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Tregalan Couloir,
Snowdonia
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Grade: 3 (easy/mod
climb)
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An alternative to the popular and
sometimes busy routes on the northern side of Snowdon, this
route offers superb scrambling from the southern side of the
highest mountain in England and Wales.
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Equipment: Rope, slings and
nuts/hexes optional but advised.
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Online Map link
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Views: 3
Technicality: 3
Exposure: 3-4
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GIBBER FACTOR* 3
*out of
five.
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Overview Snowdon is blessed with some classic scrambles from the
grade one razor ridge of Crib Goch through to the ever popular
Clogwyn Y Parson Arete, but most of these routes take the northern
approach, and can bear a frightening similarity to a motorway in the
summer months.
This route takes a totally different approach, with a more gentle
approach from the south using the Watkin Path. Like any Snowdon route
the views are weather dependent, but when it's clear are unmatched in
Wales.
Approach Park at Bethania (
SH
628 507) and take the signposted and well marked Watkin Path. The
path takes you up to Cwm Y Lan then follows Afon Cwm Lan to an
unmissable collection of old quarry spoil dumps.
Where the Watkin Path turns right (north) head left into the start
of Cwm Tregalan. Turn north again as you approach the head of the cwm
to see the main cliff and, to its right, a more shattered rock
buttress.
On the right hand side of the shattered buttress a narrow gully
provides the starting point for the route.
Route The start of the gully is wet, dark and slimy so start
off on grippy slabs to the right of the gully before traversing back
left where the rock steepens ahead.
Now follow the gully up towards a blocked chimney. Ignore the
water-worn route on the left as you approach the chimney and instead
move right almost at the chimney base then take on the main buttress
ahead.
The buttress gets narrower and initially starts to get easier, but
where it suddenly steepens again you can make a descent diagonally
down to the left to rejoin the route above the chimney's blocked
cap.
Snowdon's atmospheric South Ridge - great views,
er,
when you can see them....
Continue up the bed of the couloir for a further 50ft then move
slightly left to avoid unstable ground by using a series of easy and
grippy holds on the left wall.
After 25 ft you're above the unstable section and can once more
rejoin the couloir to the right. A further 30 ft up the couloir a
difficult step is again bypassed by a move onto the left wall before
rejoining the bed of the couloir.
Time out at the top.
The next 100ft of scrambling follows the rock rib on the left then
it's once again back into the couloir itself. The final section
beyond the rib eases as you reach the head of the couloir and a
shallow bowl.
From here carry on up to the left to meet the main South Ridge of
Snowdon not far from the summit
Descent From Snowdon summit the easiest descent is to follow
the popular Watkin Path, or alternatively take the South Ridge from
Bwlch Main to Bwlch Cwm Llan. From here an abondoned tramway line
leads down and left to Cwm Y Llan and the lower section of the Watkin
Path.
View from the top of the Watkin Path - Marcus
Crompton
from his OM
album
Caution Scrambling is potentially dangerous and,
particularly at the higher grades, requires technical skills and
equipment to minimise the risk. We suggest that you take professional
instruction or climb with an experienced partner.
