- View from the bar window at the Hostel the night before
Route starts at Pen Y Pass so as i was already there only had to cross the road and get my gear out of the car.
- Lost Seagull looking south from carpark
Head to the North West corner of the carpark where you will find the start of the Pyg Track. (Make sure you buy a parking ticket £10 for the day, there is also a 4 hour option but that is a bit optimistic for this route)
- Start of Pyg track, Crib Goch centre with cloud and valley to Llanberis on the right
Follow the Pyg track until it climbs up onto the small ridge which was on your left and where you will see the Llyn Llydaw, turn right off the Pyg track so te fence is on your left and follow the Ridge to the Crib Goch.
- Llyn Llydaw (The miners track crosses it in the centre)
Just keep heading up and you get some fun short mixed winter climbing and therefore assume scrambling in summer.
Then like magic you are on the top of Crib Goch looking at the 'Knife Edge' Arete
- Top of Crib Goch (Sorry about the Gent blocking the Arete catched him up on the ascent, was nice to have a fellow Mountaineer to talk too on route)
- Shot of the Arete
- Looking back to the start. If you follow the ridge in the middle away then it banks a bit to the left and you should just be able to make out the Hostel on the road
On the Arete keep to the right as much as possible to enjoy the most exposure (Move to the left if you want less).
- Thinest section of arete (a Mountaineer catching me)
The are Three Pinnicles on the Arete, all of which you can avoid by moving left
- One of the three Pinnicles (you can see fellow mountaineer moving to left)
Crib Goch is over
- Looking back at Crib Goch
There is a little Scramble to the top of Crib Y Ddysgl
- Crib Y Ddysgl scramble approach
From the Second Summit of the Day the veiw for the next target is brilliant.
- Snowdon Trinity Face. In the right of the shot you see people on the Pyg track just about to arrive on the ridge and others already strolling to the summit. You can also see if you look at the first major gully to the right of the summit the 'Central Trinity' 2 people climbing nearly finished and another 2 at the 'Spider' with 2/3rds to go
Veiw from Snowdon summit is great but not as impressive as a view of Snowdons Trinity Face, espcially from Crib Goch.
- Climbers about to finish Central Trinity
Made a Rookie misstake of expecting the Summit Cafe to be open and that I could resupply on fluids for the remainder of the journey.
- Closed Entrance (Have on previous climb had an unplanned sleep in that entrance way but thats another storey)
You now head for a short bit past the train station
- Next target to the left with veiw of Yr Aran centre and the Nantle Ridge in the right
It feels like the wrong direction but is the safest way. You will spot a large stone standing up on your left. This marks the place to descend and cut back to the ridge oribiting the lake.
- Cutting back across to avoid the 'Accend black spot'
- Y Lliwedd, keep to the left as to enjoy the exposure.
Continue up and over the summit. Then after a bit more of a walk you will see a route off the ridge to the left which leads down to Llyn Llydaw and the miners track. You have to battle past loads of photographers and families all wanting to have a look at what you've just climbed
- Veiw back from the Miners Track over Llyn Teym
Then you are back in the Hostel Pub for a few pints.
On reflection on my day would say if you have not done this route is a must, just remember to take enough water as i started to eat snow. Enjoyed the bit up to snowdown emmensly, but the lack of water made me less appreciative of the second part. Will have to do it again.
Thanks for Reading what is to be the First of Many Reports
Scoobica
