Scramble Route: Clogwyn Y Person Arete

Start from the layby at NGR SH 623 570, near the Climbers Club hut at Ynys Ettws. Cross the Afon Gennog and work your way steadily upwards and South East for just over half a mile through Cwn Glas Mawr, following a narrow but obvious path.

On approaching the head of Cwm Glas Mawr follow the obvious stream up into Cwm Glas. Follow the stream to the left and Llyn Back. From here The Clogwyn Y Person Arete is unmissable as the stark ridge of the arete dominating the view to the left. As you get closer, you can see that the tip of the nose is detached.

There are two choices when it comes to starting, and you need to choose carefully as one is a grade 2 and other a grade 3. The very end of the arete terminates in The Parsons Nose, a slabby buttress that gives a grade 3 scramble/Diff climb on the right wall to the top of a gully that almost slices the ridge in two.

The route now follows the blunt line of the crest of the ridge up a series of blocks. Avoid heading too far out to the right, particularly in the early stages where you can easily find yourself on a V Diff climb. The best line is to take the ridge as directly as you feel capable of, and one of the beauties of this route is the way that the harder sections have the better quality rock.

The early section of the scramble comprises of a series of short walls with ledges in between. Wherever there's a trickier section there's always a handy crack to stick a runner for protection, and unless you move too far to one side the exposure isn't excessive. As you move higher up the ridge the angle slowly eases and the rock becomes interspersed with ever larger scree platforms till eventually you break out onto the broad Crib Y Ddysgl ridge.

From here you go straight on along the well trodden path over Garnedd Ugain to reach the path upto Snowdon summit. Although only a grade 2 scramble in the main, this route has big drop offs, and a few nervy positions, so a rope and two or three slings and a couple of hexes, is pretty much essential.

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.

Discuss this story

Mel Owen

The route description is excellent and accurate, but the upper photograph doesn't appear to be of the Clogwyn Y Person Arete at all.

Posted: 12/02/2007 at 09:56

Leighton Harker

Thanks for posting this. My partner Ali and I did the Grade 2 variant under the watchful eye of "Baggy" Richards from Plas y Brenin last year. A great scramble and a truely memorable day

Posted: 13/02/2007 at 16:00

Mac MacAulay

I agree, the photo doesn't seem to be of the arete. I climbed this route with a mate on 16/02 on a very wet, cold day. Topped out into a snow storm. Excellent, memorable scrambling. The route description given here very good.

Posted: 21/02/2007 at 16:02

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