Pen yr Ole Wen

There are 2 main routes to scramble up and around Pen yr Ole Wen, both require some decent scrambling experience, especially the Braich ty Du face.

1. Braich ty Du face
2. East Ridge

Braich ty Du face

Exposure is the name of the game on this one, at the same time both exhilarating and slightly petrifying! The bulk of the scrambling is confined to 2 main sections, one at the bottom of the route and the other right at the top with some steep plodding through heather in-between. This is perhaps why Ashton only awards it the one star, though for the scrambling it undoubtedly deserves more!

The lower Pinnacle Ridge section can be easily located from the road, the ‘horns’ being a prominent feature on the skyline. From Ogwen Cottage hop over the stile by the bridge over the outflow from Llyn Ogwen and follow the scrambly South Spur path up a short way above a grassy shoulder then head left along a slender path traversing up and down the slope below small buttresses till you reach Pinnacle Ridge. A direct lower start looks tempting but should be avoided unless treated as an easy climb. Instead look up to find a low wall crossing the right-hand couloir and make your way just above that. From here a grass ramp leads toward the ridge crest and then 6m up via large holds to a ledge below the pinnacles.

From here traverse carefully under the pinnacles on the right hand side to a slender and exposed gap and then up on big blocky holds to a heathery shoulder. However, if conditions are right and you’re feeling brave enough there is a fantastic opportunity to have an airy play on the pinnacles, especially if someone has a camera! The rock is clean and sound and there are plenty of cracks and flakes (albeit often narrow). It is probably too difficult to descend the inside of the 1st pinnacle but it is possible to cross the left side of the second if you have a good leg reach and sound nerves (it’s VERY exposed!). Once the pinnacles are done with it’s time to trudge up the central grass and heather band to locate the upper Porcupine Ridge.

An obvious line is to follow up a broad couloir above and left of a blocky buttress. The central grassy line is steep and wet so if necessary follow higher on the left. Once above this the slope opens out and if visibility isn’t great locating the start of the upper ridge may be difficult. The idea is to head up and left toward the left skyline ridge and take the ‘spines’ as you like till they start to become a more continuous and difficult rib. After a few metres of this it’s best to cross the gully on the left and gain the crest of that ridge via an obvious grassy groove to a notch.

Now follow the ridge up, often on the left side of the crest, via various grooves, cracks and slabs with increasing difficulty. Exposure is always an issue but at certain points it becomes particularly precarious and for that reason it may even be worth a higher grade than 2. The crux comes toward the top with an angled slab with a drop on the left ascended with difficulty via grooves and small holds on it’s upper end, just below a steep rise on it’s right to the crest and then topped out awkwardly around (or over) a boulder onto another slab.

You’re now faced with a difficult direct ascent of the face ahead or a worrying grassy and polished looking groove to the right. This is easier than it looks as hidden holds become apparent upon closer inspection, though could be very tricky after wet weather! After this the ridge forms back into an easier knife-edge until it fades out into the upper slopes. It’s still a way to the summit though with the plodding delights of the top end of the south spur path nearby to carry you the final 200 metres or so to the summit.

From there either descend directly back down the south spur path, head down the east ridge for a more knee-friendly option or head toward Carnedd Dafydd for a longer day on the Carneddau.

East Ridge

This is an easy route with minimal amounts of scrambling but it is by far the best way up Pen yr Ole Wen from the Ogwen Valley (the alternative being the soul-destroying slog up the South Ridge).

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