So for a brief time the staff had a hot coffee, the team a cold floor and the weather took a break from attacking us.

After information was absorbed the brave team pulled on their suits of Gortex and headed outside. The laughter in the face of adverse conditions was brilliant to experience. Through an old Carborundum quarry, the material used for sharpening stones which was exported world-wide, and out into the challenges beyond. Attempts at group photos failed as the students couldn’t maintain an upright stance, needed hoods pulled down and their backs to the wind. Some were even rolling around on the wet grass, because they were laughing too much at the conditions.

The walk was cut short for obvious reasons and after seeing the lake shore we headed back to the visitor centre from Llyn Idwal on the shortest route. Surprisingly not passing too many other walkers on the way! The walk back to camp was uneventful and quick, with meetings and team cooking to take place in the shelter of the Stone barn. Discussions about health and medication in Nepal, a test run of the team survival shelter and a briefing for Sunday put them all in their beds relatively early. A less noisy night’s sleep was gained and the team arose for breakfast in almost dry conditions.

Sunday’s walk was to be longer. Up the valley past Little Tryfan, under the shadow of the North Face of Tryfan with Adam and Eve, 2 Iconic mountain landmarks that draw people up the rocky slopes to stand almost 1000m high on a Basalt column, only about 70cm square, before leaping across the gap to the second column with 300ft drops on one side! It was no surprise that the team did not go up to do that as most of the time it was hidden in dense cloud!