Rockfax Description
An excellent but demanding route up the last buttress on the East Face of Tryfan. The route tackles the easy-angled stepped rib on the left side of the South Buttress. The long approach walk and the fact you pass many other classics means it is usually quiet. The scrambling is demanding and exposed with poor footholds and all but the most experienced grade 3 scramblers would be advised to use a rope. It should be avoided in damp conditions due to greasy footholds and the mossy chimney section. Follow Heather Terrace to below the South Gully. Continue over a small shoulder to a split in the path about 10m further on. Take the higher faint path for about 20m to a flat rock slab, above which are two broken ribs.
1) Climb the intermittent left rib on its crest for a few metres until you can move right at a spike towards the groove. Follow the groove until you can escape back onto the exposed rib.
2) Follow this for 50m to some blocks at its top. Go over these to reach a rampline leading up and rightwards to another rib.
3) After a few metres, before you reach the right arete, gain the chimney/crack and follow it up to another rampline that now leads onto the rib. The crest is extremely exposed and is followed in a great position to a notch.
4) Scuttle left for 8m to some sizeable blocks and a cave (direct up the rib is more of a rock climb). Climb the chimney/cave made by the block which requires some extreme thrutching to exit left into a ledge/bay.
5) Head out above the block that creates the chimney. A low boulder above means it is easier to go 'a cheval' (like riding a horse) and shimmy backwards until you can stand up and climb over the blocks to a heathery bay.
6) Go over to a rocky rib on the right and up this to a long heathery terrace below another wall. Traverse right along the terrace to below the first rib that works its way back up and left to a steep tower.
7) Climb the first rib up its right edge, then head up to the steep tower and climb the chimney on its right side or the groove just to the right of that. Regain the rib to reach a grassy ledge below a final wall.
8) Climb a groove on the left up the wall that proves difficult to start. After 2m, move left to avoid the top vegetated crack and go up to easier rock that leads to the south summit. © Rockfax
UKC Logbook Description
Route 19
Scrambles in Snowdonia - Steve Ashton , Snowdonia Mountain Walks and Scrambles - Mark Reeves , North Wales isnt just slate apparently , North Wales Scrambles - Garry Smith , Tarquin’s Tryfan 10
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Grade: Grade-3 ***
(Glyder Fach)