served a traditional mountain apprenticeship. Although such gymnastic practice is useful, it does not develop the skills required on an exposed mountainside at 900m in strong winds, a thundershower imminent and nightfall looming. Neither does it teach you to tap holds, to distrust certain blocks, spot the best line and avoid false trails. No grade of scramble should be taken lightly. Experience should be developed gradually: consider your limitations and the limitations of others in your party before setting out.
Above all, scrambling demands good judgement of terrain and an ability to assess the potential risk at every stage. These skills are learned gradually, beginning with the grade 1 ridge scrambles. This book can suggest only where the routes go and give advice on how to overcome some of the obstacles you will meet. Knowing when and how to turn back or when to carry on are skills in themselves; no-one can decide for you whether or not it is safe to continue. Ultimately the choices and the adventures are yours.
THE CARNEDDAU
Not as hard as it looks! On the Pinnacle Ridge of Braich ty du Face (Route 2)
The Carneddau
The Carneddau form the most northerly hill group in Snowdonia. There are few hints here of the rocky intricacy of the Glyders, or the rugged splendour of Snowdon; impressions instead are of barren summits and remote valleys.
A fortunate arrangement of ridges means that, having once made the initial height gain, several summits can be strung together in a high-level horseshoe traverse. Unfortunately most of the scrambling potential lies dormant under a blanket of heather, and much of what escapes is either too difficult or too loose. Nevertheless, the few lines worth following are enriched by their remote setting.
In broad terms the group lies within a triangle defined by the coastline between Bangor and Conwy, and the valleys that extend inland from those towns towards Betws-y-Coed. More specifically, the area of particular interest lies to the north of the A5 between Llyn Ogwen and Capel Curig.
The main ridges are aligned roughly in the shape of a T, with Carnedd Llewelyn – the highest peak of the group – appropriately occupying the junction. These ridges and their major intervening cwms – Llugwy, Eigiau and Llafar – provide the usual means of access to the scrambles.
Descending the short step to Bwlch Eyrl Farchog
ROUTE 1
Southern Ridge Circuit 1-
A superb ridge walk over four major Carneddau summits, punctuated by short, easy scrambles.
| Location | Carneddau, Ogwen |
| Grade | 1-*** |
| Circuit time | 5–6hrs |
| Route length | 16km |
| Conditions | Much of the route is exposed to strong crosswinds, although nowhere is the ridge particularly narrow or precarious. Take care with route-finding on Carnedd Dafydd and Carnedd Llewelyn in mist. Wet rock does not significantly increase the difficulties. |
This is the classic high-level ridge traverse of the Carneddau, and the best introductory outing in the group. Not only does it ascend four major peaks, but it also previews most of the routes described later in this section. Scrambling interest is spaced, short-lived and of minimal difficulty, although anyone insisting on including something tougher in their mountain day could substitute one of Routes 2 to 4 for their ascent of Pen yr Ole Wen, while Routes 5 to 7 could also be incorporated into the day with a bit of imagination. The route is on mostly good paths across stony ground or grass.
Approach
Via the A5 from Capel Curig or Bethesda. Park on the roadside near the bridge at Glan Dena (SH 668 605).
Ascent/Descent
Follow the track past Glan Dena almost to Tal y Llyn Farm. Turn right on a path by a stone wall, later crossing the wall by a ladder stile. Several little streams are crossed until the main stream is followed, mostly on its left side (various often-boggy paths), to Cwm Lloer. Just as the lake in Cwm Lloer comes into view, take the path left which ascends a broad runnel towards a quartz-veined slab visible above. This gains the left-bounding ridge of the cwm – the East Ridge. The scrambling starts above the quartz and ascends the ridge, in its initial stages via a simple 10m scramble up a rock gully. Follow the ridge to the summit of Pen yr Ole Wen, 1hr 15min from the start.
Circle the rim of Cwm Lloer northwards for 700m and ascend a broad ridge for 500m to the summit of Carnedd Dafydd. Descend east for 1.5km on a rocky path, then curve north for a further 1km around the rim of Cwm Llafar where a few small steps of scrambling interest can be sought by going over the rocky knobbles on the way to the summit of Carnedd Llewelyn. Here there are retrospective views of the Black Ladders and Llech Ddu.
Take the ridge east then south east for 1km, passing around the head of the Craig yr Ysfa Amphitheatre, and descend by a 20m scramble over a gently angled rock nose to Bwlch Eryl Farchog (there is a short-cut descent south from here to Ogwen). Walk or scramble very easily up the rocky ridge ahead to the summit of Pen yr Helgi Du.
Descend the grass ridge of Y Braich southwards for about 2km. On passing through a gap in the transverse stone wall at SH 699 609, contour right on a small path then descend diagonally to cross the leat (manmade watercourse) at a footbridge just left of a stone wall. Turn right and follow the leat to the surfaced Ffynnon Llugwy access road, which leads down to the A5. Follow the main road rightwards for 50m or so, but then turn off left up the track towards the Gwern Gof Isaf campsite. After 100m a bridleway on the right is followed to Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite, where a choice of two paths leads back to the parking near Glan Dena.
Pen yr Ole Wen (978m)
The inelegant bulk of Pen yr Ole Wen protrudes south from the main mass of the Carneddau, introducing a kink into the Ogwen Valley where the outflow from Llyn Ogwen gushes down into the broad U-shaped valley of the Nant Ffrancon. For those based in the Ogwen Valley this is the most accessible of the Carneddau peaks, offering unrivalled views of the northern crags and cwms of the Glyders.
Unaccountably, the most popular walking route zig-zags up the unpleasant and exhausting south spur from Ogwen Cottage; connoisseurs choose the scenic and comparatively gentle East Ridge. An ascent of Pen yr Ole Wen by either route is generally regarded as a mere preliminary to a traverse of the higher Carneddau peaks.
The featureless south east slope above Llyn Ogwen holds no interest for the scrambler, whereas the pseudo-alpine west (or Braich Ty Du) face, ribbed with ridges and riven with gullies, promises all sorts of adventure. Otherwise the best scrambling will be found at the head of Cwm Lloer, tucked out of sight behind the East Ridge.
ROUTE 2
