TRYFAN AND THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
THE SUMMIT of Tryfan is only a few feet away. If I threw a stone (there are plenty to choose from on this crumbly, treacherous ascent) I’d have a fair shot at hitting the famous pillar twins Adam and Eve. Only a minute or two of scrambling to go… and yet I’m suddenly glued to the spot with dull, dry-mouthed dread.
Anyone who’s mucked up the navigation on a scramble and found themselves uncomfortably off-piste will know the feeling. Your heart drums dully inside your throat. Pinpricks of sweat break out beneath your base layer. Your core stiffens. Your tensed calf muscles tremble as you brace against the rock. Being the sort of slapdash idiot who will often scurry impatiently up a Grade 2 without taking the time to look properly at the guidebook, I’ve been in similar positions way too often. But this time feels very different.
“Come on, Mummy,” says a small, carefree voice from above. “You can do it – it’s really easy!”
Best-laid plans
There are a few things that you really shouldn’t do when taking your kids on their first proper scramble. Don’t be too ambitious. Don’t assume you know the route
