99m, 5 pitches.

Rockfax Description
One of the finest mountain routes in the UK, The Gambit Climb has it all. Acres of exposure, superb moves, great rock and a crux at the end. What more could you ask for? The start of the route lies 5m left of an unique pocketed wall, around 60m right of Western Gully.
1) 23m. Climb a crack for 3m passing a hanging flake, then head left. Move down and left to gain a slab at its left edge. Follow this slab to a corner-crack. Climb this to gain a ledge, then follow a continuation crack above to reach large ledges.
2) 17m. The line of least resistance leads up via a chimney to reach a large grassy ledge known as The Green Collar.
3) 15m. Traverse right to gain a short chimney. Climb this to the next ledge.
4) 15m. Move left along the ledge to the base of a chimney. Follow this to gain the top of the pinnacle on the left. Step right and follow the crack above to more ledges.
5) 15m. Above is a rightward-sloping ledge that is followed to a square-cut corner. Climb this with difficulty via a thin crack to gain easy ground. © Rockfax

UKC Logbook Description
A very varied route on soud rock: an absolute classic!
Llanberis's answer to Grooved Arete! Start at the foot of a 10ft/3m flake crack, 55yd/53mR or Western Gully and 15ft/5m L of a pocketed wall.
1. 75ft/23m. Climb the short flake until a step L, then down, lead to a traverse across a slab into a deep corner crack. Go up this to a good ledge. Continue up a short awkward crack to a large stance.
2. 55ft/17m. Traverse R to a shallow chimney and climb it to a grassy ledge.
3. 45ft/14m. A difficult traverse R leads to a short chimney which is taken to a good ledge.
4. 70ft/21m. Ascend the chimney at the back of the ledge to the top of the pinnacle. Hand traverse into an easy corner crack which leads to a scree-covered ledge - an excellent pitch.
5. 80ft/24m. Move R up a sloing grassy ledge to a R-angled corner with a thin crack. Climb this strnuously to the top.

J.M.A. Thomson, H.O. Jones, K.J.P. Orton 1910.

Ticklists

Connoisseur's Classic Rock , North Wales Rock Graded List , North Wales 100 Classic Climbs , ROCKFAX - Top 50 North Wales Climbs , Snowdonia - long routes and classic climbs , North wales road to ruins HVS , North Wales Super Summer Solo Ticklist , Preparation climbs for a Cuillin ridge traverse , The best the UK has to offer for mere mortals (apart from the lakes cos its always wet) , #RadTradGirl UK HS/VS climbs Easter 2017 , Snowdonia in Chains , Adventure ticklist 2018 , The Long Routes , UK Holiday Plans , George's Ultimate Easy to Mid-Grade North Wales Trad Ticklist , Mountain Rock , Dougs 2020 ToDo List , The (easy) Welsh Top50 Round , Hard Rock & Other Classics , Wales Multipitch , Ash and Krisz's September Adventure , Llidberis , ROCKFAX TOP 50s upto e3

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User Date Notes
milanboez 12 Jun, 2023 Show βeta
βeta: No warm up here! Straight into it on pitch 1 with some bold slabby traverse moves into a couple of intimidating cracks. Pitch 2 more a scramble, pitch 3 a fun few meters of exposed traverse then a scramble. Pitch 4 is excellent but more VD climbing. Pitch 5 I'd give 4b for the start but well protected and also excellent. Great climb and Severe sounds right compared to other climbs of the grade in Snowdonia. There are harder Severes in the area (like Lazarus, Groove Above and Kirkus's Climb Direct) so not sure why so many graded this HS.
βeta?
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βeta: No warm up here! Straight into it on pitch 1 with some bold slabby traverse moves into a couple of intimidating cracks. Pitch 2 more a scramble, pitch 3 a fun few meters of exposed traverse then a scramble. Pitch 4 is excellent but more VD climbing. Pitch 5 I'd give 4b for the start but well protected and also excellent. Great climb and Severe sounds right compared to other climbs of the grade in Snowdonia. There are harder Severes in the area (like Lazarus, Groove Above and Kirkus's Climb Direct) so not sure why so many graded this HS.
Ethical Joe 8 Jun, 2022 Show βeta
βeta: Adventure from start to finish. Be warned the guidebook doesn’t explain that this route is almost at the top of Snowdon. Very remote location high above the valley. Rockfax line seemed to send delight up to a blank shelf. Luckily so other poor sod has also been stuck up there and so free nut! Managed to regain composure after a mini epic on the first pitch once on route the climb was epic. Cool decent down parson nose too.
Show beta
βeta: Adventure from start to finish. Be warned the guidebook doesn’t explain that this route is almost at the top of Snowdon. Very remote location high above the valley. Rockfax line seemed to send delight up to a blank shelf. Luckily so other poor sod has also been stuck up there and so free nut! Managed to regain composure after a mini epic on the first pitch once on route the climb was epic. Cool decent down parson nose too.
Onsight Delight 1 Sep, 2021 Show βeta
βeta: Rockfax topo is wrong, P1 starts further right and the final pitch is further to the right as well. Better to go off the description. There’s a good picture of the final pitch someone uploaded
βeta?
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βeta: Rockfax topo is wrong, P1 starts further right and the final pitch is further to the right as well. Better to go off the description. There’s a good picture of the final pitch someone uploaded
Misha 29 Aug, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: The 15m pitch length for P5 in the Rockfax and CC guides is wrong. It’s more like 25m. Meander up and right from the belay at the top of P4 (take great care not to dislodge loose blocks on a ledge just above the belay) for about 15m, then climb the corner. Good idea to put in an extra belay just below the corner. The corner is nails for a Severe, easily 4b or even 4c.
βeta?
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βeta: The 15m pitch length for P5 in the Rockfax and CC guides is wrong. It’s more like 25m. Meander up and right from the belay at the top of P4 (take great care not to dislodge loose blocks on a ledge just above the belay) for about 15m, then climb the corner. Good idea to put in an extra belay just below the corner. The corner is nails for a Severe, easily 4b or even 4c.
Tony Ryland 19 Aug, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: The descent was a real trial and would only be recommended for experienced parties. Probably quicker and definitely safer to carry on up.
Show beta
βeta: The descent was a real trial and would only be recommended for experienced parties. Probably quicker and definitely safer to carry on up.
Felix Ottey 24 Jun, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: Easy to miss the grand finale as the party ahead of us did.
βeta?
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βeta: Easy to miss the grand finale as the party ahead of us did.
TheSooper 24 Jul, 2011 Show βeta
βeta: A great climb but definitely not VD as my Llanberis CC guide suggests! Top-end Severe with some steep, tricky moves on pitches 1, 4 and 5. I brought Cat up to belay at the bottom of the final crack on which I also sack-hauled. The last moves are steep and I'd give them 4b.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: A great climb but definitely not VD as my Llanberis CC guide suggests! Top-end Severe with some steep, tricky moves on pitches 1, 4 and 5. I brought Cat up to belay at the bottom of the final crack on which I also sack-hauled. The last moves are steep and I'd give them 4b.

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Mid HS
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High S
Mid S
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High HVD
Mid HVD
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Votes cast 89
Votes cast 96
Style of Ascent
Alt Leads
Lead
Followed
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Onsighted
DNF
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Route of Interest
Christmas Curry

Grade: S 4a ***
(Craig Bwlch y Moch (Tremadog))

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