Route 47: Bryant’s Gully and Route 48: Esgair Felen Direct
Naming Conventions:
The watercourse to the left of Ysgar Fewr at the start of Esgair Felen Direct offers a treacherous Diff rock climb given the Welsh name ‘Ceunant Berw’ in the CC Llanberis rock climbing guide. This gully has over the years been suggested in some climbing guides as the original intended recipient of the name ‘Bryant’s Gully’ and attempts have been made to rename the well-known Bryant’s Gully as ‘False Bryant’s Gully’. The evidence does not appear to support this change. G. B. Bryant’s original description of the route in 1898 in the Climber’s Club journal and the Abraham brother’s subsequent description in North-Wales Rock Climbs (1906) both locate Bryant’s Gully as being shortly after passing below the Cromlech Boulders and before the gate for the upper cottages. These locations correspond with that of Bryant’s Gully as described in Scrambles in Snowdonia, but not with ‘Ceunant Berw’. The 1898 and 1906 route descriptions also correspond more accurately with Bryant’s Gully in Scrambles in Snowdonia than they do ‘Ceunant Berw’. Bryant’s Gully is also sometimes known as ‘Nant Ettws’.
Route 64: Llechog Buttress and Route 65: Llechog Ridge
(Access issues with the traditional direct approach to these routes have been reported pertaining to the houses on the access land on the south side of the bridge at SH 614 576. If this situation is resolved, updates will be posted here. A different approach to that included in the 2017 print-run of the book is described below. Although less direct – especially if you happened to be dropped off – the approach is nonetheless very pleasant, avoids the houses, is entirely on permissible paths and uncontested access land and best of all avoids a boggy patch!)
Approach
From Nant Peris (SH 607 583) take the public footpath at the side of the Vaynol Arms. Head south to cross the river via a footbridge. Turn left. After 40m or so the path splits. Take the upper fork, pass through a wall and continue traversing the fellside. Follow a wall to a distinct rock band. After passing through this, use a stile over the next wall to pick up a path through woods. The path soon brings you out well above a house and directly below Llechog Buttress and Ridge. These routes are accessed by a long low-relief ridge which is gained 60m up its left (east) side via a small boulder field. An initial grassy couloir gives a grade 1 step and establishes you more centrally on the low-relief ridge. Thereafter, various hiking and scrambling lines offer progress with most obstacles avoidable on the left. For Llechog Ridge: when almost to the top of the low-relief ridge, contour rightwards, passing beneath a rib to a compact tower of rock that terminates the west ridge and up to which runs a dry stone wall. For Llechog Buttress, paths through heather lead to a perched block jutting out leftwards from the foot of the main buttress.
Descent.
If descending from the 610m spot height as described in the book, when the approach path is met by the wall simply turn left to retrace steps to Nant Peris.
Route 71: West Peak via Bilberry Terrace
(After a recent ascent of Bilberry Terrace, we have made the description in the book even more detailed from Pinnacle Corner to aid scramblers on what is probably the most difficult route-finding challenge in the book. Nonetheless, the route remains complex and good mountain instincts will need to be deployed throughout.)
Ascent (from Pinnacle Corner onwards)
Pass through the notch of the pinnacle, step across to grass ledges and follow them rightwards for 25m until below a spike 5m above the traverse line (a rib on the right bounds a depression). Exiting this area is not easy and involves a second crux. It is possible to ascend the depression above the spike directly to another good belay spike in 30m. Although it has gear placements, this escape is very difficult on poor rock and not recommended. A tricky indistinct rising leftwards traverse line from the depression is also possible. It is better, and more in keeping with the route, to continue the traverse line rightwards 5m below the spike, step over the top of an odd shallow grassy gully and gain a ledge with a flat wobbly block on the bounding rib. Fix protection before making an intricate and committing rightwards move using fingery holds on excellent rock to gain a wide left-slanting slabby and grassy ramp. Follow this easily to its top and a good belay. Stay right until it is possible to adopt a rising leftwards line above the aforementioned depression, passing good belay spikes en route, to gain – with relative ease – a delightful and obvious flat grassy shoulder on the ridge that rises up from Pinnacle Corner in 50m or so.
Trend eighteen metres leftwards to another ridge and gain a second shoulder at a notch. There is an intricate descent on the shoulder followed by tricky leftward moves above a gully to reach easier ground. Cross the following depression with a rising leftwards line more easily via connecting ledges and in 30m or so reach a vague third shoulder on another ridge. Trend across yet another depression to a fourth shoulder on another ridge. Now, at last, some sort of upward escape is possible and various options present themselves. Continue up the obvious depression to the left, which can be followed to the summit, or better – but with slightly more suspect rock – the ridge further left can be followed over small spikes and pinnacles to the top.
Route 73: Craig Fawr Rib
(We have slightly amended the route description on this very long and complex route to bring more focus onto its key passages and included it below. It is worth reiterating that this route is long, complex and loose rock requiring considerable care may be encountered throughout.)
Ascent
Heathery scrambling interspersed with moments of interest lead to a steep face. This is negotiated by a scrappy and difficult rising right-to-left line (it can be bypassed altogether by even scrappier scrambling on the right). Ascend the rib above centrally to reach an obvious broad heather platform.
From the heather platform, tackle the next rib on its right side then step left after 6m or so to gain its crest. Climb the crest – sustained but on good rock – to another level area. The crest of the next rib is best accessed via a small grassy recess on the left. Easy ground above is followed by a complex collection of ribs. Good mountain instinct is required to fashion the best line. The rib that bounds the deep recess of the left-hand gully is accessed via a hidden staircase on the left. As the rib’s angle eases, two successive slabs beckon before a knife-edge with two block pinnacles leads to the summit plateau.
Route 75: Bear Buttress
(We have slightly amended the route description for the actual Bear Tower section of the route. For clarity, we have highlighted our deletions and insertions in the text below. It is worth reiterating that while this route is interesting, loose rock predominates and requires considerable caution. Undoubtedly, this is very challenging 3S scrambling terrain, best tackled only after considerable experience has been gained.)
Ascent (the Bear Tower section)
Above is the blunt-fronted mass of Bear Tower. Scramble precariously over ledges leading up to the right until below a group of overhangs on Bear Tower (Crazy Pinnacle is at this level over the gully on the right). Now trend leftwards and up until it is possible to go out left onto the nose to gain the top of the tower with a few breath-holding moves. Easy scrambling leads to the summit slopes directly ahead. Now go out left onto the nose to gain the top of the tower with a few breath-holding moves. Easy scrambling leads to the summit slopes directly ahead.
Route 79: Cyfwy Arete
The pinnacle on the left edge of the steep face after the Table and the Notch, a staple of route descriptions for over 100 years, has fallen off (or been pushed!). A scar remains in its place. References to the ‘pinnacle’ in the book are now to read ‘small shelf’. The diagonal crack as described and the two route lines described in the book should still be obvious and easy to follow, however.
