UKC

Hi All,

Spent the weekend in Snowdonia and one route we chose was the Dolmen Ridge scramble on Glyder Fach. Met a nice chap at the bottom who informed us that the route starts to the right of the West Gully whereas my shiny new guide book told us to start to the left of the gully.

We ended up opting for the left hand start which had a fairly scary and exposed (but fun!) move to get up onto the Courtyard below the Dolmen Buttress. We then skipped round the buttress and up the gully for a bit before rejoining the ridge for the crux pitch. I've since got home and checked my older guide books and all say to start to the right of the gully, hence missing out the scary move up to the Buttress...

Any one know why the route would be so different in the later book? Anyone done it from both sides? Curious to know which is the most befitting start for the route (and whether I should start right next time...)

Cheers

Jon

In reply to hairy51:

I dunno but I went left as it seems more logical to start on the side that the majority of the route is on.

In reply to hairy51:

I started from the right and crossed the gully to join the ridge proper. It does provide great climbing but the line itself is a bit contrived to be honest.

In reply to hairy51:

Hi Jon, the left hand start is far more secure than the right. I found the right hand side fairly loose and slippy due to the greenery.
Stay left up to the Courtyard, then cross the gully and ascend up it for 10-15 mtrs, then head straight up the left head wall onto the ridge.
Awesome route.

In reply to hairy51:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=406558&v=1#x5819436

Don't ask me!

Joking aside I think we started right and traversed left too early. If you start left, presumably you go back into the gully for a short bit before the route proper otherwise you'd end up where we did - which seemed too hard (but that could just be me!)

In reply to hairy51:
In the guides I have seen, the approach is on the right. I have done it twice, once on the right and once going straight up the gully. The right hand side was unpleasant and broken, the gully horrible and badly protected -esp when wet and slippy. Whatever approach to "The courtyard" I would suggest path of least resistance and quickest!

I am more intrigued as to how you describe the route after this. The prescribed route follows an exposed (obvious) ramp overlooking the gully before turning right by a fallen block and then up a steep 7m wall onto the ridge. I would describe this wall as the crux and akin it to V Diff climbing standard (we did it in the cold and wet). Once onto the ridge it is just exposed scrambling with a couple of exposed towers to negotiate.

The crux pitch you describe would not be the crux I remember? However the first time we did it, we didnt take the ramp, but continued up the gully for a few paces before climbing straight up to the ridge on steep slabs. Good fun too, but not as exposed as the other side.

Glyder Fach = Great scrambling area!

In reply to bowls:

Your description is spot on - we did rejoin the ridge via the ramp and went up the steep wall as you say.

After scrambling up to below the Buttress, we went to the far right hand end and stepped over a notch in the gully before moving 30m or so up the gully to join the leftwards leading ramp that overlooks the gully. I would agree that the crux is on the steep wall after that, although I would say that the hardest single move definitely came from the very short section up to the courtyard at the bottom of the Dolmen Buttress, but it is only one move so very short lived.

Was a great route, definitely got my sights on the other grade 3's in that area now.

Cheers

Jon

In reply to hairy51:





Hawks nest is great. A must do. Just need to do the Chasm on that face now to complete the set.