UKC

Implies that the Idwal Slabs are a grade 2 scramble ideal for a newbie wanting to do something a bit trickier than Tryfans North Ridge. As far as I know the Parsons nose is a proper rock climb which can precede Clogwyn Y Person Arete

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/mountain-blogs/content/eight-awesome-adv...

In reply to bowls:

Possibly, I'd argue it was a Diff/Grade 3 rather than a Grade 2.

In reply to bowls:

maybe they mean alpine II?

In reply to bowls:

It's -on- the Met Office site, but it's -from- the BMC.

In reply to bowls:

There's a couple of easy scrambling lines around the Idwal Slabs that lead up onto Glyder Fawr. Senior's Ridge is one. However I agree it doesn't make that in the slightest bit clear.

Odd list. I would've thought sea kayaking around Skye would be a fairly major undertaking for anybody who hadn't thought of it already, and what bothies are 'like rustic youth hostels'? Apart from Craig, perhaps.

In reply to bowls:

I think you're being a bit harsh.
These are listed as "If you're looking to crank the difficulty up a notch", not for newbies.

And apart from the naming being a little confusing, there are two grade 2 scrambles that will take you up (or around) Idwal slabs (Idwal staircase and Direct approach to Seniors) and the Parson's nose is, according to the UKC database, the step which turns CyPA from a grade 2 to 3 scramble, and the article describes it as grade 3.

In reply to bowls:

There are three grade 2 scrambles around the Slabs: Direct Approach to Seniors' Ridge, Idwal Staircase, and NW Face. Steve Ashton lists a grade 3 up Clogwyn y Person with an optional start on the ridge edge of the nose.

In reply to bowls:

I would say The Parson's nose is a diff climb rather than a scramble

In reply to redsonja:

Parson's Nose via the gully start is a grade 3 scramble, I've done it several times. Via the arete overlooking the gully it's maybe a little harder. Via the slabs below the arete it's Diff.

In reply to bowls:

This is the text:

"The rugged reaches of Snowdonia National Park in North Wales lend themselves to one of the most thrilling sports Britain has to offer. Scrambling is a hybrid of climbing and walking, and the easiest routes can be attempted by anybody who's hill savvy and has a head for heights. Cut your teeth on the North Ridge, a grade 1 scramble on the rocky pyramid of Tryfan; or turn your guts to jelly with a traverse of the lofty Crib Goch ridge on Snowdon. If you're looking to crank the difficulty up a notch then the Idwal Slabs (grade 2) or even the grade 3 Parson's Nose, where a rope is recommended, are all adrenaline-boosting days out."

I don't think that trivialises the higher grades.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

I thought Parson's nose was the name of the slab? The gully start is the ordinary start of clogwyn y person arête, which as you say is given Grade 3. I have done both of these and would say the grading is about right. I haven't done the atete

In reply to bowls:

Can't see a problem with this : it's just a paragraph with broad examples of easy/harder scrambles and not a route description!

In reply to Simon Caldwell:
A very run out diff IIRC. Technically easy but slightly loose and no worthwhile gear on the slab, at least on the line I took.

I wouldn't send a diff or vdiff leader up it.

[edit]: I think it's definitely diff, but only if you are climbing significantly harder than diff. It occurs to me that this makes no sense.

In reply to redsonja:

I've always known the arete as Parsons Nose. Don;t know why, perhaps one of the scrambling books calls it by that name?

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

Just looked in the scrambles in Snowdonia book and they seem to call the start The Parson's Nose, whichever route is done. It calls the slab The Parson's Nose, and says an alternative start is up the edge of The Parson's Nose (presumably the arête) and calls the gully The western gully of the nose...! What is the arête like? Is it better than the gully?

In reply to bowls:

Seems like a cool little article to me, as previously mentioned, from the BMC.

There are grade II scramble at the Slabs.

In reply to redsonja:

Think you're getting confused with the nomenclature! You'll end up on the arête whether you start with the nose or the gully : the gully comes up just beyond a gap.

In reply to redsonja:

The right hand edge is harder than the gully, maybe Mod. I had a rope, but can't remember if I placed any gear or not. It was certainly quite exposed in places.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

Thanks. I fancy trying that start next time I'm there, but will take a rope