Crib Goch

Another from a truly memorable morning on the Snowdon Horseshoe. This was the view from part way up the climb up to the start of the Crib Goch ridge, looking straight down to Llyn Teryn with a section of the Miner's Track to its right. In the distance you can see Cnicht, the 'Welsh Matterhorn' - though it doesn't look like it from this angle. When I set off that morning the sky was cloudless, but as I climbed up the clouds moved in quite spectacularly, and wreathed the hills in turbulent mist. I got the best of the conditions early on, and it made for a really special day.

Following on from last week's shot of the Crib Goch, this is the interesting conclusion to the ridge. The knife edge arete culminates in a very sporting clamber up and down over three pinnacles. This image shows the last of the three, and conveniently for me, three young chaps were climbing ahead of me and showed the three main stances on the ledges of the pinnacle. The lowest (guy in the black shorts) is the most precarious, the middle is easiest, and the top (guy in the red top) is a real don't look down moment if you are not keen on heights! There is a way of bypassing the second and third pinnacle by descending a fair way to the left - but why would you? Once over the third pinnacle you descend to the col before the clamber up the Garnedd Ugain ridge which is the second section of the great Snowdon Horseshoe - there is even more fun to come!

Early morning on the famous Snowdon Horseshoe. This was taken on the climb up to the Crib Goch, looking across Cwm Dyli and Llyn Llydaw to the twin peaks and cliffs of Y Lliwedd. The early morning was the best of the day, the clouds rolled in and covered the top of Snowdon in a thick cold blanket - but it was good to be up there again!

The Crib Goch ridge of Snowdon, taken in deteriorating conditions a year ago. Crib Goch (Red Ridge) has to be the most entertaining of the main routes on Snowdon, but you do need a head for heights. Looking along the knife edge, to the left the ground is very steep and to the right it is a sheer drop of hundreds of feet. It is not recommended in high winds, and it is also known to be one of the wettest places in the country (slippery when wet....) - so check the forecast!

A truly memorable morning on the Snowdon Horseshoe. This was the four shot panoramic view from near the top of the climb up to the start of the Crib Goch ridge, looking straight down to the Bwlch y Moch where you can make out the Pyg track crossing the ridge line. Down to the left is the Pass of Llanberis, and you can just make out a white coach making its way up to the top of the pass - Pen y Pass. Rising above the pass to the left is Glyder Fawr with it's head in the clouds, and a little to the right is Gyder Fach. In the right centre of the image in the distance you can see part of Moel Siabod, it's summit obscured by the near cloud. In the lower centre right is crags of Carreg Gwalch rising above the Llyn Teryn (the smaller lake) and finally part of Llyn Llydaw can be seen bottom right. When I set off that morning the sky was cloudless, but as I climbed up the clouds moved in quite spectacularly, and wreathed the hills in turbulent mist. Unfortunately I could not get the shot I came for - the view along the Crib Goch to the summit of Yr Wyddfa - as heavy cloud settled over the summit for the whole day. Although the cloud lifted from most of the mountain in the afternoon, I got the best of the conditions early on, and the it made for a really special day.