Anyway - on with the important news. WHERE ARE MY LETTERS YOU B_______S? There I am all day sitting in my tent, popping on a handy snow block for a cup of tea and just swamped by things to do, people to see and lovely warm calm weather outside. In fact the snow blocks are just the wrong size, I've read my book, there's 3 other people within 1000 miles and there's a white out and gale outside. That's why I'm writing.

I haven't done any climbing yet (no change there then) but there's going to be some mega ice climbing when I get back to base in March. At present I'm on an ice stream which is flat (although not as flat as Hertfordshire). It moves at 2m a day (Faster than Alfie's climbing or the civil service he worked for then) and there's no beer i.e. unlike any other HMC meet I've been on.  We're doing seismic testing apparently. Actually I don't care why I'm here but I can honestly say it's worth it. Thank you tax payers (time for a rebate?).  The sight of ankle deep drifting snow for hundreds of miles, the sight of the sun surrounded by 5 halos (hole in ozone layer), the absence of traffic, no queues round Birmingham on a Friday night. All these make it worthwhile.

Have I seen (slept with) any Penguins yet, you must all be asking. Well yes is the answer, a few weeks ago I was approached by a nice Adelie Penguin that wasn't sure if the spade I was carrying was another, albeit tall and thin, Penguin.  Nature's Antarctic sheep is the best description I have heard of them. 

Well this missive is nearly at an end (thank God you say). The reason is all too obvious as my paper is nearly all used up. I'm quite impressed that I have managed to fill it with a little news and as much absent rambling as possible. It sounds like excellent Crux material then (indeed it is). So long for now and remember my address and get writing those letters.

Alfie "Digger" Conn

Rothera
British Antarctic Survey
C/O Stanley
Falkland Islands, UK

December 4th-6th 1998

The sun, clawing its way over the horizon, cast an orange hue over the Carneddau opposite.  Here and there, an odd patch of ice, a light dusting of snow. Soft light cast shadows along the Eastern Face of Tryan. The heart beats slow when caressed by an early morning light.  I love early starts on days such as this.

Charles, last in the party, lumbered up the hillside.  Too many rock or banana cakes perhaps? Previous attempts at locating the objective had proved interesting.  Heather Terrace, obvious from a distance, is a master of disguise at close quarters in amongst the boulders. Maybe this was why, in November 1996, we had stumbled along a sheep track, until almost upon Bristly Ridge, before locating the correct path. Even then we almost missed Grooved Arete had I not spotted "G.A" etched in the rock.

This time we were lucky and found the northern end of Heather Terrace without trouble. Charles, Ian and myself were at the bottom of Grooved Arete by 9.00am.  Time for some tea while the route was considered.

The lower sections had small pockets of ice; this seemed ok. But menacingly we could see icicles hanging from some of the higher sections.  Looking up to the Crux of Knights Move it looked to be encased fully by a sheet of ice.  Knowing that rock boots and ice don't mix on a delicate slab, high up, we decided up on the better part of valour and moved on. 

The next routes examined were Pinnacle Routes 1 & 2.  Easier routes with plenty of escape choices. With a comprehensive layering of ice and snow they were well suited to ice axes and crampons; neither of which we had! We moved on again.

Last year Albert had emailed me to bring my ice axes and crampons on the promise that there would be huge amounts of snow to play in.  Idris had told him so. Returning from Dublin on the Friday I duly removed my climbing gear from the kit bag to be replaced by plastics, crampons, ice axes etc.  On hitting Wales the only snow to be found was a 6ft patch on the Glyders, the group elected to go climbing! This year I brought my climbing gear to be confronted by mixed conditions. Next year I shall bring both!

We elected to scramble up a mixed route on the East Face.  With footwear varying from crag approach shoes to

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