Snowdon - The hard way
(or excursions on Crib Goch and the Snowdon
Horseshoe)
The 1st Climb of Crib Goch.
Greg and I needed to climb Crib Goch and Crib-y-Ddysgl, also known as Garnedd Ugain, to complete the Welsh 3000’s and I must admit the thought of tackling Crib Goch, the "Red Ridge", filled me with trepidation. Most of the Snowdonia walking books I had read that referred to Crib Goch indicated that you needed to be an experienced scrambler and, although I’d climbed the other high hills in Snowdonia, I wasn’t sure if my ability was up to it. I knew however I would have no trouble with Crib-y-Ddysgl. If I had had my wits about me on previous Snowdon excursions I could have walked the short distance from the Llanberis Path, near the top of Snowdon, and "bagged" Crib-y-Ddysgl with the minimum amount of effort and without any concern about "scary bits". However, Crib Goch would be something different and so it was with real apprehension that Greg and I set out on 13th August 1993 to climb it.
The route was from the Pen-y-Pass car park and followed the Pyg Track to Bwich y Moch – the Pass of the Pigs. This is a wonderful introduction to the mountain. The path rises quickly and as it does you are treated to wonderful views of the Llanberis Pass as it slopes down the hill to Llanberis. With the Glyders on the other side of the pass, with rock faces adjacent to this, it is a terrific panorama and as good as the start of any walk. But it is hard work. Although over the years the path has been improved, and probably even more so since my last trip, you still have to clamber over rocks and it does seem to get steeper as you ascend, so it is with relief when the Pass of the Pigs is finally reached.
I’d been at the pass at
least 3 times previously and had always looked
to my right at the path up to Crib Goch and
wished I could go that way, and envied the
walkers/scramblers that had left the Pyg Track
at this point to go up it. Now it was my turn.
The weather was good. The sun was out. The
wind was minimal. The conditions were perfect.
No excuses. So we ascended the path up to Crib
Goch.
Initially it is no more difficult than the Pyg Track but I suppose about a 1/3 rd of the way up a "wall" is reached and I remember looking for a suitable route to get past this. However, immediately before this point is a large flat area, a perfect place for a break with wonderful views down to Llyn Llydaw and across this water to the twin tops of Y Lliwedd. A breathtaking sight.
Having looked for, and found a suitable
route, we were in scrambling territory, and the use
of hands became necessary all the way to the top. I
particularly remember the final 20 yards or so when
I felt really exposed, but fortunately the nature
of the rock with many hand and foot holds made it
less difficult than it initially looked. On later
excursions I made use of a less exposed route to
the right of this, which I considered easier.
Once on the top we stopped a short time to admire the views from this exposed elevation, but we could not stay at this point forever. The ridge that we would have to negotiate beckoned. However, with wind now being more noticeable, the drop to the north side of the ridge being considerable and me with no real head for heights, I left the walk along the arête for Greg and the more adventurous. I walked a couple of yards down from the edge on the on the south side of the ridge, the less steep side, using the rocky top "shelf" for hand holds. This technique is ok but there is a temptation to go further down the slope than is advisable, which can create problems. So if I did stray downwards I made sure that I got back close to the ridge route as soon as I could.
The next test is the
three pinnacles. Maybe because I was down the
slope the first two were not that noticeable.
I just by-passed them, but the third was
something else. I suppose you could by-pass
this but being unsure of what difficulties
this could result in if I ventured too far
down the slope, I followed the correct route.
This was not difficult except at one point you
step over fresh air. On reaching the other
side of this "gap" there is a short scramble
of a yard or two upwards and you are over the
last pinnacle. And I was most relieved to see
below me to the west an easy descent to the
Bwich Coch, the col between Crib Goch and
Crib-y-Ddysgl.
Col reached, we started
towards Crib-y-Ddysgl but being unsure of the
way we ventured to the south of this ridge
when we would have been better going at it
from the north side. However, this was soon
remedied with a stiff climb to the ridge and
then it was a comparatively easy walk to the
top of Crib-y-Ddysgl and our completion of the
Welsh 3000s. Many thanks to the walker who
kindly took the photograph of Greg and me at
the trig point on the top. From here it was
onwards to the top of Snowdon before
descending down to the Miner’s Track. A
pleasant walk by Llyn Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw
took us back to Pen-y-Pass with many
opportunities to look upwards to Crib Goch and
think "we climbed that".
The 2nd Climb of Crib Goch and the Snowdon Horseshoe.
The following August
(1994) the family were again in North Wales
and Greg and I decided we would "do the
Horseshoe". The day was not unlike the one we
enjoyed the previous year. The sun was out,
visibility was good and we looked forward to
another good day on the Snowdon Massif.
It probably seemed harder this time going up from the Crib Goch. The adrenaline of the year before was reduced. However, we were far more aware of the easier bits on Crib Goch, but, as always on the scrambling bits, I was still apprehensive, and there was relief after crossing the gap to reach the final pinnacle and
start to the safety of
col (Bwich Coch) before the climb to
Crib-y-Ddysgl.
Once Snowdon was reached we passed the infamous railway station and summit café - least said the better - and continued generally southwards until a large monolith is reached on the left. This "guards" the Watkin Path that took us to the Bwlch-y-Saethau - The Pass of the Arrows – which, like the rest of Snowdon, has legendary connections with King Arthur. This path is very steep. Although I had a walking pole with me to give extra stability, great care needed to be taken as a misplaced foot could find you reaching the bottom a great deal quicker than was originally intended. It is therefore with surprise that other walkers are spotted to the left by-passing this path and tempting fate by more direct routes both up and down. Needless to say
there have been a number
of fatalities in the past because of these
foolhardy actions. However, we reach
Bwich-y-Saethau in safety and in good spirits
and enjoy what is a comparatively easy clamber
to the top of the West Peak of Y Lliwedd.
Although this peak is steep to the south, to
the north it is vertical and while we were on
the top we could hear a motor whirring. A look
northwards and down gave us a view of a
helicopter just below the peak. Very strange.
I’ve never looked down on a helicopter flying
before.
From West to East Peak
takes only a few minutes and soon after we
were descending via Lliwedd Bach and heading
towards the Miner’s Track on the south bank of
Llyn Llydaw, near the causeway. A mile or so
later we are back to the Car park at
Pen-y-Pass. It had been a wonderful day.
The 3rd Climb of Crib Goch.
A local walking group, that Larry and Ray walked with, were having a day trip to Snowdon in the Spring of 1995 and Greg and I were able to secure places on the coach. There were to be two walking parties, one to go up the Pyg Track and down the Llanberis Path while the other would try the "Horseshoe". Unfortunately at the last minute Larry had to drop out. In some ways he was very fortunate.
The weather going to
North Wales was wet. We had rain, lots of it,
and it became more obvious the closer we got
to Pen-y-Pass, the starting point, that
conditions would be very difficult. However,
with waterproofs on we walked up the Pyg Track
and started on Crib Goch which was even more
difficult in the rain. Fortunately it was not
too windy and we were able to go over it
fairly easily, with me taking my low-level
path away from the precipitous north side of
the ridge. Eventually we all reached Snowdon
and sheltered in the lee of the café - it
wasn’t open - and had our sandwiches. However,
time was not on our side. The bad weather had
reduced our speed and it was with reluctance
the party leader decided that if we attempted
to complete the "Horseshoe" we would be
unlikely to reach Pen-y-Pass on time for the
rendezvous with the coach. We therefore
decided to go down via the Zig Zags and the
top of the Pyg Track to the Miners Track and
enjoy a leisurely walk along the banks of
Glaslyn and Llydaw, which we duly did,
reaching Pen-y-Pass and the coach with 15 or
so minutes to spare. I was pleased to have
done Crib Goch again, but rather than feeling
elated afterwards I felt more like a "drowned
rat".
The 4th Climb of Crib Goch.
In August of 1995 Anne,
Greg, Ian and I returned to Snowdonia and
stayed at our usual base, the Princes Arms
Hotel in Trefriw. By now Anne had heard Greg
and me talking about Crib Goch and she was
keen to take up the challenge. Greg and Ian,
although he had
not done it before,
agreed to take care of their Mum and so I
ventured yet again on to my "favourite" arête.
Needless to say Anne was apprehensive about parts of the ascent. Certainly the last stretch to the top of the east side of the ridge would have caused problems but the little protected
route to the right made
this part of the ascent easier. However, it
was misty that day and our hopes that the sun
would burn the mist away were not answered so
the full splendour of our location could not
be appreciated. But on the plus side Anne did
not see the precipitous drops along our route.
Mist or not, the final pinnacle had still to
be
crossed with the fresh
air below being replaced by a grey misty
gloom. I don’t know if this made it less or
more difficult. However, once across this the
worst was over and all that was left was the
haul up to Crib-y-Ddysgl and then on to
Snowdon. Needless to say Anne, like Greg and
me the first time we did Crib Goch, was elated
with her achievement and enjoyed the route
home along the Pyg Track with inevitable
self-satisfied glances to the "Red Ridge"
above.
Greg and I needed to climb Crib Goch and Crib-y-Ddysgl, also known as Garnedd Ugain, to complete the Welsh 3000’s and I must admit the thought of tackling Crib Goch, the "Red Ridge", filled me with trepidation. Most of the Snowdonia walking books I had read that referred to Crib Goch indicated that you needed to be an experienced scrambler and, although I’d climbed the other high hills in Snowdonia, I wasn’t sure if my ability was up to it. I knew however I would have no trouble with Crib-y-Ddysgl. If I had had my wits about me on previous Snowdon excursions I could have walked the short distance from the Llanberis Path, near the top of Snowdon, and "bagged" Crib-y-Ddysgl with the minimum amount of effort and without any concern about "scary bits". However, Crib Goch would be something different and so it was with real apprehension that Greg and I set out on 13th August 1993 to climb it.
The route was from the Pen-y-Pass car park and followed the Pyg Track to Bwich y Moch – the Pass of the Pigs. This is a wonderful introduction to the mountain. The path rises quickly and as it does you are treated to wonderful views of the Llanberis Pass as it slopes down the hill to Llanberis. With the Glyders on the other side of the pass, with rock faces adjacent to this, it is a terrific panorama and as good as the start of any walk. But it is hard work. Although over the years the path has been improved, and probably even more so since my last trip, you still have to clamber over rocks and it does seem to get steeper as you ascend, so it is with relief when the Pass of the Pigs is finally reached.
Initially it is no more difficult than the Pyg Track but I suppose about a 1/3 rd of the way up a "wall" is reached and I remember looking for a suitable route to get past this. However, immediately before this point is a large flat area, a perfect place for a break with wonderful views down to Llyn Llydaw and across this water to the twin tops of Y Lliwedd. A breathtaking sight.
Once on the top we stopped a short time to admire the views from this exposed elevation, but we could not stay at this point forever. The ridge that we would have to negotiate beckoned. However, with wind now being more noticeable, the drop to the north side of the ridge being considerable and me with no real head for heights, I left the walk along the arête for Greg and the more adventurous. I walked a couple of yards down from the edge on the on the south side of the ridge, the less steep side, using the rocky top "shelf" for hand holds. This technique is ok but there is a temptation to go further down the slope than is advisable, which can create problems. So if I did stray downwards I made sure that I got back close to the ridge route as soon as I could.
The 2nd Climb of Crib Goch and the Snowdon Horseshoe.
It probably seemed harder this time going up from the Crib Goch. The adrenaline of the year before was reduced. However, we were far more aware of the easier bits on Crib Goch, but, as always on the scrambling bits, I was still apprehensive, and there was relief after crossing the gap to reach the final pinnacle and
Once Snowdon was reached we passed the infamous railway station and summit café - least said the better - and continued generally southwards until a large monolith is reached on the left. This "guards" the Watkin Path that took us to the Bwlch-y-Saethau - The Pass of the Arrows – which, like the rest of Snowdon, has legendary connections with King Arthur. This path is very steep. Although I had a walking pole with me to give extra stability, great care needed to be taken as a misplaced foot could find you reaching the bottom a great deal quicker than was originally intended. It is therefore with surprise that other walkers are spotted to the left by-passing this path and tempting fate by more direct routes both up and down. Needless to say
The 3rd Climb of Crib Goch.
A local walking group, that Larry and Ray walked with, were having a day trip to Snowdon in the Spring of 1995 and Greg and I were able to secure places on the coach. There were to be two walking parties, one to go up the Pyg Track and down the Llanberis Path while the other would try the "Horseshoe". Unfortunately at the last minute Larry had to drop out. In some ways he was very fortunate.
The 4th Climb of Crib Goch.
Needless to say Anne was apprehensive about parts of the ascent. Certainly the last stretch to the top of the east side of the ridge would have caused problems but the little protected