Glyder Fach

Glyder Fach and Bristly Ridge

Height: 994m (3,261ft)

Prominence: 75m (246ft)

Region: Snowdonia - Glyderau

Classifications: Nuttall, Hewitt, Welsh 3000

Summit feature: Huge pile of stones

Times climbed: 4

Related trip reports: 
The Bochlwyd Horseshoe - 30/03/2019

The Bochlwyd Horseshoe - 20/10/2018
Tryfan & The Glyders via Bristly Ridge - 24/09/2016

Tryfan & The Glyders - 23/05/2016

The summit stones

Glyder Fach (Glid-dur Vak - Small Mound of Stones) is the second highest of the Glyderau. Routes to the summit lead from Tryfan and Bristly Ridge to the north, via Glyder Fawr from Pen-y-Pass to the south, and along the Glyder ridge to the east, towards Capel Curig.

According to Sir Ifor Williams, the word "Glyder" derives from the Welsh word "Gludair", meaning a heap of stones.

Situated near the summit is the Cantilever Stone, a large rock which from the correct angle appears to be precariously balanced, making it a popular place for photographs. Another notable feature, west of the summit, is Castell y Gwynt, (Castle of the Wind), a spiky rocky outcrop.

Bristly Ridge is a grade 1 scramble in Snowdonia. It is located on the north side of Glyder Fach. 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.

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