Sun, sea and scrambling
Trail heads to Snowdonia to find a small but perfectly formed ridge
In the far-most northern corner of the Snowdonia National Park, butted up against the sweeping beach of Conwy Bay, is the diminutive hill of Penmaen-bach. At 245m high, it’s a titch by Welsh standards and, although pleasant in its own way, with a commanding view over the Conwy Sands to The Great Orme and wild ponies grazing its contours, lacks anything particularly worthy of note. Except… look at Penmaen-bach up close on an OS map and you’ll spot a little north-facing hook poking out of its western flank. This seemingly innocuous feature is far more evident when spied through the passenger window of a car on the A55 heading west out of the Penmaen-bach tunnel; no sooner have your eyes readjusted to the daylight than they’re met with the sight of a distinct rock crescent rising sharply from the flat green meadow to your left. And then it’s gone. But this fleeting glimpse is enough for the curiosity to be well and truly piqued. Returning to climb it at some point is an inevitability...
THE ROUTE
The Penmaen-bach arête is only short – less than an hour of scrambling – and you’re looking at the full extent of it here. It doesn’t have time to hang around with lengthy introductions or small talk. It’s straight up from the start, leaving the dappled woodland behind then climbing the steep and narrowing ridge towards the skyline.
THE LOCATION
If this scramble was in the heart of Snowdonia, climbing above the Llanberis Pass for example, it would no doubt be a celebrated classic. Its proximity to a busy dual carriageway on the extreme northern fringe of the National Park shouldn’t make it any less deserving of that status, and the magnificence of its location above the gold and blue of Conwy Bay is unrivalled.
THE ROCK
The arête is constructed from rhyolite. When dry it’s a pleasure to scramble on, though prone to being vegetated and loose. It’s worth giving even large flakes of rock a testing tug before trusting your weight to them. In the wet, the same rock becomes slippery and unforgiving, making this ridge best saved for good weather, when the scenery will be at its best anyway.
THE SCRAMBLING
The very start of the route is the steepest, and beyond this the arête is high and exposed but easily climbed, earning a scrambling grade of one for the most part. But rare obstacles like this awkward step, combined with the unpredictable nature of its constitution and the serious potential consequences of a tumble, nudge it up to Grade 2 at some points along the way.
THE FINISH
The arête turns to scree and heather as it merges with the hill for the final clamber to the top. Penmaen-bach is the most northerly lump of land in Snowdonia, its slopes flowing down to the park’s boundary on the coast. It’s not a big hill – just 245m – but with views out to sea and over to Llandudno and the headland of The Great Orme, it’s a spectacular place to finish a thrilling scramble.