Crib Goch Guide: Route, Grade, Exposure, Safety & Live Ridge Weather

Crib Goch at a glance

Grade 1scramble: hands and feet (Eryri, BMC)

923 mCrib Goch summit

500 mknife-edge ridge (Eryri)

Noneescape route before Bwlch Coch (BMC)

The jagged ridge east of the summit, off the Pyg Track. Eryri: not a primary route to the summit.

Start: Pen y PassOn the Pyg Track. Pre-book parking in season
Horseshoe: 6 to 10 hrsUsually east to west (BMC, Eryri)
No dogsNot under any circumstances (Eryri)
OS Explorer OL17Plus a guidebook (BMC)

Live ridge forecast

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For the ridge at 923 m. Wind bands are our rules of thumb (gusts of 35 and 50 mph). Also check the Met Office and MWIS.

See the ridge

Pen y PassBwlch y MochCrib Goch, 923 mBwlch Coch: first way offGarnedd Ugain, 1,065 mBwlch GlasYr Wyddfa, 1,085 m

Red: the scramble over Crib Goch and Crib y Ddysgl. Grey: the Pyg Track from Pen y Pass and the last part from Bwlch Glas to the summit. Sketch only, not for navigation. Route lines © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Crib Goch and Crib y Ddysgl (scramble)Pyg Track from Pen y PassBwlch Glas to the summitHeights exaggerated 1.6 times. Not for navigation.

3D terrain: AWS Terrain Tiles (Mapzen; EU-DEM, produced using Copernicus data funded by the EU; SRTM and GMTED2010, USGS). Lines © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Rendered with Three.js (MIT). Without WebGL you see the flat sketch instead.

250 m500 m750 m1,000 mBwlch y MochCrib Goch, 923 mBwlch CochGarnedd Ugain, 1,065 mBwlch GlasPen y PassYr Wyddfa summit

From Pen y Pass over Crib Goch and Crib y Ddysgl to the summit, one way. Heights along the OpenStreetMap route line from Copernicus GLO-90 terrain data (via Open-Meteo); the 90 m grid smooths the sharpest points.

The route, step by step

Pen y PassUp the Pyg Track
Bwlch y MochDecide here. To avoid Crib Goch, stay on the Pyg Track, over the stiles
East endBlocky slabs to the crest. Route finding is the hard part (BMC)
The knife-edgeDrops on both sides. Stay on the top (BMC)
Bwlch CochFirst way off: steep, grassy descent to the Pyg Track
Crib y Ddysgl, 1,065 mGrade 1 again. The bypass line is still exposed
Bwlch Glas to the summitYr Wyddfa, 1,085 m. Down by a main path, or on over Y Lliwedd

Pen y Pass to the summit over Crib Goch, in order (Eryri, BMC). Not a substitute for a map.

Go, or stay on the Pyg Track?

Go only if

You have scrambled before. Try the Gribin Ridge or Striding Edge first (BMC)
The rock is dry
Winds are light
Visibility is clear
You have 6 to 10 hours for the Horseshoe

Stay on the Pyg Track if

You are new to scrambling
It is wet, windy, misty or icy
You have a dog
There is snow and you lack crampon and ice axe skills
You just want the summit

Hands and feetGrade 1, but you climb (Eryri)
ExposurePeople freeze, "crag fast" (Eryri, BMC)
Wet rockPolished, slippery when damp (BMC)
WindCan add a grade (BMC)

Ways off

Bwlch y MochEasiest place to change your mind
The knife-edgeNo escape route
Bwlch CochSteep, grassy way down to the Pyg Track
From the summitNot over Clogwyn y Garnedd: Watkin Path to Bwlch Ciliau

Ways off the ridge, in order from Pen y Pass (BMC, Eryri).

Stuck? Stay put and call 999Police, then Mountain Rescue. Call early (Llanberis MRT). Give an SH grid reference: the OS Locate app shows it

Windy days by month

Gusts of 35 mph or more50 mph or more

Share of days in each month with summit gusts of at least 35 mph and 50 mph, Yr Wyddfa summit at 1,085 m, 2016 to 2025. Modelled data (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo), not measurements; counted by us. The lowest month is July (20%).

Summit figures (1,085 m), a little higher than Crib Goch, to show the pattern through the year. Not a forecast.

Photos of Crib Goch

Climbing up Crib Goch. Photo: Peter S, CC BY-SA 2.0

The cairn on Crib Goch. Photo: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0

Looking back along the Crib Goch ridge. Photo: Peter S, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photos: Wikimedia Commons. Click a credit to see the original and its licence.

Stay safe

Emergency: 999 or 112Police, then Mountain Rescue
Text "register" to 999Before you go
Skills, weather, gear?Ask the AdventureSmart questions
Stay off the railway trackDogs on leads near livestock
Turn back in timeThe summit will still be there

Full kit list and safety guide

Pyg Track: the way round Summit weather This weekend Tryfan, another Grade 1 Winter conditions

Frequently asked questions

How hard is Crib Goch?

Eryri and the BMC grade it a Grade 1 scramble, the lowest grade on the scrambling scale, but it needs hands and feet together on a knife-edged ridge with steep drops on both sides. The BMC says it is often underestimated: route finding is not straightforward and the exposure is serious.

Is Crib Goch dangerous?

It can be. Eryri says accidents are common, many people need help from Mountain Rescue, and there have been fatalities. It is not suitable for inexperienced walkers or in wet and windy weather.

Can a beginner do Crib Goch?

No. Eryri says it is not suitable for inexperienced walkers and mountaineers, and that the ridge should not be attempted by novice walkers. The BMC suggests gaining experience on easier scrambles first, such as Striding Edge or the Gribin Ridge.

How long is Crib Goch?

Eryri describes a 500-metre knife-edge ridge with no escape route (Eryri's path guide gives 400 m). The BMC says to leave 6 to 10 hours for the full Snowdon Horseshoe.

Can you avoid Crib Goch on the Pyg Track?

Yes. Crib Goch is not a primary route to the summit. To avoid it, Eryri says to keep to the clearly defined Pyg Track and go over the stiles, heading southwest.

Can I take my dog on Crib Goch?

No. Eryri says that, for safety reasons, dogs should not be taken on this route under any circumstances.

Can you do Crib Goch in winter?

Only with real winter experience. The BMC says that in snowy conditions Crib Goch is a Grade 1 winter climb that needs crampon and ice axe skills.

Sources

Every figure on this page was checked against these sources on 20 October 2026. Eryri gives the knife-edge as 500 m on its Pyg Track page and 400 m in its path guide; we quote both. Heights from OpenStreetMap peak data (Crib Goch 923 m, Garnedd Ugain 1,065 m).

Crib Goch: the knife-edge ridge on Yr Wyddfa