In reply to TimhNorthBASE:
We had a trip around snakes & Ladders after watching your video when you first uploaded it <thankyou!> and it certainly was a very memorable day - scarey, exciting, adventurous, historical and just unusual. My advice to anyone thinking of doing the route is to print out the topo and keep it in the glovebox, if a Wales day turns to rain then go for it! Although probably impossible to grade as a 'route' HVS was bandy'd about when we did it and the exposure and danger we felt certainly felt fitting for the grade. If I may as bold as to downgrade it slightly now the main snake is tied off properly and AVOIDing the bridge of death then VS would perhaps be more fitting. My partner wrote up the day for his blog and he has deliberatly kept the route description vague so as not to give too much away <the fun is in the route finding> and on the blog there are some photos that show the condition of the snake as we found it, before it was tied off. Scarey! As for the bridge of death, well its up to you but there is no way I'd ever get on it again - Quote "we agreed that roping up would make his body easier to find if the bridge collapsed"
Sturdy boots or approach shoes are fine, I did it in 5.10 tennies. Waterproofs, helmet vital, headtorch optional. No rock gear needed but a single rope with slings and screwgates and belay device for abbing off are needed. The first snake can be a fight, its too thick to grip comfortably and slippy as hell! Don't let it stop you or slow you down if time is short. Aid it easily with a 60cm sling on your belay loop and a 120cm sling for your foot. Simpy larks foot these to the chain moving them up for each move. (Hexes work well too threaded through the chain links)
Its a brilliant day but take great care.
www.daveclarkesolo.com/climbing-blog.html