Author Topic: Comparing screen paths and drops  (Read 1204 times)

clyoung

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Comparing screen paths and drops
« on: 22:44:10, 10/08/17 »
Just back from a great short break with my eldest son in Snowdonia. After our traverse of the Nantlle Ridge last year he was keen to try some more scrambling. Will post a proper trip report if I get time at some point but we went up Devil's Kitchen to Glyder Fawr, scrambled on Castell y Gwynt and Glyder Fach and walked out on the Cantilever. We didn't go down the scree slope to Bwlch y Tryfan, instead we took the long way round, and we couldn't face trying Tryfan. He seems to have rediscovered vertigo :-( but loved the actual scrambling. So some questions to help us choose other scrambling routes:


1) Is the scree slope at the top of the Watkin Path better or worse than the scree slope up to Glyder Fawr? What about the scree down to Bwlch y Tryfan?
2) If you baulked at the idea of doing Tryfan, even via the South ridge, because of a fear of heights/exposure and got vertigo on the summit of Glyder Fach, which of the following scrambles are worth attempting:
a) Y Gribin (in the Glyderau)
b) Y Gribin (on Snowdon)
c) Y Lliwedd
d) Senior's Ridge
e) East terrace of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu
f) Ddaer ridge on Moel Siabod
g) Striding Edge/Swirling Edge
h) Sharp Edge


I think we can safely say Crib Goch is out  ;)




clyoung

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Re: Comparing scree paths and drops
« Reply #1 on: 23:29:39, 10/09/17 »
Just bumping this up - obviously I meant scree paths not screen paths! In particular keen to find out whether the scree path at the top of the Watkin Path is significantly worse than the one up Glyder Fawr and how bad the exposure is on Y Lliwedd (compared to going over Glyder Fach for example).


Dyffryn Ardudwy

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Re: Comparing screen paths and drops
« Reply #2 on: 12:08:42, 11/09/17 »
The erosion from Bwlch y Saethau, up the side of Snowdon on the upper reaches of the Watkin Path, is a problem that the Park authorities can do nothing about, and it is considerably more hazardous than the scree ascending Glyder Fawr from Llyn Y Cwn, especially in winter.

Yr Lliwedd is a very straight forward mountain, and offers no problems for the keen walker wanting to attempt Snowdon from the opposite direction.

There is no extreme exposure on the summit of Lliwedd, unlike its neighbour Crib Goch, which is a totally different proposition.

The scramble up the Gribyn ridge below Glyder Fawr, is straight forward, and perfectly safe, offering no problems in ascent or decent.

It can look a bit intimidating, but there is a clearly defined path that you can follow, once you gain the ridge itself.

The Gribyn above Llyn Glas, below Snowdon, is a grade 1 scramble, and i have not attempted it.

The rest of the list, i am sorry, i cannot offer any advice on.

clyoung

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Re: Comparing screen paths and drops
« Reply #3 on: 12:41:29, 11/09/17 »
The erosion from Bwlch y Saethau, up the side of Snowdon on the upper reaches of the Watkin Path, is a problem that the Park authorities can do nothing about, and it is considerably more hazardous than the scree ascending Glyder Fawr from Llyn Y Cwn, especially in winter.

Yr Lliwedd is a very straight forward mountain, and offers no problems for the keen walker wanting to attempt Snowdon from the opposite direction.

There is no extreme exposure on the summit of Lliwedd, unlike its neighbour Crib Goch, which is a totally different proposition.

The scramble up the Gribyn ridge below Glyder Fawr, is straight forward, and perfectly safe, offering no problems in ascent or decent.

It can look a bit intimidating, but there is a clearly defined path that you can follow, once you gain the ridge itself.

The Gribyn above Llyn Glas, below Snowdon, is a grade 1 scramble, and i have not attempted it.

The rest of the list, i am sorry, i cannot offer any advice on.


Thanks, that's helpful.


We wouldn't be attempting the Watkin Path in winter, we have microspikes but nothing more technical and we don't have the relevant skills. Glyder Fawr was fine, my concern is that I would be taking my 15 year old son up.


Sounds like Y Lliwedd would be fine and so it's worth attempting the Cwm Llan horseshoe. If the scree is too much we can head down the Watkin Path, we've been to the summit before and we'll know for another time.

 

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