Despite steadily rising temperatures snow has continued to prevent Snowdon Mountain Railway from taking workers to Snowdon's summit. However, today the train couldn't even reach the snow-line. It had to stop below Clogwyn owing to winds  gusting up to 50 m.p.h. A few workmen set off walking to look at the condition of the snow with a view to possibly 'tracking down' a machine from the summit to dig out the line.


An animated Roger Pinney from BBC Wales interviewing Carillion Regional
Director, Meirion Evans.

For camera crews and reporters on a press trip organised by the National Park, the high winds meant they had to observe the snow and cloud covered summit from a distance. Addressing the media, Carillion's Regional Director, Meirion Evans described the late snowfalls as "unbelievable" and said: "It's been very frustrating for the workmen, getting up in the early hours and heading up the mountain but being unable to reach the top. I've huge admiration for them. There are 12 weeks of work left to do."


Carillion Regional Director, Meirion Evans, scrutinising an anenometer
for the cameras.

Snowdonia National Park Chief Executive, Aneurin Phillips, had some good news from the Welsh European Funding Office. They have extended the deadline to early Autumn for completing the building and drawing down the £4.2 million grant funds.


The building as it was on Wednesday 16.4.08.

Last Friday, winds were averaging 85 m.p.h. at Clogwyn gusting to 113 m.p.h. around lunchtime. On the Beaufort scale winds in the range 73-83 m.p.h. are described as Hurricane Force. But these figures are eclipsed by the 132 m.ph. gust recorded on February 25th this year; very likely the highest wind speed recorded at Clogwyn this decade.

Workers on the new summit building have been unable to make it to the top for the last two days owing to consolidated snow covering the railtracks from just below Clogwyn Station upwards. In fact, since the last posting, weather more typical of mid-winter has continuously hindered progress, prompting utterances from the work-force of: "so much for global warming".

 
Digging out the line this morning, a short distance below Clogwyn Station.

No work took place in the week following Easter owing to blizzard conditions. Each of the two subsequent weeks have begun with having to uncover the railway line using the mechanical digger 'tracked down' from the summit after the driver has walked up to get it.


The back of the new summit building on Monday morning.


Rime encrusted bull-nose at the front of Hafod Eryri on Monday morning.

However, with the freeze/thaw cycle on this side of the mountain, the snow has now lost its loose consistency, firmly packing down with an icy surface. Freezing temperatures at night make the snow surface particularly slippery for the first few hours in the morning and the upper reaches of Snowdon require an awareness of winter hill-walking hazards. Getting to or bringing the digger down isn't an option at present, so today the men had to resort to uncovering the rails with shovels, reaching as far as Clogwyn.


The central rack has to be cleared of ice after it has been uncovered.

This is the longest period snow has stayed on Snowdon all winter and it's mid-April! The day-time freezing level isn't forecast to rise above 1000 metres for the next three days so it will not be going anywhere fast. While the snow-capped high peaks have made for pretty viewing, especially in the typical afternoon sunshine of late, you can be sure the contractors are not as appreciative of the 'white-stuff'.