Introduction

Although not as long as Tryfan's North Ridge, Bristly Ridge is extremely popular and is the second of the "big scrambles" of the Glyderau. It is also harder than the North Ridge. Consensus puts the difficulty at Grade 1, but it is at the upper end of the grade and some lines qualify as Grade 2. There are some exposed and steep sections of climbing, particularly the upper pitch of Sinister Gully and in Great Pinnacle Gap. However these sections may be bypassed in favour of easier lines, reducing the overall difficulty to Grade 1.

Bristly Ridge is exciting and has a grand situation. As one of the best known and most respected easy scrambles in the UK, it's a must-do for any serious mountain walker!

Go straight to:
The Approach
Sinister Gully
The Pinnacles
Topping out
Suggested continuations

The Approach

Looking back down the Bochlwyd path

There are three possible approaches to the start of Bristly Ridge at Bwlch Tryfan. The first, and possibly most-used, is Tryfan South Ridge as a continuation from the North Ridge as part of the Bochlwyd Horseshoe. For more information see Tryfan North Ridge and Tryfan South Ridge.

Another approach is along the Miner's Track from Gwern Gof Uchaf. This path climbs the fellside beside Tryfan Bach and moves easily along the valley until it reaches the shattered headwall. Traverse right to reach Bwlch Tryfan.

The Miner's Track

If you want to reach Bristly Ridge direct from the western end of the valley, the best route to use is the Bochlwyd Path which cuts up from Cwm Idwal towards the high corrie of Cwm Bochlwyd. This path is commonly used to access Tryfan and so will be busy on fine days, but it provides an easy and uncomplicated way to reach Bristly direct. It is rocky in the upper section, but then again if you're a scrambler this should be no deterrent!

The still waters of Llyn Bochlwyd ... on a clear day Glyder Fach's immense north face is visible from here

Once you reach Bwlch Tryfan, the way forward is obvious. Follow the course of a stone wall over broken boulders towards the foot of a big gully. This is Sinister Gully and is the first challenge of the climb.

Sinister Gully

The lower section of Sinister Gully

This deep cleft in the lower cliffs of Bristly Ridge is aptly named. It is divided into two distinct sections, lower and upper, and each has quite a different character. The lower gully is shattered and broad, and fairly easy, whereas the upper gully is narrow (almost a chimney), steep, and more difficult. In between the two sections there is a small ledge on which it's possible to rest and assess your next move.

Most guidebooks recommend that climbers traverse left at this point to reach easier ground. To the left is a broken, slabby buttress of rock which is significantly easier than the upper gully, and may be scrambled over with relative ease to reach the top of the first cliff.

The upper chimney of Sinister Gully slopes awkwardly against the left wall, and although holds are relatively plentiful the pitch is almost vertical and it has a tendency to throw you off balance. There is little sense of exposure, but this pitch is several metres high so it really isn't a good idea to fall off here. If in doubt, take the alternative route or use a rope. In winter this chimney may be heavily iced and will require full winter climbing gear. This applies for the whole of Bristly Ridge, which becomes a II/III (Scottish) winter climb and will require crampons, at least one axe each, and a range of protection options when under snow and ice.

The last few metres of the Upper Chimney, Sinister Gully

On the same day that I climbed this chimney in November 2005, a climber was killed here. He wasn't stupid, poorly equipped or inexperienced: he was simply unlucky. The route suffered from verglas (black ice) that day and a slip at any of a number of points on the climb could have been highly serious. Remember, it's better to retreat with a bruised ego than to become a Mountain Rescue statistic.

The Pinnacles

The head of Cwm Tryfan, from Great Pinnacle Gap

After Sinister Gully, the character of the climb changes again. Ahead are the Pinnacles, a tremendous jagged line of rock towers protruding from the crest of the ridge. This is classic, fun scrambling, and the great thing about this part of the climb is that you choose how hard it is. There are numerous lines, some contouring around the towers, some climbing over them. The situations are impressive and the rock architecture breathtaking.

The best line sticks as close to the crest as possible. This line is steep and exposed in places and should not be attempted in high winds, or when the rock is in poor condition due to rain or verglas. There are several sections of downclimbing, although none of them are awkward like the descent from Far North Peak on Tryfan; typically the short descents between pinnacles follow short chimneys or natural cracks, so are relatively easy.

The most impressive point on the ridge is Great Pinnacle Gap, an enormous cleft between two vertical towers of rock. This may look a little daunting at first glance but is in fact easier than it looks. The rock is well-furnished with cracks that make excellent holds, if you use hand and foot jamming. When climbing this in winter, there are numerous points where a variety of gear can be placed, although the most useful protection will probably be nuts of the larger sizes. Knifeblade pegs may also be used in iced-up cracks but take care not to damage the rock. They certainly should not be used during the summer.

The vertical rearwall of Great Pinnacle Gap

Topping out

The view from Glyder Fach's summit plateau. Magic.

The pinnacled section of the ridge ends quite abruptly, leading to a short scramble over easy boulders to the summit plateau. When I climbed Bristly I felt disappointed that the route wasn't longer. If it were the length of Tryfan's North Ridge it would be the ultimate scramble: challenging, varied, impressive, and most importantly, committing. Bristly is harder to escape from once fairly started but it isn't long enough, and for that reason alone it has to take second place in my list of best Welsh scrambles.

Glyder Fach's summit is a special place. There are four main attractions: the superb view, the improbable balancing stone known as the Cantilever, the big stack of splinters away to the west known as Castell-y-Gwynt, and the summit itself. The summit is an impressive mound of piled boulders that requires a Grade 1 difficulty rating of its own. There is only room for one or two people on the summit (straddling a wedge-shaped boulder) and this makes it all the more special. In fact, the majority of visitors don't make the final climb to the highest rock.

As sunset approaches, the summit of Glyder Fach

Be careful if there's frost or ice on the rocks. Most of these boulders are sloping, flat slabs suspended over enormous holes, and a slip at any point could be serious.

The Cantilever. Go on, get your photo taken standing on top of it: it's compulsory!

Suggested continuations

Y Gribin

The rocky spine of Y Gribin makes a natural continuation and allows the scrambler to make a full traverse of the mountain. From the summit, head west towards Castell-y-Gwynt and scramble over the rocks to reach a clear path. Follow this until you reach another ridge heading off right. This is the Gribin, a rocky spine extending down to Cwm Bochlwyd. There is some scrambling here if you wish (taken direct it is a low Grade 1) but a path bypasses most of the rocky sections. Once at Cwm Bochlwyd, there are a number of paths which will take you to Idwal Cottage or the car parks along the main road.

Glyder Fawr

Mountaineers wishing to make a full traverse of the range will want to continue to Glyder Fawr, the highest peak in the Glyderau at 999m. Leave the summit as before, but keep going past the turnoff to Y Gribin and climb easily to the rocky plateau of Glyder Fawr. The total re-ascent is only in the order of about 50m so this makes a great add-on hill. Descend the mountain via a steep and unpleasant scree slope to Llyn y Cwn, then use the pass of Devil's Kitchen to reach Cwm Idwal.

A final view of Bristly Ridge, taken from near Gwern Gof Isaf. From this angle it really does look bristly!

Bristly Ridge

Map images produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. Images reproduced with kind permission of Ordnance Survey and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland.