'A BLACK cloud is hanging' over south Denbighshire after the sudden death of a much loved former headmaster who fell to his death climbing in Snowdonia at the weekend.
Llew ap Gwent from Llanuwchllyn died after falling around 250ft (70m) at Cwm Cneifion above Cwm Idwal in the Ogwen Valley in Snowdonia.
The accident happened at about 3.30pm on Saturday, May 8 when Mr ap Gwent, an experienced climber, was out scrambling with Clwb Mynydda Cymru (Welsh Mountaineering Club) members.
Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team was in the area dealing with another incident when the alarm was raised and 22 Squadron were quickly diverted.
Mr ap Gwent, who would have turned 61 last Sunday, was then airlifted to Ysbyty Gwynedd but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Chris Lloyd from Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue said: "The man was with a large group of his fellow mountaineering club colleagues.
“They had just started climbing up the classic scramble called Cneifion Arête. He decided that this might be too challenging and walked to a loose gully to the left of the arête and made his way up.
"He was a very experienced person, a pillar of society, he was well equipped it was just a bad luck accident."
Mr Lloyd said sometimes serious events occur when people are not well equipped to climb but in this case Mr ap Gwent was doing everything right and this was just bad luck.
"We believe he was pulling up on a rock that's come away in his hand."
Close friend, Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Elfyn Llwyd, paid tribute and said Saturday was Mr ap Gwents first day off after spending weeks helping him with the election campaign.
“This is a tragedy for the family and the entire Penllyn community. There is a black cloud hanging over the village.
“Llew was a tireless worker in the community and whatever he did was done meticulously. We will miss his humour and hard work.”
Mr ap Gwent was described as a very quiet spoken man but had very strong views about the Welsh language. He moved to the area from South Wales to take up post as a teacher in Bala at Ysgol Bro Tegid in his early 20s.
He finished his career as headmaster of Ysgol y Parc Primary School near Bala where he worked for 26 years and took early retirement four years ago but he kept busy doing a lot of voluntary work and was very active as one of the directors of Antur Penllyn which runs the rural life centre Canolfan Cywain in Bala.
He leaves a wife Dyfir, and three children.
The North west Wales coroner has been informed and an investigation is being carried out to determine the cause of Mr ap Gwent’s death.