Crib Goch routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX
923 m ยท Snowdonia
Crib Goch is the knife-edge ridge on the Snowdon Horseshoe, an exposed grade one scramble and one of Britain's most famous ridges.
Peakify lists 4 measured routes up Crib Goch, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.
Crib Goch routes, easiest to hardest
Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.
| Route | Start | Distance | Ascent | Time up | There and back | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pen y Pass via Bwlch y Moch | Pen y Pass car park | 6.3 km one way | 778 m | 2h 35m | 3h 50m | Scramble |
| East Ridge and crest | Pen-y-Pass | 2.6 km one way | 560 m | 1h 25m | 2h 0m | Scramble |
| Crib Goch North Ridge from Blaen y Nant | Blaen y Nant footpath junction | 3.0 km one way | 760 m | 1h 50m | 2h 30m | Scramble |
| Fox's Path and Crib Goch North Ridge | Pen-y-Pass Pyg Track start | 4.0 km one way | 630 m | 1h 50m | 2h 40m | Scramble |
Crib Goch route times by Naismith's rule
The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.
Each Crib Goch route
Pen y Pass via Bwlch y Moch
The Pyg Track to Bwlch y Moch, then a steep scramble up the east ridge and along the exposed crest. It starts from Pen y Pass car park. 6.3 km one way with 778 m of ascent. About 2h 35m to the summit and 3h 50m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.
East Ridge and crest
A grade 1 scramble to the summit from Pen-y-Pass. It starts from Pen-y-Pass. 2.6 km one way with 560 m of ascent. About 1h 25m to the summit and 2h 0m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.
Crib Goch North Ridge from Blaen y Nant
A grade 1 scramble to the summit from Blaen y Nant footpath junction. It starts from Blaen y Nant footpath junction. 3.0 km one way with 760 m of ascent. About 1h 50m to the summit and 2h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.
Fox's Path and Crib Goch North Ridge
A grade 1 scramble to the summit from Pen-y-Pass Pyg Track start. It starts from Pen-y-Pass Pyg Track start. 4.0 km one way with 630 m of ascent. About 1h 50m to the summit and 2h 40m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Scramble.
Crib Goch route GPX
Download a GPX for each route with a track: East Ridge and crest, Crib Goch North Ridge from Blaen y Nant, Fox's Path and Crib Goch North Ridge. Each is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.
Before you pick a route
The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Crib Goch today and the Crib Goch 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.
Planning a day on Crib Goch routes
The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.
Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.
Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.
If you are new to Crib Goch, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.
Questions about Crib Goch
What is the easiest route up Crib Goch?
Pen y Pass via Bwlch y Moch has the easiest grade of the 4 routes listed here (Scramble).
How much time does each Crib Goch route take?
Pen y Pass via Bwlch y Moch: about 2h 35m up and 3h 50m there and back. East Ridge and crest: about 1h 25m up and 2h 0m there and back. Crib Goch North Ridge from Blaen y Nant: about 1h 50m up and 2h 30m there and back. Fox's Path and Crib Goch North Ridge: about 1h 50m up and 2h 40m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.
Can I get a GPX file for a Crib Goch route?
Yes. Open a route below and download its GPX: an ascent track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths.