The freezing temperatures since the fall of snow on Sunday night had preserved and maintained the winter whiteout across the Beacons and Heads of the Valley region.
With clear blue skies it was certainly the right time to test the winter conditions with a trek to the top of Pen-Y-Fan. However, the temperature was minus 2 degrees at the start!
Conditions underfoot changed as you gained height - with packed ice on the first third of the climb, soft snow on the second third and then deeper fresh layers of snow on the final third.
The climb probably took twice as long in the circumstances compared to any normal weather conditions.
It was tricky underfoot and as you neared the saddle at Bwlch Duwynt the head wind was probably 50 mph.
The rock face at Corn Du was covered in snow and a real winter scramble.
Surprisingly conditions were much calmer on the top of both Corn Du and Pen-Y-Fan, with the snow covered Cribyn and Fan-Y-Big resplendent in the morning sunshine.
There were only a handful of fellow walkers at the summit although an increasing number were passed on the descent.
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