Crib Goch

Crib Goch is described as a ‘knife-edged’ arête in the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, Wales. The name means ‘red ridge’ in the Welsh language.

Crib Goch
Crib Goch from the west
Highest point
Elevation923 m (3,028 ft)
Prominence65 m (213 ft)
Parent peakGarnedd Ugain
ListingHewitt, Welsh 3000s, Nuttall, Furth
Coordinates53.075542°N 4.053513°W / 53.075542; -4.053513 
Naming
English translationred ridge
Language of nameWelsh
PronunciationWelsh: [ˈkɾɪb ˈɡox]
Geography
LocationGwynedd, Wales
Parent rangeSnowdonia
OS gridSH624551
Topo mapOS Landranger 115
Climbing
Easiest routeGrade 1 scramble [1]
Part of the Crib Goch ridge. An easy section of the path runs over the grassy saddle

The highest point on the arête is 923 metres (3,028 ft) above sea level. All routes which tackle Crib Goch are considered mountaineering routes in winter or scrambles in summer—meaning that they must cross ‘graded territory’ as defined in Steve Ashton's Scrambles in Snowdonia.[2] The easiest of these lines (the ‘bad step’ part of the route) is given a scrambling grade of Grade 1 (the most difficult being Grade 3—routes more difficult than Grade 3 are considered rock climbs).

Route
Sketch map of the Snowdon massif
Legend
·grey: ridges
·red lines: paths
·orange lines: roads
·dotted grey line: Snowdon Mountain Railway
The ‘knife-edge’ arête of Crib Goch (foreground) and the pyramidal peak of Snowdon (background) are both the result of glaciation.

The classic traverse of Crib Goch from East to West leads up from the Pyg track to a ‘bad step’, where hands and feet are both needed briefly. It is followed by ascent to the arête, before tackling three rock-pinnacles to a grassy col at Bwlch Coch. This first part of the ridge is exposed with precipices below, having resulted in several fatalities, even of experienced mountaineers;[3][4] the Snowdonia National Park Authority describes it as ‘not a mountain for the inexperienced’.[5] It is also possible to ascend Crib Goch's North Ridge, which adjoins the main ridge. The route is far more difficult in high winds or frozen ground, and so it's recommended that walkers check the weather forecast beforehand.[6]

It is possible to ascend Crib Goch from Bwlch y Moch SH663552 or from Nant Peris, an ascent via Cwm Beudu Mawr.

From the col the ridge rises again, joining the main Snowdon ridge via the sister peak Garnedd Ugain in the west. Here the path meets the Pyg Track (which descends to Pen-y-Pass) at Bwlch Glas (marked by a large standing stone), before the final climb to Snowdon summit. To the south of the arête lie the lakes of Glaslyn and Llyn Llydaw. To the north is the Llanberis Pass. Crib Goch is classed as a Welsh 3000er and is also often climbed as the first part of the Snowdon Horseshoe, which goes on over Garnedd Ugain, Snowdon and Y Lliwedd, before returning to Pen-y-Pass.

Crib Goch is one of the wettest spots in the United Kingdom, with an average of 4,473 millimetres (176.1 in) rainfall a year over the past 30 years.[7]

References
  1. Jon Doran (2002-04-17). "Snowdon Horseshoe — Best Scramble?". OUTDOORSmagic.
  2. Steve Ashton, Scrambles in Snowdonia, (Cicerone Press, 1992)
  3. Neal Keeling (2007-03-09). "Climber, 60, plunges 400ft to his death". Manchester Evening News.
  4. "Teacher found on Snowdon". BBC News. 2003-05-12.
  5. PYG track Archived 2007-04-19 at Archive.today
  6. "Crib Goch". UK Scrambles. 2018-10-02. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
  7. Clark, Ross (2006-10-28). "The wetter, the better". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
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