Snowdon Route 4
What do you get if you combine Wales’ highest peak with its most dramatic ridge? Snowdonia’s finest mountain day, says Tom Hutton.
Get the heart racing on Crib Goch
No matter how many times you cross Crib Goch, the view along the slender spine towards the shapely pyramid of Snowdon beyond will always stop you in your tracks. There are few places in the British Isles that feel more mountainous than this. More airy. More out there.
Inch your way along the ridge, carefully placing hands and feet and taking in the view from the occasional comfy stance, and your stress soon melts away and heart rate steadies – this mountain’s bark is definitely worse than its bite.
The pinnacles at the western end present the final barrier, but by the time you reach them you’ll usually find your confidence is high, and hurdling them becomes a fun formality before the easy romp down into Bwlch Goch and onto Crib Y Ddysgl.
There’s optional scrambling along this ridge too. It won’t test your nerve as much as Crib Goch, but it will sap your energy just as much, so a conservative approach may prove best. And then it’s easy-going to Bwlch Glas, where a short walk leads to the country’s highest point.
It should be downhill all the way from here, but this is a walk that keeps on giving. So save some appetite and energy for one final peak. The scaly fins on the north-west ridge of Y Lliwedd make a fine way to end the day’s festivities before you really start to descend.