Three of us (A. Mackervoy, R. Davison and myself) left the Pen-y-pass car park in full winter gear, battling against strong winds and driving hail, all the way up the Pyg track and onto the ridge itself. The climb up to Crib Goch was not made that much more tricky by the snow and ice – there was none on the route, nor any verglas.

Once onto Crib Goch, however, there was limited visibility and a great deal of spindrift. These were the only real technical difficulties; the route was not icy or slippery. We encountered, nonetheless, a party who were withdrawing. We continued, safe in our previous experience of the ridge, though admittedly on our hands and knees, to avoid being hurled by the wind down the Llanberis pass side of the ridge.

After some great sport along the crest of the ridge and over Crib-y-ddysgyl, we moved in near white-out conditions round to the mountain railway. A harsh gale was blowing from the right as we struggled through the snow. Here, it was extremely cold, the wind cutting through every layer we had. My waterproof outer layer froze solid. Up the buried rack-and-pinion we pushed, through deep powder snow, to the summit cafe, which was encrusted inches deep in ice crystals. It was a busy mountain – there were plenty of people on the summit.

Onwards over the screes on the South-east face, thickly covered in new and old snow. The only part of the day where ice axes were even usable. We slid and slipped our way down through the mist, until a faint thinning of the clouds afforded us a vague navigational hint. Here, it is very easy in misty conditions to drop down too far to the right into Cwm Tregalan, and then have to climb back up to Bwlch Ciliau. We saw Cwm Tregalan loom below, a vague green/brown vastness, and we turned back left onto the correct route.

At the col we found ourselves below the cloud deck; fresh snow brought out the relief all around us, while far below we could see green grass. Llyn Lydaw looked rather full. We continued towards Y Lliwedd, marvelling at the scenery as the weather improved. Lyn Gwynant appeared, and behind it, the distant Barmouth estuary with the sun glinting off the sea. As we approached Y Lliwedd it shed its cloud cap, and we were able to see the summit. Apart from a dreadful spindrift attack halfway up, our ascent was uneventful, This mountain with its sheer cliffs on one side is never less than magnificent.

Continuing on down towards the Miners Track, the scenery grew more magnificent still; a dusting of winter snow brings out relief that we would miss in summer. It makes the ordinary look special; it can make our local hills look Alpine. We completed the full Snowdon Horsehoe in six and a half hours, not quite under full winter conditions throughout but certainly in winter. We finished with a cup of tea in the cafe at the Pen-y-pass, listening to the wind rattling the roof. This was my fifth full Horseshoe traverse, my sixth visit to the summit of Snowdon.