Product Description

All the described routes lie within the northern half of the Snowdonia National Park, where the most rugged mountains are found. Good scrambling in the southern half is scarce, the rock here being typically loose or vegetated. Northern Snowdonia naturally divides into four regions. From north to south these are the Carneddau, the Glyders, the Snowdon group and Eifionydd. The best scrambles will be found in the Glyders, with the large majority concentrated on Tryfan, Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr. The Snowdon group also boasts many excellent routes, whereas the Carneddau and the Eifionydd regions provide only a handful. The choice of routes is, by necessity and design, a selective one. All the best scrambles are included, though for the sake of a broader coverage some mediocre ones in the Glyders and Snowdon group have been omitted in favour of even poorer ones in the Carneddau and Eifionydd. The guide contains over sixty routes, and the range of difficulty extends from scrambly walks to the boundaries of proper rock climbing. Average fitness and a head for heights will suffice at one end of the scale, whereas nothing short of mountaineer's skill and daring will do at the other. Some routes fit neither category: scrambling over loose rock and up dripping, vegetated gullies seems to require a special cunning, for which neither hill walking nor rock climbing provides adequate preparation.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13956 in Books
• Published on: 1992-04-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

About the Author
Steve lived in Snowdonia for 20 years, during which he gained an intimate knowledge of walks and climbs in the region. Among a number of mountaineering books he wrote at this time, the best known is his highly influential and now classic Scrambles in Snowdonia, which was largely responsible for reviving interest in this esoteric sport. Forays beyond North Wales took him to the Dolomites, the Mont Blanc massif and Switzerland, where he briefly worked as a climbing instructor. A passion for rock climbing and scrambling extends to the rest of UK, with a particular fondness for gritstone. Very much an all-rounder, he was also a keen ice climber and supplemented Welsh waterfall routes with trips to Scotland, where he lists the 'big five' traditional Ben Nevis classics of Tower Ridge, Point Five Gully, Observatory Ridge, Zero Gully and North-East Buttress among his all-time favourites. For several years Steve was a columnist for High Mountain Sports and Country Living magazines. He currently works as an actor and playwright.

Customer Reviews

Outstanding Guide
I've had the guide a while now and have completed the majority of harder scrambles described in the book. All routes have been described with precise detail and further clarified with photographs, providing an excellent route description. A diverse range of routes has been included, with the three star classics to the lesser known routes (which are usually more rewarding). Steve Ashton has evidently put his years of experience into the guide and has produced a classic. Even the size of the guide makes it perfect to go into the back of a mapcase. A very well thought out book that I shall continue to cherish for many years to come.

An excellent book for the dedicated scrambler
Steve Ashton presents a range of scrambles (in the main Northern area of Snowdonia only) from the relatively simple (e.g. the Crib Goch ridge on Snowdon) right up to grade 3(S) which look more like serious rock-climbs to me! As a dedicated scrambler (NOT a rock climber) I found enough of the more challenging grade 1s and 2s to satisfy me including the most interesting route up Tryfan - yes climbing Tryfan amongst the East buttresses without feeling the need for ropes - that I have done, and several other routes I hadn't considered. Steve's route descriptions are excellent, with sufficient detail to follow the climb safely but not over long. I can thoroughly recommend the book to those who don't rock climb (they would probably find it all too easy!) but enjoy a challenging scramble to provide an unusual route up a familiar peak.