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THE CARNEDDAU

Not as hard as it looks! On the Pinnacle Ridge of Braich ty du Face (Route 2)

The Carneddau

The Carneddau form the most northerly hill group in Snowdonia. There are few hints here of the rocky intricacy of the Glyders, or the rugged splendour of Snowdon; impressions instead are of barren summits and remote valleys.

A fortunate arrangement of ridges means that, having once made the initial height gain, several summits can be strung together in a high-level horseshoe traverse. Unfortunately most of the scrambling potential lies dormant under a blanket of heather, and much of what escapes is either too difficult or too loose. Nevertheless, the few lines worth following are enriched by their remote setting.

In broad terms the group lies within a triangle defined by the coastline between Bangor and Conwy, and the valleys that extend inland from those towns towards Betws-y-Coed. More specifically, the area of particular interest lies to the north of the A5 between Llyn Ogwen and Capel Curig.

The main ridges are aligned roughly in the shape of a T, with Carnedd Llewelyn – the highest peak of the group – appropriately occupying the junction. These ridges and their major intervening cwms – Llugwy, Eigiau and Llafar – provide the usual means of access to the scrambles.

Descending the short step to Bwlch Eyrl Farchog