MountainSafe North Wales Easter and half term messagecrampon on a boot

14/02/2013

AWDURDOD PARC CENEDLAETHOL ERYRI                               
SNOWDONIA NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY

 

Wisdom in the Mountains says Walking Weatherman

 

As weather experts predict cold weather ahead and with half-term and Easter holidays approaching, National Park Wardens, along with BBC Wales’ weatherman Derek Brockway are encouraging walkers to prepare themselves before venturing into the mountains.

Careful planning is needed before every visit to Snowdonia’s mountains and checking the mountain weather forecast for the current ground conditions, before setting off, is essential. As an experienced walker himself, Derek Brockway explained why we need to take the weather forecast seriously during the next few weeks.

 

"The snow on the mountains is very different to the snow we see in our gardens. When it’s frozen hard, it is very slippery, making footpaths which are graded as moderate in the summer extremely treacherous. It’s also very important to wrap up warmly. Temperatures in the mountains can be much lower than temperatures experienced on lower ground, with recent forecasts indicating wind chill temperatures as low as -15˚C."

 

On behalf of the MountainSafe partnership, National Park Warden Gruff Owen added,

"Because of the current conditions in the mountains, visitors to the summits will need to carry an ice axe, crampons and more importantly, know how to use them. The days are still very short at this time of year, especially in the mountains, so it’s wise to start early and aim to be back down by 17:00 at the latest.

 

I carry a torch and spare batteries with me throughout the year, but during the winter they’re essential. However, the best piece of equipment we carry with us sits on our shoulders. When we prepare well, understand our limitations and know when to turn back we’re much more likely to enjoy ourselves."


For more details on the weather forecasts, visit www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2653822, or www.metoffice.gov.uk/loutdoor/mountainsafety/snowdonia/snowdonia_latest_pressure.html  for detailed information about the weather in Snowdonia. @eryridiogel and @safesnowodnia also tweet weather information, changing ground conditions on the mountains, as well as general advice on mountaineering and highlighting good practice of mountaineering.



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