Ogwen Cottage - Climbers

Climbers

Situated beside Llyn Ogwen, the centre is informally referred to as “The Cott” and has been used as a base for climbers since the nineteenth century. During the 1890s climbers stayed at Ogwen or the Pen-y-Gwryd and early accounts make mention of Mrs Jones of Ogwen Cottage; “ Mrs Jones at Ogwen Cottage always most good naturedly received and fed us if we turned up, no matter at what hour.”

In 1895 Archer Thompson ascended The Devil’s Kitchen, climbing the ice with an unusual tool; “According to tradition Thor was armed with a hammer for his battle with the Frost Giants, and with such a weapon, we too, were luckily provided in the form of a hatchet, surreptitiously removed from Mrs Jones’ coal cellar at Ogwen.”

The 1894 Climbers’ Club Journal contained an advert for The Cott citing it as “the chief centre for climbers visiting Snowdonia….the cottage is on the high road and conveyances meet visitors at Bethesda Station if so desired.”

Geoffrey Winthrop Young, a noted alpinist with many first ascents to his credit, stayed at Ogwen in between visits to the Alps in the early 1900s.

Mountaineering School

1956 saw Ron James, Trevor Jones and Tony Mason-Hornby purchasing The Cott from Mrs Williams and opening it as a dedicated mountaineering school. By this stage Ogwen was a well known climbing base and Mrs Williams gave the new owners some advice on mounting rescues; ”Fire a red flare in the car park – get the climbers together and put the one with the cleanest boots in charge.”

With increasing leisure time and improved transport links, Ogwen grew as a climbing mecca and The Cott's instructors regularly became involved in rescuing climbers in trouble and gradually a specialist mountain rescue team evolved into what is now the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation.