Crib Goch and the Snowdon Horseshoe:

A classic grade 1 scramble in North Wales

The Snowdon Horseshoe is an undisputed classic grade 1 scramble in North Wales.

This mountaineering route links up two of the major ridge lines on Snowdon. It starts up Crib Goch and Crib y Ddysgl before heading over Snowdon and down across the twin summits of Y Lliwedd. The route involves a lot of ridge scrambling and is recommended only for competent grade 1 scramblers. Be sure to get an early start to make it around this epic route, which can take anywhere between 5 and 9 hours.

Starting the Snowdon Horseshow

The route begins from Pen y Pass carpark. We were fortunate enough to be dropped off and picked up from said carpark. You can choose to park here; however, it is quite expensive and needs to be pre-booked well in advance. Alternatively, there is parking at Pen y Gwyrd. However, this will add 2km and at least an hour to your day.

From Pen y Pass, head up the PYG Track for around 40 minutes to reach the col of Bwlch y Moch, where Snowdon’s lakes first come into view. From here, head up and right along the ridge towards the East Ridge of Crib Goch – the ‘red ridge’ in Welsh.

Scrambling Crib Goch

At first, you will walk along a steep, broken path before you encounter a short wall and some flakes. Climb this and head right to below another step. This section is one of the steeper and more technical sections. However, once you get through this, easier scrambling leads to the summit of Crib Goch.

The ‘knife-edge’ of Crib Goch 

Now, this is where the fun begins – the exposed narrow ridge of Crib Goch, often described as a ‘knife-edge’ ridge. Traversing this ridge is technically easier than what you have already done, however it is extremely exposed and inescapable. Falling from here could be highly consequential, so take your time and don’t trip. The easiest way to tackle this ridge is to walk upright. However, this can be very daunting for some and seeing people move cautiously along this on all fours is a common site – though this does make it more difficult!

Next comes a series of pinnacles, which you climb up, down and around. Sometimes, the pinnacles are wildly exposed, making for some great photo opportunities! Much too soon, however, the Crib Goch ridge is over. A large, open grassy area marks its end, which is an excellent stop to pause for a snack. You can escape into Cwm Uchaf at this point if you’re finding the route a bit tricky or the weather is coming in.

Scrambling Crib y Ddysgl

Fortunately, the scrambling isn’t over! Continue along the ridge until you reach the first tower of Crib y Ddysgl. Climb up, head right, and follow a hidden ramp up a notch. A few exciting moves traverse the ridge until it finally flattens out, and a large cairn marks the end of this section. After gaining Garnedd Ugain, descend to the Llanberis Path and follow this left to the summit of Snowdon. If you arrive later than planned on the summit of Snowdon, you can escape back down the PYG Track or Miner’s Track.

The Watkin Pass and Lliwedd Traverse

After summiting Snowdon, descend the Watkin Path and continue towards Lliwedd. From here, there is some more good-quality scrambling as you ascend to Lliwedd’s west peak, and the views down to the lakes below are stunning. The scrambling is best when you stay close to the edge of the cliff on the arete. Continue over the east peak, then along a prominent path down the ridge before a rocky scramble that eventually meets the Miner’s Track. Easy walking along the Miner’s Track will lead you back to Pen y Pass.

Scrambling and Mountaineering

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