Tryfan and Bristly Ridge offer what is arguably the best mountain day in the UK. This iconic Eryri (Snowdonia) route combines the legendary North Ridge scramble of Tryfan—featuring The Cannon, The Nose, and the famous Adam and Eve summit leap—with the exposed, high-altitude thrills of Bristly Ridge. If you are looking for a challenging grade 1/2 scramble that rewards you with iconic views and a true sense of adventure, this guide breaks down the route, the tricky gullies, and the essential logistics for tackling one of Wales' most famous summits.
🗺️ Interactive Route MapPinch or use wheel to zoom
⚠️ Scrambling Grade Warning
This route involves sections of Grade 1 and 2 scrambling. These grades require the use of hands for balance and climbing. Please ensure you are confident in exposed terrain and have checked local weather forecasts before attempting, as rock surfaces become significantly more dangerous when wet.
The opportunity to scramble Tryfan’s North Ridge is one never to be passed up; it is one of the great mountain days in the UK, and the more times you do it, the more confident and adventurous you become. Having completed Tryfan and Bristly Ridge before, my main objective for this hike was the leap between the summit stones of Tryfan. More on that later.
We were pressed for time today, as rain was forecast for the afternoon despite a glorious morning. We planned to reach the summit of Tryfan by midday, so we were confident we would be getting most of our scrambling done on dry rock.
The scramble up Tryfan’s North Ridge can be broken down into a handful of sections, or waypoints. These include the car park, The Cannon, the Nose, the North Tower, and eventually the summit. Each waypoint is difficult to miss, and the route between them is at the discretion of the scrambler. You can make each section as easy or as difficult as you feel comfortable with.
For section one—the car park to The Cannon—we opted to hit the ground running with a lesser-used scramble up Milestone Gully, located on the western side of the mountain. After following the path for a short while, we deviated over the ladder stile and passed below Milestone Buttress.
Llyn Ogwen
The shadow of Milestone Buttress
Milestone Buttress
Milestone Gully is a Grade 1/2 scramble that climbs a gully to the right of the buttress. We all managed to pass the first test—a high shelf at the base, assisted by a modest pile of stones—before beginning the climb up the gully. Climbing the left side provides the easiest line with good hand and footholds throughout. The climb is quite sustained, but we eventually emerged unscathed at the top of the buttress.
Milestone Gully
The awkward shelf
Milestone Gully
Climbing the gully
Some modest walking through heather and rocks is required before tackling a few more entertaining scrambles, including an imposing, craggy wall. As with most routes on Tryfan, they can be made as easy or as difficult as you choose, and many of the really challenging sections can be easily bypassed. After some more climbing, we found our way to The Cannon.
Crossing the heather-clad slopes to find the north ridge
Some easier scrambling
Approaching the ridge
Looking down on Llyn Ogwen
Some of the slightly higher-grade scrambling on the route
Looking across to Pen yr Helgi Du
The Cannon is one of the icons of North Wales: a jutting slab of rock, visible from the valley floor, which simply begs to be photographed—usually with someone teetering on the end of it. I took my turn a couple of years ago; here I am, looking less than comfortable.
The Cannon
Section two, then: The Cannon to The Nose. This part is generally pretty straightforward and more of a walk than a scramble, though you can certainly seek out the odd hands-on route; it’s a nice respite for the arms before the stiffer challenges ahead. On a clear day, The Nose will be an obvious objective.
The Cannon and Pen yr Ole Wen
The route leading up to The Nose
Some more scrambling for good measure
The Nose is an imposing pyramid of rock that bars the North Ridge route. By far the best way is to tackle it head-on; the main routes should be easy to pick out given the amount of polished rock. We opted for a slightly different line to avoid a queue, though we still remained around Grade 1, with the odd Grade 2 move thrown in for good measure. If you choose to bypass the tower, a path skirts to the left, cutting across the slopes and several gullies. I recommend attempting to climb the first gully—the upper reaches of Nor Nor gully—to get back onto the ridge before you find yourself on uncertain ground.
The Nose
Ogwen Valley
Looking down the North Ridge from The Nose
Gallt yr Ogof and Y Foel Goch
The final part of The Nose
After The Nose, another flatter section beckons, leading to the North Tower and section three. The North Tower is, as you might expect, a tall tower of rock on the North Ridge. The easiest route—which we took—heads to the right of the tower, providing some straightforward scrambling up onto the ridge. The tower can be attempted directly, but the grading here is likely a high Grade 2 and looks technically quite demanding.
The North Tower
Scrambling on the North Tower
Once up and over (or around) the tower, Tryfan’s summit will present itself. After a brief notch in the ridge, the final scramble leads to the summit proper, marked by two immense monoliths—Adam and Eve. To hop across the 1.2m gap between them is to gain the "Freedom of Tryfan," something I did for the very first time. As a first-timer, it is a pretty nerve-wracking experience, but one I am glad to have finally accomplished.
Tryfan's summit from the North Tower
The depression between the North Tower and the summit
An impromptu flyby from the Red Arrows
Tryfan's summit
The Freedom of Tryfan
The weather was holding, so we decided to stick to the plan and make tracks toward Bristly Ridge, where some more quality scrambling awaited. Descending Tryfan’s south ridge is easy compared to the scramble up the north, and we soon found our way down to Bwlch Tryfan, with Bristly Ridge rising up overhead.
Glyder Fach
Bristly Ridge
Cwm Bochlwyd
Glyder Fach
The two gullies; Main Gully is the more obvious one in this photo
Tryfan's Far South Peak
The first challenge is getting up onto the ridge itself, which is achieved via one of two gullies: Sinister or Main. While the name "Sinister" may not be overly appealing, it is, in fact, the easier of the two; it takes its name from the Latin for "left," as it is the leftmost gully of the pair. You can identify it by the large, overhanging rock above it.
Sinister Gully
Sinister Gully
Climbing the gully
Sinister Gully is a fairly straightforward climb, similar to Milestone Gully, which we had climbed earlier in the day. Again, there is an abundance of hand and footholds, and the route shouldn't pose many problems to an experienced scrambler.
Looking down Sinister Gully
The upper section
Tryfan from Sinister Gully
Sinister Gully led us onto Bristly Ridge itself, where some easy walking is interspersed with light scrambling. Don't let this fool you, however; the ridge is only just getting started. After clambering around some smaller pinnacles, we reached the Great Pinnacle Gap—a deep notch in the ridge preceding an immense spire of rock. This is the crux of the ridge.
Bristly Ridge and Tryfan
Scrambling on Bristly Ridge
Getting to the notch requires a tricky downclimb, though, as ever, there are hand and footholds if you search them out. The downclimb leads to a fairly narrow, flat slab which can be lethally slippery when wet. Upon first inspection, the spire of the Great Pinnacle seems to block the onward route; however, passing around to the right reveals a blocky gully that leads back up to the ridgeline.
Looking down into the Pinnacle Gap
Pinnacle Gap
The final scramble before the top
After we had tackled the gap, the weather began to close in quickly, leaving us little time to complete the route before the rain arrived. A final, steep scramble is required to finish Bristly Ridge, where most people will likely continue on to Glyder Fach and its famed Cantilever. Given the deteriorating weather, we decided against said route, instead opting to start making our way back to the cars.
The top of Bristly Ridge
We descended via the Bristly Screes, which is a horrendous route. It is steep and heavily eroded; I would favour Bristly Ridge over this any day. Even the longer route to the Miner's Path is preferable to the screes. It was raining heavily by the time we reached the bottom of the screes and Bwlch Tryfan once again.
The Bristly Screes
Crossing the ladder stile, a path leads down to the interesting Cwm Bochlwyd and the shores of Llyn Bochlwyd. We emerged below the mists as we descended alongside Nant Bochlwyd, before following an increasingly boggy path below Bochlwyd Buttress down to the A5.
Heading for Llyn Bochlwyd
The end of Y Gribin
Below Bochlwyd Buttress
What was left of Tryfan
Tryfan and the jagged skyline of Bristly Ridge remain, in my mind, one of the most rewarding mountain days in Wales. While the descent via the screes tested our patience—and our waterproofs—it didn't diminish the satisfaction of tackling such an iconic, scramble-heavy route. Whether you are chasing the "Freedom of Tryfan" or simply looking to challenge your nerves on the ridges of Eryri, this mountain offers an adventure that sticks with you long after you’ve cleaned the mud off your boots. Just remember to pick your weather window wisely, keep your eyes on the horizon for closing mists, and enjoy every moment of that high-altitude exposure.
Absolutely stunning! I am an artist based in Chester, just going into lockdown (and not allowed into Wales!). Could I use one of your photos as a departure point for a painting? Would really appreciate it! Kind regards, Scott Harrison, scottharrisonpost@gmail.com
Absolutely stunning!
ReplyDeleteI am an artist based in Chester, just going into lockdown (and not allowed into Wales!). Could I use one of your photos as a departure point for a painting? Would really appreciate it! Kind regards, Scott Harrison, scottharrisonpost@gmail.com
By all means, have fun with it!
Delete