Soapbox

Hi all,

Planning on doing this scramble in Friday all things well but just wondering how tough it actually is.

Fairly experienced walker, but limited scrambling experience. Done Tryfan, but wussed out of Bristly Ridge!

Cheers in advance,

Paul

I remember it (from 18 months ago) as being technically a little easier then Tryfan, but quite a bit more exposed in places, and once you're on the ridge, escape would be difficult - top end of grade 1 scrambling. Maybe not one for a wet day if you didn't like Bristly Ridge. :-(

I'd disagree with Iain. This is the easiest grade 1 scramble I've ever done. Much easier than Tryfan North Ridge and much less exposed than Bristly Ridge. I really enjoyed it and would thoroughly recomend it.

It's only really difficult if you scramble/walk across the table section - which you then have to get down from. This is actually easily avoidable.

Shall i walk to pedant's corner now???

Just want to point out the dodgy spelling of Dafydd above! I don't think he was the only gay prince in the village :-P

This was my first proper scramble (thanks Iain) and although I remember being sh!t scared at the time, with hindsight and rather more experience it's really not too bad. Certainly difficult to escape but nothing too technically difficult and just enough exposure to block thoughts of exams/tax returns/ other non-essential stuff.

From Bethesda it's easy to do a nice loop of the watershed taking in 3 3000ers and a good long-view of the scramble. On the evidence of a fine Saturday in August, it also seems to get minimal traffic making it a good option if you want to escape the crowds elsewhere.

Agree it's a bottom-end grade 1, even in the wet.

My dog says it's a bit harder than Sharp Edge and Jack's Rake but that's only because he's 16" tall and couldn't get up some of the bigger steps without a shove.

Well, now I feel well and truly wimpish, don't I? :-) I still remember it as being one of the harder grade 1s that I've done, but I suppose it goes to show that the difficulty of scrambles can be very subjective. At least Marcus' dog backs me up I suppose.

Oh yes, and it's a brilliant route, regardless of the grade. Just watch out for the bogs in Cwm Lafar - my abiding memory is squelcing back to the car after going in up to my thigh.

In terms of technical moves, it can be argued that Crib Lem lacks the difficulty of Bristly Ridge or the N Ridge of Tryfan - but (and here's the crunch!) there are a multitude of easier avoiding lines on those routes, so I'm always wary when people talk about comparisons of the relative difficulty.

Instead, consider that Crib Lem sees less traffic and the rock is greasier under wet/damp conditions than scrambles which see more traffic... I've slid around on it with conditions which would have seen both Bristly and the N Ridge dry. There is more scope for loose rock too.

It's really interesting to hear different opinions. Personally, I avoid Tryfan like the plague when it's wet partly because all the traffic over it makes the holds, especially on the upper sections, quite polished and slippery.

It just goes to show how much is down to personal preferences and experiences on the route (as well as route-finding).

At this time, you're probably already half way up the route, I'm sure, but we usually start the route by following the stream up the waterfall before Grib Lem, then traversing left to the start of the scramble. The scramble itself is not as scary as CG, but take care to come off the left of the table! If you want a shorter day, avoiding the boggy section (and missing out Carnedd Dafydd, Carnedd Llewelyn and Yr Elen!), you could stroll back to the waterworks via Foel Meirch and Mynydd Du, looking down on your approach route.

Have just been up this route on 5/04/06, simply brilliant fun. I would say that this route is on a par with the north ridge of tryfan.Any difficulties can be taken head on for fun and a slightly sterner test of your scrambling skills, however it looked to me like any of these could be avoided pretty much at will. Easier than bristly ridge overall, but well worth going up and the overall situation is splendid. I,ll be doing it again and can't wait for next winter to do a winter ascent,looks as if it will be rather sporting under snow.

I thought Crib Lem was great and echo the thoughts of others; it never get too challenging and there's always an escape.

For me, the best part of it was the sheer scale of the surrounding hills. As you go up, to your left there's the Black Ladders (sheer wall of rock), leading round to Carnedd Llewelyn and Yr Elen. To the right there's the continuation of the spur you're on leading to Mynydd Du. It made me realise just how small we humans are, very humbling.

When you top out there rest of the Carneddau is yours for the taking.

I'm going up during the first week of may to do this. Seeing the above comments, I'm looking forward to this as a start for the week to other routes.

If you're out there, say hi.

Simon

Decide against it in the end, due to snow etc - did Y Gribbau instead underneath Crib Goch which was fantastic. Not heard much about this route except as an alternative descent from the classic horeshoe, but can highly recommend it.

Thanks for all the comments.

Been looking at this route in Ashton's book, and it isn't clear where it is on the map.

I have the start point no problem, but can't see exactly which ridge it is on the map.

Does the ridge start roughly at SH 661 636? Or is it the other ridge to the east???

If anyone has a tracklog route (in mmo, gpx or trl format) i'd be most grateful. Or even some GR so i can plot the rough outline of the route. I'm sure i have an old copy of Trail with it in somewhere, but i dont know which issue (anyone know???) or how accurate it is.

Dave I'll send you an mmo files this evening :)

Nice one!

That should help (a lot!).

Someone i'm introducing to walking seems insistent that he gets some scrambles in, so i'm trying to mop up all the grade one scrambles in the area. After that i've told him he'll have to go to Plas Y Brenin for the harder ones!

Dave,

done this route a couple of times one of them being with my dad who's 70 years old and got a paralysed arm, so unless your 70 and have got two paralysed arms I'm sure you'll find it well within your range. Nice route, never technical and hardly exposed apart from one step around a corner half way along the ridge if I remember correctly. Getting there can be a bit wet due to water laded ground on the initial walk into the valley but thats Wales for you!

Just remembered about this tonight!

Any chance of those mmo files Dave?

Failing that, just the grid ref of where the spur starts, as i cannot infer this from the map or guidebook (which gives a rather strange GR in the middgle of boulderS). I think i've got it, but i'd like to confirm that.