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Alan Dalziel on Knights Slab
 The great thing about the internet is that, purely by chance, you can meet some really nice people.
In May 2001, I received an e-mail from Canada, a chap named Alan Dalziel had planned a trip back to his native U.K., and was looking for someone to climb with.
His flight was booked and Alan was due to arrive in June---the problem was that most of the British countryside was "closed" due to the foot and mouth outbreak!.Fortunately, the restrictions were lifted just in time for Alan's visit.
So on a lovely June morning, Alan, John Appleby and myself set off for the East Face of Tryfan,where we decided to climb the "Grooved Arete", one of the Welsh Classics.
Alan opted to be the middle man on a rope of three so that he could get some photos more easily.
There was no-one but ourselves at the start of the route, most unusual!, so I had the honour of the first pitch up the smooth corner.
On a day as beautiful as this ,with a sapphire blue sky, even the highly polished rock seemed friendly.
John now took over, and a few pitches later we arrived at the "Haven", below the Knights Slab ( crux?).
This curious sloping slab, criss-crossed with quartz streaks is a superb section of the route, and a great place for a photo opportunity, sparkling this day in the sun.
A couple more pitches and the route was completed,I guess, in about 4 hours or so, maybe less.
Off to the summit of Tryfan next, where we took in lunch, before stepping from Adam to Eve, or is that Eve to Adam?, the two large monoliths at the summit. The precarious step from one to the other is said to gain you the " freedom" of the mountain!
The day was rounded off perfectly with a couple of pints at the " Bryn Tyrch" ( molehill in Welsh), and a chance to see Alan's wonderful photos of the Canadian Rockies, that are now his "hills of home".
I hope that someday our paths will cross again, and all that from the " click of a mouse"-brilliant.
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Grooved Arete, Geoff and Alan
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