Well, working on a scrambling course it seemed only fitting that after climbing the classic scramble up Tryfan, that we do one of the finest mountain journey’s in the UK. The traverse of Crib Coch. For many this is the must-do route in Wales. For me it brings about mixed emotions. It however the Best alpine style Knife Edge ridge in the UK. It can out class anything that Scotland has to offer at the grade, and as for the Lake District, well it really for the red sock brigade.
Crib Coch or the Red Ridge as it translates in english, is a despite its popularity a serious place, on average 2-3 people die a year on this traverse. Where one trip can lead to dire consequences. Having seen the mess left behind, I can’t warn enough against waiting until you have the experience and the weather conditions (preferable a still and fine day).
The route, follows the PYG (named after the Pen Y Gwryd Hotel) to the first major col. Where a signpost point what to most people will be the obvious hard way up Snowdon, Crib Coch. From here the going starts to get tougher, and small buttress warm you up, until eventually you reach the first of two rock bands. Passing the first of these is the physical crux, however it is a long slog up to reach the start of ridge proper.
We sat at the start of this ridge and soaked in the atmosphere of being on a footpath in the sky, and had quick elevensies. The ridge it not technically hard, however it has the habit of testing people emotionally. A sport psychologist would suggest that the anxiety that it produces can turn a competent walker basically into a 4 year old kid still trying to find their feet. Its called conscious processing, and so anxious are people not to slip they overthink walking and basically become bambi on ice. So be warned, this is no place for amatuer. My phone regularly beeps, and says “Team to Nant, Crag Fast crib coch”. So unless you want to be a LLMRT statistic or worse, then make sure you know what you are doing.
The pinnacles that follow the ridge are no sweet shop either, the number of ‘options’ means that no one way seems clear. If you get over them then Crib Y Drysgyl lead to Carnedd Ugain and then onto Snowdon Fortess! Today we descent down the top of the watkin path and then down Y Cribau, although you can descend down the PYG/Miners or go for the whole horseshoe by carrying on over Llewedd.
