Crib Goch
| Crib Goch | |||
| Caernarfonshire | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Crib Goch from the west | |||
| Range: | Snowdonia | ||
| Summit: | 3,028 feet SH624551 53°4’31"N, 4°3’20"W | ||
Crib Goch is a mountain in Snowdonia, in Caernarfonshire. It is described as a "knife-edged" arête (ridge). The name is Welsh and means "Red Comb", which is a good description of its red rocks and the serrated ridge.
The highest point on the crowning ridge is the summit at 3,028 feet above sea level. All routes which tackle Crib Goch are considered mountaineering routes in winter or scrambles in summer, meaning that one must cross "graded territory" as defined in Steve Ashton's "Scrambles in Snowdonia".[1] 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; those more difficult than Grade 3 are considered rock climbs).
Ascent and traverse
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;[2][3] the Snowdonia National Park Authority describe it as "not a mountain for the inexperienced".[4] Moreover, on fine days the ridge may be very busy and queues can form. To avoid the long queues on the ascent from the east, it is possible to ascend Crib Goch's North Ridge, which adjoins the main ridge. It is recommended that walkers who use this route do have climbing skills and climbing equipment.
It is possible to ascend Crib Goch from Bwlch y Moch (SH663552) or from Nant Peris, an ascent by way of Cwm Beudu Mawr.
From the col the ridge rises again, joining the main Snowdon ridge by way of 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 one of the Welsh 3000s, the mountains in Wales over 3,000 feet, all of which are in Caernarfonshire, 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 176 inches of rainfall a year over the past 30 years.[5]
References
- ↑ Steve Ashton, Scrambles in Snowdonia, (Cicerone Press, 1992)
- ↑ Neal Keeling (2007-03-09). "Climber, 60, plunges 400ft to his death". Manchester Evening News. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1001/1001503_climber_60_plunges_400ft_to_his_death.html.
- ↑ "Teacher found on Snowdon". BBC News. 2003-05-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/3019795.stm.
- ↑ PYG track
- ↑ Clark, Ross (2006-10-28). "The wetter, the better". The Independent. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3354276/The-wetter-the-better.html. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Crib Goch) |