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Crib Lem, a very nice scramble indeed.

Crib Lem, a very nice scramble indeed.


Postby jacob » Tue Jul 26, 2016 9:39 am

Hewitts included on this walk: Carnedd Dafydd

Date walked: 22/07/2016

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My summer holidays started earlier than my lady's. Same goes for my brother's and his lady's. This was my chance to introduce my brother to hillwalking and I decided to ask him to go on a hillwalking holiday together, just for a few days, before we'd both go on holiday with our mrs. We hadn't been on holiday together since we went with mum and dad, a long long time ago. I picked Snowdonia, since I'd been there twice and since it's not too far and long away from home. If you don't count the hours waiting in Dover that is.
My brother and I really enjoyed those 4 days in Wales and it's beautiful landscape. He's not quite the sporty guy though and hillwalking proofed to be not his favourite activity. Although impressed with the landscape he didn't see the added value in the higher perspective.
We did some cultural stuff, some hillwalking and some coastal walks. I'll report about them later, as I'll first wait for his photos to arrive in my inbox.
This report is about the last day of our presence in North Wales. He was going to check out Bangor, I was going to do a hillwalk and a scramble.
Starting of in Bethesda I walked alongside Afon Llafar into Cwm Pen, to scramble up on Crib Lem, to bag Carnedd Dafydd and nicely walk back via Mynydd Du.


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This is Afon Llafar, shining nice and bright in the early morning sunlight.


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Looking ahead towards the slopes of Ysgolion Duon.


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When I did a traverse of the Carneddau last year, Cwm Pen seemed to be a slightly uninteresting valley, looking at it from above. Walking through it now, proved me wrong. It is really beautiful there.


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Getting closer, the first steep section of Crib Lem becomes distinct from the background of Ysgolion Duon.


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And closer yet.


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The first steep section is a technical rockclimb.


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To avoid the rockclimb, there is a steep path to the right of the wall.


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As soon as you're above the wall, take a sharp turn to the left. This takes you to the grassy and slippery start of the scramble.


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This is looking down from the start of the scramble. The sheep seemed unbothered by the steepness of the cliff below it.


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This is the view on the slopes of Ysgolion Duon.


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And this is the scramble that still lies ahead.


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Looking down from about the same place.


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Viewing backwards along the walk in route. Bethesda and Bangor in the background.


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And this is a selfie. I'm not looking angry, I'm looking concentrated. The way the buttons are place on it, my machine doesn't really lend itself for selfies.


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Higher up on the scramble I could step aside to take a picture of the ridge. For scale: the little black arrow points out two people having lunch.


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And all too soon I reached the summit. I had already reached it before (last year), but this route definitely is worth the effort.


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Nice clouds seen from the summit.


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This is the quickest way back, via Mynydd Du. This easy way out makes this a perfect short day.


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Sheep.


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Sheep again.
Quite obious, but I just liked the pictures.


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There's is another advantage to returning via Mynydd Du: From Foel Meirch you get a good view on the Crib Lem ridge.


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And on the whole valley.


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Afon Llafar, making it's way through the valley like a snake.


More reports on our short holiday to come.
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Re: Crib Lem, a very nice scramble indeed.

Postby ChrisW » Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:13 pm

A fine looking scramble Jacob and a good day for it too by the look of those pics. It's a shame your brother doesn't share your love of the hills but it's not for everyone :wink: Some really nice shots in there and great to have the little arrow showing people and scale on the ridge. :clap: :clap:
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Re: Crib Lem, a very nice scramble indeed.

Postby dav2930 » Tue Jul 26, 2016 7:04 pm

Great report and photos. Looks an impressive corrie (cwm, sorry) and a very tasty scramble. :clap:
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Re: Crib Lem, a very nice scramble indeed.

Postby Alteknacker » Tue Jul 26, 2016 10:40 pm

Very nice! I didn't even know this scramble existed, and it's practically on my doorstep! I've only ever seen this valley from the Carneddau.

Do you happen to know the name of the rock face you describe as a technical rock climb? It doesn't seem to be described in any of my books...
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Re: Crib Lem, a very nice scramble indeed.

Postby jacob » Wed Jul 27, 2016 9:48 am

ChrisW wrote:A fine looking scramble Jacob and a good day for it too by the look of those pics. It's a shame your brother doesn't share your love of the hills but it's not for everyone :wink: Some really nice shots in there and great to have the little arrow showing people and scale on the ridge. :clap: :clap:


Thank you Chris. My brother does love the hills by the way, it's just that he doesn't see the added value of climbing them. But he was very impressed with the beauty of the landscape. Haha, the little arrow. I wasn't sure about putting it in, nice to see it is appreciated :lol:

dav2930 wrote:Great report and photos. Looks an impressive corrie (cwm, sorry) and a very tasty scramble. :clap:


Thanks Dav. Indeed it is. Like I said: looking at the cwm from above doesn't even give a hint of the real beauty of it whilst walking through it.

Alteknacker wrote:Very nice! I didn't even know this scramble existed, and it's practically on my doorstep! I've only ever seen this valley from the Carneddau.

Do you happen to know the name of the rock face you describe as a technical rock climb? It doesn't seem to be described in any of my books...


Thanks Alteknacker. I came across this scramble a while ago when I saw this video on youtube:

I also noticed Malky_c wrote a report about the exact same scramble.

Since then I have been confused about the names used. For what I think now (but anyone can correct me if I'm wrong) the ridge that is a grade one scramble is called Crib Lem. The steep wall at the bottom of Crib Lem is a graded rockclimb and is called Llech Ddu Spur.

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/osmaps/53.1526267024,-3.9962320805,16
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Re: Crib Lem, a very nice scramble indeed.

Postby jmarkb » Wed Jul 27, 2016 3:27 pm

The crag is called Llech Ddu http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=502
There are various routes from VS upwards, but only The Groove (E1) seems to get regular ascents. I would guess it's altitude and aspect means it takes a good dry spell to be worth a visit.
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Re: Crib Lem, a very nice scramble indeed.

Postby Alteknacker » Wed Jul 27, 2016 6:13 pm

jacob wrote:....
Since then I have been confused about the names used. For what I think now (but anyone can correct me if I'm wrong) the ridge that is a grade one scramble is called Crib Lem. The steep wall at the bottom of Crib Lem is a graded rockclimb and is called Llech Ddu Spur.


jmarkb wrote:The crag is called Llech Ddu <span class="skimlinks-unlinked">http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=502</span>
There are various routes from VS upwards, but only The Groove (E1) seems to get regular ascents. I would guess it's altitude and aspect means it takes a good dry spell to be worth a visit.


Thanks guys. It really is heavy climbing then - not one for a solo scramble ... :roll:

Just a thought - always on the lookout for new routes.......
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Re: Crib Lem, a very nice scramble indeed.

Postby HalfManHalfTitanium » Thu Jul 28, 2016 10:36 pm

This is a favourite walk of mine... to add even more interest, I always start, from the foot of Llech Ddu, by going sharp right up the grassy slope. This leads to a little rock-cut slot, like a mini Devil's Kitchen, which is the entrance to a hidden cwm north of Carnedd Dafydd's summit.

From the slot it's a level traverse across easy scree to the path slanting up above Llech Ddu to the foot of Grib Lem.

There are also some nice waterfalls on the stream (Afon Llafar I think it is called), one of them is just below where the steeper ascent starts, and is worth a two minute detour.

Tim
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Re: Crib Lem, a very nice scramble indeed.

Postby malky_c » Fri Jul 29, 2016 4:42 am

jacob wrote:though impressed with the landscape he didn't see the added value in the higher perspective.

:lol: sounds like my wife!

This is a good scramble - very quite part of Snowdonia compared to Ogwen just over the hill.
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Re: Crib Lem, a very nice scramble indeed.

Postby Holly Harlow » Tue Aug 02, 2016 7:40 am

great photos of a classic scramble!
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