Clearly we could get a dozen experienced mountaineers in a room and find it hard to agree – what is the hardest grade one scramble in Snowdonia? But let’s look at what makes a scramble difficult and then look at some contenders to help us to crown a victor.

A quick reminder on how scrambling grades work

Scrambles in Snowdonia are graded from one to three. Grade 3 routes cross over with rock climbing grades  whilst grad one routes are best described as hill lawns that you can fall off – routes that you will need to use your hands on. Grade 2 routes sit between the two. We are out scrambling almost every week of the year and when we are introducing people to grade two and three scrambles we use ropes, helmets and harnesses. On grade one ground we rarely need these additional pieces of equipment to look after peoples safety.

Not all grade one scrambles are the same!

There is a reasonable amount of variety between grade one scrambles in terms of technical difficulty and exposure. I mention these two elements as for me they are what we need to consider in deciding how difficult a scramble truly is.

Technical Difficulty: By this I mean how physically hard are the hardest moves on the route. I also consider how challenging the route finding is.

Exposure: This is about the psychology involved in being above a big drop. Some routes are more exposed than others within the same grade and this makes them more difficult – especially for people who are not great with heights.

Examples of Easier Scrambles

The Daear Ddu Ridge on Moel Siabod is a great example of an easier grade one scramble. (In fact in Gary Smiths guidebook North Wales Scrambles he gives it a One Minus). The route is short, there are no significantly difficult moves and the exposure level can be chosen to suit your tolerance. You can choose to walk close to the edge for maximum exposure but equally you can keep away from it if you want to. This makes it perfect for easing into grade one ground.

Another great grade one scramble for beginners is The Gribin Ridge on the Glyderau. If you want to experience the full exposure you can follow the crest. If ant any time you stop enjoying yourself you can step down a couple of metres and follow an easier and less exposed line. I show this route in the video below.

So what about the hardest grade one scrambles in Snowdonia?

The North Ridge of Tryfan is one of the most famous grade one scrambles in Snowdonia. For me it is the benchmark grade one scramble against which all others are judged. If you are canny with your route finding it never needs to be overly difficult. If you choose the most direct line up the nose on the upper section then it will be harder than grade one – the guidebooks are very good at explaining this and the alternative line so I won’t do that here. Because these difficulties are avoidable I am going to rule it out of the title race. (You can still watch my video of the route here though if you wish).

Crib Goch is perhaps the grade one scramble with the biggest reputation. In this article I look at some stats on how dangerous the route really is. I also chat through how to manage those risks. For me this is the route with the biggest exposure but the technical difficulties are not quite as high as the route that I have chosen to be the title winner. If you don’t have a head for heights then you might well find that Crib Goch is your nemesis and worthy of the title.

Bristly Ridge is for me the hardest grade one scramble in Snowdonia. It combines technical difficulty with exposure to produce a world class scramble at the top of its grade. Right from the off the route finding is tricky – you need to find Sinister Gully rather than Dexters Gully which is easy when you know how but still catches a few out. The technical moves in the gully are on small holds with a big drop below you – they can be quite exciting, especially in the wet or on greasy rock. With Sinister Gully behind you there is a certain commitment level felt – not everyone would be keen to reverse those moves in descent. As you gain height the exposure increases and as you scramble the Pinnacles there are some good exposed moves, some more technical scrambling and some intricate route finding. For me this combination makes Bristly Ridge a worthy winner of hardest grade one scramble in Snowdonia.

Fancy Getting out Scrambling?

Join us on our intro to scrambling courses. We offer two day and five day options as well as our Classic Scrambling week where you can progress from grade one to grade 3 over 5 days.