The longest route in Snowdonia with over 500m of scrambling ascent makes this quite an outing! A grade 2+ scramble.
The route extends from above the Llanberis Pass to the crest of Esgair Felen, the south spur of Glyder Fawr. Generally speaking the gully doesn’t carry a great abundance of water, though it would obviously be wise not to tackle it following periods of heavy rain.
You will get wet regardless of course.
Grade – Grade 2+
Parking: Lay by near SH625568 or Cromlech Boulders (Google Maps)
Route Map
Approach
On approach you’re looking for the stream hitting the roadside at SH625568 (Parking at GPS: 53.0907, -4.0533), there are several nearby lay-bys for parking. Ascend the climber’s path to a huge flat angled rock, then straight up to where the stream issues from broken crags to the right of Carreg Wastad. Several trees mark this point.
The Scramble
The route can be split into 4 stages. The first starts with several easy, though often slimy, steps in the gully bed leading up to the trees. From here the walls on either side rise up and close in and you are required to clamber up a series of wet shelves, short steps, chockstones and boulders, all amid the falling stream. Be ready for a shower!
A large jammed-boulder provides the trickiest of these steps. Take it on it’s left, wetter side (though thankfully most of the water flows behind the rock), pulling up between it and the left gully wall. Above this the steps become easier until the slope suddenly opens out on to grass and heather. First stage over. Take the opportunity for a break on the wide grassy terrace and to admire the view across the valley to Crib Goch and Carnedd Ugain.
The Scramble (continued)
The shorter second stage now follows a narrow trough up the steep heather slope with some awkwardness but not too much difficulty. The walls on either side begin to close in again and a step with a jammed boulder between sheer walls marks the start of stage 3, the hardest phase.
If in doubt now is the time to escape and miss this step via the heather slopes to the right. Ascend initially via the left-hand wall then step across to an obvious hole on the right wall (those lacking inches or none-too flexible may wish to think twice about this!).
The Scramble (continued 2)
Without hanging around too long pull confidently above the boulder, most easily achieved on the left. Once above this you’ve now entered ‘The Trap’, an alcove between insurmountable walls with the only exit being up the evil-looking back right wall; around 20m of wet, slimy and water-worn rock!
It’s not as difficult as first sight suggests however. Rope protection is possible from above, though finding a suitable anchor isn’t easy. Ascend initially to the left of the water flow until sufficiently high to step across the stream into a shallow bowl.
Now ascend this right-hand groove with care until able to step out onto the heather slope. The worst is now over and you will all of a sudden notice the quite funky nature of the rock scenery around! Climb out of the next recess on the right (avoid the back wall – it’s possible but not recommended!) for the start of stage 4.
The gully now curves rightwards and a groove to the right of a riblet in the gully provides straightforward scrambling until it opens out to a mass of red scree. A feature of this upper section (as evidenced by the mass of scree) is it’s fractured and loose nature.
Though overall fairly simple, take care to check holds and use especial caution when encountering scree-chutes (the only place I’ve ever been hit by falling stones…. and several times!). The upper bastion of the spur remains to be overcome so pick a line of your liking, with mainly only short walls to tackle, until you arrive at a spectacular viewpoint looking up and down the Llanberis Pass.
Continue up the crest of Esgair Felen to the summit of Glyder Fawr to continue your day.
Descent Options
Descent (long via Glyder Fawr)
From the summit of Glyder Fawr, follow a scree path to Lyn y Cwn, and descend a path from there to Gwastandnant, then the road back to the car.
Descent (fast via Climbers Path)
“From the top of the scramble head Westwards down steep but mostly grassey slopes to below the scree and crags on the West side of Esgair Felan.
The grass here is a wide green shelf running North to Llyn a Cwn and your route back from Glyder Fawr. At the Southern edge of the glorious grass drop down steep slopes into the gulley that heads down to Clogwyn y Grochan in a SW direction until you can break East along another grass shelf above the climbing crags of Clogwyn y Grochan and Carreg Wasted.
The next gully heads south through a break in the crags just West of Carreg Wasted. If you go too far you’ll find yourself back in Bryant’s Gulley.
Follow this gulley South through the crags carefully where you will meet the climber’s descent path. Head down and around the base of the crags back to your parking
Recommended Guidebook & Map
The best guidebook for this route is the excellent Scrambles in Snowdonia Cicerone book by Steve Ashton, available on Amazon in paperback or ebook here.
The best map for this scrambling route is the OL17 Ordnance Survey Map – Snowdon / YR WYDDFA, which is available on Amazon here.
Recommended Scrambling Guide: (coming soon)
Recommended Accommodation: YHA Snowdon Pen-y-Pass
You can stay right at the foot of Snowdon, at the YHA Snowdon Pen-y-Pass. See the cheapest rates on Booking.com here.
Route Info
| Distance | 6.9 km |
| Elevation | 836m +/- |
| Duration | 3.5/5 hours |
| Grade | 2+*** |
| Transport | Car - Llanberis Pass Lay Bys |
Navigation
| Guidebook | Best Book |
| Maps | Best Map |
| Guided Tours | Guides |
| Accommodation | Where To Stay? |
| Contributor | Who Contributed? |
Route Contributed by Steve, from Outdoor Duo
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(The first image is (c) Howie collection.)
Learn more about it on their website here: https://outdoorduo.co.uk/
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