Scramble Route - Milestone Buttress

There's even the option to combine the two approach routes into a circular ascent/descent trip if the weather closes in, and leave out the final route entirely. Both the approach routes and the final route can be used as a more exciting way to gain the classic grade North Ridge. Proximity to the road doesn't diminish the spectacular views, as the steep initial ascent puts you high above the surrounding Ogwen Valley in minutes.

Milestone Buttress Approach is the first of our chosen routes, and is easily picked out by the obvious narrow slab sticking out above. Continue on to what at first appears to be a dark, wet, and totally uninviting gully for the second approach route - Milestone Gully Approach.

Route - Despite its initial appearance the gully provides very good low grade scrambling throughout, at a consistent level. The gully also makes an ideal retreat or escape route when the dark nights start coming in.

As gullys go it's remarkably vegetation free and the rock, though quite often damp, is of good quality and surprisingly grippy. Start up the wide gully entrance, initially on water washed ledges on the left, before moving right to a chin high mantleshelf. The base below the shelf generally has a pile of rocks stacked up, giving easier access and making it more of a step up than a true mantleshelf manouevre.

Continue up the gully on easy scrambling terrain to where a series of blocks split the gully in two. Take the left branch up over an initially hard move then continue straight ahead on solid, but occassionally polished rock. After 50 metres a final mantleshelf to the left of an obvious rounded spike brings you out close to the start of Milestone Buttress Continuation. For many years the rounded spike has been used for belaying abseil descents, but take care as the spike has started to loosen in recent years. Great views back to Llyn Ogwen - above.

Route - A short, but exciting and exposed route up the main Milestone Buttress. Start up the obvious slab on polished rock, or start from Milestone Buttress Gully (to the right) then traverse left onto the slab. After 8m there's a good intermediate belay point, or continue in a single run out to a platform and recess beneath the overhanging Pulpit.

Take the line of flakes on the left hand side to a small ledge, then make an exposed move out left to easier slabs. Step up the well placed blocks to a large ledge with walls ahead and right. Take the narrow chimney 4metres to the right of the corner for 6 metres to a grass ledge, then move left over easier rock before a final right slanting section onto vegetated slopes above the top of Milestone Gully.

Route - The route starts 30 metres above the top of Milestone Buttress Gully. Ascend the heather-covered slopes to the base of a crag with a marked X shaped crack splitting the slab above. Start by climbing the obvious slanting crack up the slab, using foot jams where necessary, to a sharp point that marks the top of the first slab.

You can set up an intermediate belay here, but there's only just enough room for three people and it's much more comfortable for two. A long stretch gives access to a ledge leading onto a series of small ribs that gradually ease in difficulty. Keep left as the rock gives way to vegetation then continue over the last easy section of small blocks and ledges to emerge onto the North Ridge of Tryfan.