A Guide to the Crib Goch Scramble in Snowdonia
8 Minute Read
The Crib Goch scramble is one of the most famous day hikes in the whole of the UK. It is a dramatic and exposed grade I scramble along a ridge to the summit of Mount Snowdon – the highest mountain in Wales.
Crib Goch (923 metres) means “red ridge” in Welsh – this is due to the piles of red/brown scree that flow from either side of the ridge down into the valley below.
The path is challenging and at times dangerous. It should only be attempted by confident and experienced hikers.
The views along the ridge are stunning and the whole scramble is exhilarating. Along with Striding Ridge in the Lake District, the Crib Goch scramble is on the bucket list of many UK hikers.
In this guide, I will give you all the info you need to know to have a successful hike up the Crib Goch scramble trail.
- Where to Start?
- How to Get There?
- How to Find Your Way Around?
- Is it Safe?
- Recommended Route?
- What to Pack?
- Food & Drink?
- Bonus Tips
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See also:
How to Hike the Gower Peninsula Coast Path
How to Hike the Pembrokeshire Coast Path
Top 3 Brecon Beacons Walks
1. Where to Start?
Crib Goch is a ridge leading to the summit of Mount Snowdon (1,085 metres) in Snowdonia National Park. Snowdonia is the largest National Park in Wales containing over 100 lakes and stretching 823 square miles across the north west of Wales.
The area was subjected to heavy glacial action during the last ice age 18,000-11,000 years ago. This produced a dramatic landscape of:
- U-shaped valleys – such as Nant Ffrancon and the Ogwen valley
- Mountain basin cwms (also known as corries in the UK and cirques in France) – such as Cwm Idwal
- Mountain ridge arêtes – such as Crib Cogh
- Pyramidal peaks – such as Mount Snowdon
- Glacial lakes – such as in Cwm Idwal
- Ribbon lakes – such as Llyn Ogwen
In Snowdonia there are also striations (glacier scratches in the rock), hanging valleys (waterfalls), and many freeze-thaw shattered rock formations.
Clearly this creates a stunning landscape which is fantastic for hiking and scrambling. The Crib Goch scramble is the most famous arête in the National Park.
It is a grade I scramble – which is the lowest on the scale – but due to its exposure and the bad weather in the area, it shouldn’t be taken lightly!
Scrambling grades:
- Grade I = easy route to follow with little or no extreme hazards. Exposure is manageable but the trail can become much more challenging in wet weather.
- Grade II = a longer and more exposed section that may require some use of ropes. Parts of the route may require basic rock climbing techniques.
- Grade III = more serious scramble with very few escape routes. Ropes are advisable for particularly exposed sections. Some areas my be extremely steep and lack suitable hand holds.
- Grade IV = the most exposed scramble over poor terrain. Rock climbing and mountaineering skills are required. Exposure is very high and escape is not possible other than via abseil.
2. How to Get There?
The starting point for the Crib Goch scramble is at the Pen y Pass car park. This is also the starting point of a few other trails up Mount Snowdon such as the Pyg Track and the Miner’s Trail.
The Pen y Pass car park is expensive (£18 for 8 hours) and limited for space. It must be booked 24 hours in advance if you wish to park your car there.
When I summited, I didn’t know this and was turned away from the car park. Instead, I parked along the A498 next to Pen Y Gwryd. Unfortunately, this is 1.5 km from the start of the trail and will add a total of 3 km to you hike.
However, there are more parking spaces there and it is only £4 for the day. Make sure you bring cash though! I only had card and had to drive back up to the Pen y Pass visitor’s centre to get some money out!
The S2 and S4 busses go to Pen y Pass and can be reached using the Gwynfor bus route. This is part of the Sherpa bus service that links the 6 main hiking routes up to Mount Snowdon.
3. How to Find Your Way Around?
To begin the Crib Goch hike, start by following the signs for the Pyg Track. The signs for the Pyg Track are clearly labelled from the Pen Y Pass car park and visitor centre.
Make sure you don’t take the Miner’s Track as that will lead you away from Crib Goch.
After climbing a series of steps on the Pyg Track, you will then see a stone sign pointing up a steep scree slope to Crib Goch. (This is known as the “bad step” as you have to climb upwards on hands and feet in some sections.)
This is the last sign/marker you will see until you reach the Crib Goch summit at the end of the ridge, although there are some cairns (stacks of rock) which can guide you in places.
The fun thing about scrambling is that there’s no defined route. When you begin your ascent, you are free to pick your way up the rock face until you reach the narrow ridge at the top.
However, you should go cautiously as there is loose rock everywhere and the ground will be unsteady in areas.
Once you reach the ridge there’s no difficulty at finding the path. The arête is so narrow that there’s only space for single file along the Crib Goch ridge.
It’s relatively clear what route to choose as you will see areas of polished rock where walkers have gone before you.
The arête will widen as you cross over Bwlch Coch (858 metres). You will then ascend another section to reach Garnedd Ugain (1,065 metres) – the peak opposite Mount Snowdon.
From here, you should be able to make out the Snowdon Mountain Railway and the other main hiking paths. Simply follow these trails to the summit of Mount Snowdon and enjoy the views from the highest mountain in Wales!
There are multiple choices of return routes. If you are still keen to do more scrambling, check out the Horseshoe Trail via Y Lliwedd (898 metres).
Alternatively, follow one of these trails down:
- Miner’s Track (leads back to Pen y Pass)
- Pyg Track (leads back to Pen y Pass)
- Llanberis Track (leads to Llanberis town via Snowdon Mountain Railway)
- Snowdon Ranger Path (leads to A4085)
- Rhyd Ddu Path (leads to Rhyd Ddu village)
- Watkins Path (leads to A498)
4. Is it Safe?
This is a very challenging hike and one of the most difficult routes to the top of Snowdon. As it is a grade I scramble, it should be treated as more extreme than an average hike.
This trail should only be completed by able and experienced hikers who are confident on scree slopes and exposed ridges.
The weather must be taken into consideration. The Crib Goch scramble should only be attempted when the conditions are correct.
Avoid the following:
- Mist or cloud – this reduces visibility on the ridge and can make the ascent extremely dangerous.
- Rain or snow/ice – the main issue here is the rock being wet. The trail can become treacherous if it’s slippery.
- High winds – gusting crosswinds and strong updrafts could threaten to throw you off the mountain.
Before you head off on your hike, check the weather thoroughly to get an idea of the conditions. When you arrive at Pen y Pass, there is a noticeboard at the visitor centre that provides updated info on the expected weather for the day.
You can also ask one of the officials at the car park if they think it’s safe to hike! In general, it’s best to be responsible and exhibit caution.
Use your gut instinct: if it doesn’t feel right, turn back. There’s always another day!
It’s well worth investing in good travel insurance if you are looking to get covered for this hike. World Nomads cover hikers and those embarking on outdoor adventures.
5. Recommended Route?
Using the AllTrails App, I planned to follow a 12.6 km trail that began in Pen y Pass, went up Crib Goch and onto Snowdon, then back down via the Miner’s Track.
As mentioned, this ended up being over 15 km due to the parking issue. The full loop took almost 7 hours and included only short breaks.
If I were to do it again I wouldn’t go back via the Miner’s Track. Although it looks relatively flat and steady, it is definitely the least interesting trail down Snowdon.
I would have liked to do the horseshoe loop or at least return to Pen y Pass via the Pyg Trail which runs along the edge of the valley.
It all depends on how much energy you have following the strenuous Crib Goch scramble!
6. What to Pack?
The weather in Snowdonia is very changeable. Wind and rain often sweeps off the Irish Sea and douses the mountains with little or no notice.
To be prepared, carry waterproof trousers and a waterproof raincoat in your backpack. I forgot my waterproof trousers and bitterly regretted it – even though we only had light rainfall!
It’s cold on the mountain and you should bring a fleece and/or down jacket to wear if the temperature drops. A hat and gloves may also be worth bringing also.
Footwear is immensely important on this trail. I wore trail running shoes. They were perfect for me as they are grippy, lightweight, and nimble. There’s a lot of nifty footwork that needs to be done and having shoes that are easy to manoeuvre can be a huge help!
That said, if you are more comfortable in hiking boots with ankle support, bring those instead. It’s important you feel comfortable and secure on the Crib Goch scramble. Just make sure you have practiced using your footwear before hitting the trail!
7. Food & Drink?
There is a cafe and YHA centre at Pen y Pass. It’s possible to stay here for the night or to get some snacks before/after the journey.
This is a good place to fill up your water bottles, get any last provisions, and to go to the toilet before you begin your hike.
At the summit, there is also the Hafod Eryri cafe and visitor’s centre. It is positioned next to the Snowdon Mountain Railway.
Personally, I found this quite disappointing and thought it detracted from the incredible wilderness all around you – but each to their own!
8. Bonus Tips
Get Scrambling
I suggest you practice some scrambling before you embark on this hike. It is a very different ball game to hiking and involves a lot more hands on interaction with the rocks.
It is essentially a halfway house between hiking and rock climbing! If you practice some scrambles on lower slopes before you get to Crib Goch, you’ll skip up the “bad step” no problem.
You could also try doing some bouldering in a rock climbing gym to get more confident with the manoeuvres.
I wasn’t expecting the initial trail to be so challenging and was a bit taken aback by the route. I became more comfortable as the trail went on but it’s still worth taking into consideration.
Before You Go
Thanks for reading this travel guide on how to scramble Crib Goch to Mount Snowdon. If travel guides like this interest you, head over to my blog page to find out more!
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