walkhighlands

This board helps you to share your walking route experiences in England and Wales... or overseas.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Y Cribau, Snowdon & Crib Goch

Y Cribau, Snowdon & Crib Goch


Postby yokehead » Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:22 pm

Hewitts included on this walk: Crib Goch, Crib y Ddysgl, Snowdon - Yr Wyddfa

Date walked: 25/02/2012

Time taken: 7

Distance: 11.2 km

Ascent: 951m

3 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).


our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts


Well, what shall we do tomorrow then? So we discussed in our salubrious Travelodge family room (but at £52 for 2 nights total, can't complain).

Me and Mark had travelled up on the Friday for a weekend on the hills, we had vague plans but nothing definite. I suggested Snowdon via the Y Cribau ridge then Crib Coch if we fancied it. Mark hadn't heard of Y Cribau, I told him I'd seen it in the Snowdonia scrambles book. We both have the book but neither of us had brought it along, typical! So Mark looked it up on the interweb to see for himself. "One look and I turned back", "the hardest scramble I've done". These and other negative quotes wafted over to me, Mark didn't seem to be convinced.

But 8 a.m. saw us at the Pen Y Pass car park where I nearly died with the shock of a £10 charge. Oh well, we must be about to get our money's worth somehow. We set out along the Miners's track in bright and promising weather, hardly like February, in fact we'd hoped for snow on the hills and had brought the gear just in case (I've only just spotted Rekrab's superb report of the ridge from a week earlier - the change in such a short time is incredible).
w1.jpg

The track is a great approach and was a fine warm up as we ambled along. We complained bitterly about the potholes, surely these could be seen to within our £10 charge, otherwise we may trip or, worse, get our feet wet. It was very warm in the sun but cloud was shrouding the summit of Snowdon. After around 45 minutes a good view of the ridge came into sight.
w2.jpg

We cossed the stream at Glaslyn's outlet and started up the ridge. The interesting section is the steeper, rocky 2nd half.
w3.jpg

The rock was dry and a delight to climb, we made the most of it. There are a few options and the only slightly tricky part was climbing up from a ledge where handholds had to be found amongst the vegetation - but they were there.
w4.jpg
this route not obligatory

w5.jpg

The view from the top, to the east, was superb, taking in Llyn Llydaw and Crib Goch. We were lucky with this weather!
w6.jpg

There is then a pleasant walk south west across a grassy plateau followed by a trudge up the stony Watkin Path.
w7.jpg

Near the top and just below the cloudbase, was a forlorn remaining patch of snow, probably the last of the winter boo hoo!
w8.jpg

We were in the clag now but the hard and unmistakable outline of the summit building loomed out of the mist. It was windy and surprisingly cold up here, in great contrast to our approach route from the sheltered east. Up the staircase (yes really) to the trig point, round it then down the other staircase. In summer, perhaps there's an orderly one way system in operation? Rime ice was forming on the rocks and trig point and the few hardy souls about weren't staying for long - neither did we!
w9.jpg

We headed off to the north and stopped just below the cloud for a quick round of refreshment in a slightly sheltered spot. The droves were arriving and we could see rakes of folk coming up the Pyg track, some were in for a shock with the cold I reckon.
w10.jpg

We scooted off and had our heads in the cloud again at the summit of Crib y Ddysgl. As we moved east, toward the start of the narrows, we were below cloud and in the sun again - fantastic! It was much warmer here too, out of the cutting wind. There was a wonderful view down to our ridge of ascent.
w11.jpg

There's a good bit of scrambling to be had on this narrow section, even before Crib Goch proper is reached. We mostly kept to the high road and passed a few people who were going the wrong way.
w12.jpg

w13.jpg

We had a bit of fun on the downclimb toward the bwlch, with Crib Goch looming ahead.
w14.jpg

We stopped for a couple of minutes at the bwlch, before the first of the pinnacles we'd be tackling.
w15.jpg

Over the top of each for us, with the warm dry rock being superb. Along the way we met two types on their outing - one group totally unequipped who would suffer later with the cold, and a chap who'd dragged his lady with him, the poor girl was so scared she was progressing almost seated and shuffled like a crab. They were also going the wrong way.
w16.jpg

w17.jpg

w18.jpg

w19.jpg

All too soon we were at the end, with the descent of the east ridge ahead of us.
w20.jpg

I reminded Mark that this is better in ascent, and that it might be a pain in descent. But apart from a bit of nasty ground at the top it was huge fun, finishing with a nice few problems to deal with on the rocky nose at the bottom of the ridge.
w21.jpg

And so back to base to write a letter of complaint to the local council about the potholes.
Last edited by yokehead on Fri Sep 07, 2018 2:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
yokehead
 
Posts: 702
Munros:73   Corbetts:9
Fionas:1   
Hewitts:118
Wainwrights:23   
Joined: Nov 13, 2008

Re: Y Cribau, Snowdon & Crib Goch

Postby garyhortop » Tue Mar 20, 2012 5:29 pm

Nice report Yoke, and you managed to get some great pictures...am amazed the snow has gone already!! :D
garyhortop
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 313
Munros:3   Corbetts:1
Fionas:2   
Sub 2000:8   Hewitts:34
Wainwrights:14   
Joined: Sep 18, 2011

Re: Y Cribau, Snowdon & Crib Goch

Postby ChrisW » Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:16 pm

Great stuff Yokehead, glad to see some of that route is not obligatory :shock: , in reality looks like great fun (I can't remember what rocks look like...all I see over here is white and getting whiter :lol: :lol: )some really great photos among these - stunners :D

when it comes to writing to the council I think I'd save the ink for all the notice they seem to take of such things :roll:
User avatar
ChrisW
Rambler
 
Posts: 4941
Munros:18   Corbetts:5
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:6   
Joined: Jan 25, 2011
Location: Cochrane- Alberta - Canada

Re: Y Cribau, Snowdon & Crib Goch

Postby Mal Grey » Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:23 pm

Excellent report, I haven't done Y Cribau yet. Looks a fun alternative to the horseshoe.
User avatar
Mal Grey
Wanderer
 
Posts: 4617
Munros:113   Corbetts:23
Fionas:12   
Sub 2000:9   Hewitts:116
Wainwrights:71   Islands:6
Joined: Dec 1, 2011
Location: Surrey, probably in a canoe! www.wildernessisastateofmind.co.uk

Re: Y Cribau, Snowdon & Crib Goch

Postby skuk007 » Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:22 pm

Great report, must get up that way soon.
I hope I get the views you did, looks stunning, if a bit scary. :)
User avatar
skuk007
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 1419
Munros:44   
Hewitts:8
Wainwrights:16   
Joined: Aug 24, 2009
Location: Bristol

Re: Y Cribau, Snowdon & Crib Goch

Postby malky_c » Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:58 pm

Good effort :)

This goes nicely with Rekrab's recent winter report on the same. Might do this again sometime.
User avatar
malky_c
 
Posts: 6342
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:219   Donalds:80+37
Sub 2000:315   Hewitts:281
Wainwrights:140   Islands:39
Joined: Nov 22, 2009
Location: Glasgow/Inverness

Re: Y Cribau, Snowdon & Crib Goch

Postby Rekrab » Wed Mar 28, 2012 8:52 pm

Looking good!!!!

MacKenzie
User avatar
Rekrab
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 555
Munros:85   Corbetts:1
Fionas:3   Donalds:4
Sub 2000:13   Hewitts:45
Joined: Nov 5, 2008
Location: Bonnyrigg

3 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Outside Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests