SCRAMBLING
Secret Snowdonia
Escape the crowds on these five secret scrambles of Snowdonia – by Carl McKeating and Rachel Crolla.
W
hat do you know about scrambling in Snowdonia? We bet you know the well-known classics: the Snowdon Horseshoe, the North Ridge of Tryfan, the Cneifion and Clogywn y Person Arêtes. These well-travelled routes are all justifiably popular, and on sunny weekends you certainly won’t be alone. But look a little more closely and you’ll find that Snowdonia hides a wealth of less well-known but worthwhile scrambles, some of which can be tackled in a range of different seasons. We climbed nearly 100 routes while researching for the new edition of Steve Ashton’s Scrambles in Snowdonia, and discovered plenty of excellent scrambling entertainment well off the beaten track. Here are our few fave routes where you won’t find too much company.
BEST FOR: a late autumn scrambling fix
THE RIDGE (ALSO KNOWN AS ATLANTIC RIDGE) ON
CARNEDD Y FILLIAST Grade 2
T
his vast expanse of clean rock lies at the head of Cwm Graianog on the eastern flanks of Carnedd y Filiast – the less frequented end of the Glyders group. On entering the cwm for the first time, we were amazed at the sheer quantity of easy angled rock; it looked like a scramblers’ paradise. The immense spread of rock undulates gently and appears to form waves, giving rise to its sea-themed names such as Atlantic Slab and Waved Slab. The Ridge forms the most distant edge of the Atlantic
Slabs. The rock lies at too moderate an angle to give much pause to climbers. But for an out-of-season scramble, it is perfect. The crest provides a long middle- grade scramble with interesting moves and a wonderful sense of being alone and free, out in the middle of a wide ocean of beautiful rock.
R Late autumn scrambling on Atlantic Ridge.
The scramble starts at 570m and faces south-east. It dries fairly quickly, but can become greasy after prolonged periods of wet weather. It is a decent bet for good conditions late in the season.
64 | CLIMB. WALK. JOIN.
PHOTO: CROLLA & MCKEATING.
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