If you read yesterday's blog entry you'll know that I doubted whether Joe's would be in condition. Well, today we will see.

Collected Dingo and Kathryn at 07:30 and headed off to the Tafarn y Garreg. Saw lots of snow on the way up. The main roads were clear and had been gritted.

First tho' we headed up the road to Trecastle for a gander at Joe's. Through the binoculars, Joe's looked good. Not that much ice as there hasn't been much rainfall recently, but no water. The top pitch looked interesting. Great big umberellas of ice.

Parked back down at the pub and set off up the hill. Hadn't had a text from Shane... he was supposed to text me at about 08:00.

At the bottom of Joe's, we geared up and roped together. Just then a bloke came around the ridge. He said nothing. We said nothing. He took his glasses off and then I realised it was Shane! he's followed our tracks up the hill!

Shane couldn't go with us as he's neither proper boots nor crampons. He stayed around and watched instead. He said he'd pop off up to the top of the ridge and wait for us.

Dingo led the bottom two pitches and Kathryn and I followed. The at the belay stance at the start of the third, we saw that these umberellas of ice weren't solid at all. Where the wind had whistled over the ridge it had thrown the spray around in all sorts of directions and had made the most delicate and weirdly shaped huge efflorescences. They were quite beautiful, but completely unclimbable and certainly unprotectable.

Dingo led up the side of the fall and brought us both up. Quick snack at the top but no Shane.

Poodled off down to the pub where we had a few beers and some porkies. The place is lacking in a little character now... No locals and it looks a little dark and dingy... Still, it's not bad at all.

Headed off early home... Possibility of climbing tomorrow! Watch this space!