Ridge guide to East Ridge on Pen yr Ole Wen

It’s an easy scramble all the way up 'The Head of the White Slope’.

The conventional way onto the Carneddau from the Ogwen valley is up the south ridge of Pen yr Ole Wen. It’s clearly taken for its directness and speed to get to the summits, but it’s an unremitting slog from start to finish and has a frustrating sting in the tail in the form of a series of false summits! For the more discerning walker, and one in not so much of a rush, there is another option. A little further away, high above Llyn Ogwen is the east ridge of Pen yr Ole Wen. Its fine rocky crest is open on its south side to magnificent vista of the Glyderau and Tryfan, while to the north it’s privy to the wild and craggy inner sanctum of Cwm Lloer. The height gain is exactly the same whichever ridge you take, but the east one is split into manageable increments and the gradients are more civilised. It also avoids the false summits, so rather than arriving at the top in a slightly annoyed and sweaty state, you’ll be fired up after a magnificent crest-top walk and ready to take on other adventures in the Carneddau.

Although there are considerable drops either side of the east ridge, the route up the crest simply consists of rough walking rather than scrambling. For access take the footpath beside the Afon Lloer that starts on the A5 near Glan Dena. As the path...

On Tryfan, Pen yr Ole Wen behind Llyn Ogwen.