Scramble Route - Maybe Tower Rib, Snowdonia

Maybe Tower Rib, Snowdonia

Grade: 2/3

Maybe Tower Rib can be wet, slippery and in places a little loose, but combined with an easy approach from the Idwal Slabs or a long approach walk it makes a good approach to the summit of Glyder Fawr without feeling like a lemming.

Equipment: Rope, slings and nuts advisable

Online Map link

Views: 3 Technicality: 3 Exposure: 2

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GIBBER FACTOR* 2 *out of five.

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Overview When the summer crowds arrive Glyder Fawr can get a little claustrophobic with a limited number of places to escape to, but this scramble dodges the hordes via Cwm Cneifon, perched above the Idwal Slabs in Cwm Idwal.

Most people associate Cwm Cneifion - also known as 'the nameless cwm' - with the classic Cneifion Arete route, but there is another, less frequented, route if you want to be alone.

 

Spikiness on Glyder Fawr by Mark Edmonson
from his OM album

The wonderfully-named Maybe Tower Rib can be wet, slippery and in places a little loose, but combined with an easy approach from the Idwal Slabs or a long approach walk it makes a good alternative scrambling approach to the summit of Glyder Fawr without feeling like a lemming.

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Approach Start from the Ogwen Cottage car park and take the path up to Cwm Idwal. Follow the path alongside the lake to the obvious large slabs on the left hand side at SH644 589 for a start using one of the Idwal Slabs approaches.

Cwm Idwal by Dean Morgan - Cwm Cneifon is above the Idwal
Slabs on the left of the pic - OM album

Alternatively when halfway along the lakeside take a faint path up the hillside on the left into Lower Cwm Cneifion, then continue up into the main bowl of the cwm.

Maybe Tower Rib is the ill defined rib that marks the right hand boundary of the slabs to the right of the prominent Cneifion Arete.

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Route Start up the gully on the right hand side of the rib, indistinct at first but becoming more defined as you ascend.

The gully normally takes at least a little water in all but the driest weather and the best line lies to the right of this. As the gully becomes more defined you can move left onto the rib itself.

The rib becomes a ridge, narrowing as it climbs towards an obvious a tower. A 7ft high pinnacle marks the foot of the tower, and on reaching it move behind the pinnacle to an obvious corner. 8ft of easy scrambling leads to more difficult ground, but by moving left here keeps you on line.

The classic Cneifon Arete by Simon Chaplin - OM album

Moving right now keeps you on the edge, looking down onto the top of the gully, but be prepared to move left again onto a much steeper section. Take the steep section on directly, using protection where necessary, then move right again to return to the edge.

Here the exposure increases as you climb a series of blocks towards a large flake. Keep this flake on your right and follow the final, now indistinct, section of ridge to emerge on the summit plateau with the summit of Glyder Fawr off to your right.

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Descent The descents from Glyder Fawr are numerous, but the Devils Kitchen path is the traditional and most popular route. Alternatives include a traverse of Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach then descent to Cwm Bochlwyd or a traverse right to take in Y Garn.

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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.