Goat Walk

Even though Snowdonia's feral goats have been known to accomplish feats that would make even the hardened mountaineer think twice about embarking on, with a name like Goat Walk, you probably wouldn't expect this route to conjure up too many difficulties; and you'd be right. Graded at Moderate, this is the easiest route on Craig yr Aderyn and one of its most accessible too. It takes a more or less direct line up the broken and slightly discontinuous slabs and ribs of the crag's West Face in two neat pitches. It's a great line to warm up on before moving on to harder endevours, or an ideal introduction to pitched climbing for multi-pitch virgins. It goes without saying that its setting is nothing short of sublime, for in Wales, there are fewer valleys more picturesquely immaculate as the Dysynni.

FA: Unknown.

Most visitors to Craig yr Aderyn will approach the rock from the east, if you have to approach from the west, then you clearly know the area well enough already, and therefore don’t need a section such as this to help you get there. So, if you are coming from the east, you need to turn off the A470 at the Cross Foxes Inn junction (SH 766 167), and drive south along the A487 for some 6km to the junction for the B4405 near the Minffordd Hotel (SH 732 114). For those familiar with the area, this is the same turning as you would take for the car park on the southern side of Cadair Idris where the Minffordd Path starts. Drive along the B4405 as far as Abergynolwyn (SH 677 069). In the centre of the village there is a crossroads, turn right here and drive north up a narrow unclassified road to another set of crossroads marked by a public phone box (SH 662 079). Turn left here and drive west along another unclassified road. After a around a kilometre and a half the road reaches Craig yr Aderyn and passes along the base of its north face, There are various lay-bys along the road where parking is available.

Park under The Bastion face and walk along the wall a short distance to the crag's West Face. Locate a huge block beneath an obvious rib and start your climb there.

Pitch 1 (21m): Ascend the slabby edge of the obvious rib to a grassy ledge on the left. Belay from here harnessing a handy block above you.

Pitch 2 (21m): Climb the wall directly behind the belay to a ledge. Move left and climb the edge of a smooth wall. Above this there is apparently a spike belay, I could not find it. Belay where you can.

It's an easy route so a moderate rack of nuts and hexes will be more than enough. A singe 50 metre rope will be fine as the route meanders very little and there should be no rope drag. Loose rock may be encountered so a helmet is probably a good idea.

Ordnance Survey 1:25k Explorer Series OL 23 Cadair Idris & Bala Lake/Llyn Tegid

Ordnance Survey 1:50k Landranger Series 124 Porthmadog & Dolgellau

Harvey Map Services 1:25k Snowdonia Cadiar Idris

Harvey Map Services/BMC 1:40k British Mountain Map Snowdonia South

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