winter with plenty of the white stuff. I really enjoyed the 4 mile drive on snow to get to the parking spot for Fountains Fell G/NP-017 in January 2010. The local farmer turned out on foot to see what prat had driven a standard car up the valley - didn’t say much when he saw the Quattro badge.
Just checked my activation list and I reckon the last decent snow was during the winter of 2012/13. The following year it was decidedly wet by comparison. We did find a wee dusting on Cairnharrow GM/SS-191 in December 2014 and Feb 2015 produced some snowy summits up in GM/SS, but down this way it has been wet rather than snowy over the winter periods. At least it relieves the frustration of having 4WD and getting stuck in traffic because everyone else has just got 2WD.
Gerald
