Rockfax Description
Shark Buttress is one of the big three routes of Glyder Fach. Its eponymous pinnacle looks like a shark's head, frozen in geological time, breaching the cliff face. A great photo opportunity and a must for anyone's Insta-Face-Tweet!
Start up Main Gully and, before it gets steep, go right along a terrace across the top of the Alphabet Slab past East Gully and carry on traversing the grass break to the next steep buttress.
1) Head boldly but easily up to a ledge at the base of the left arete of the steep buttress.
2) Go up and right across the slabs to reach a small ledge and traverse this right to a niche by some blocks. Carry on shuffling right to gain a narrow ledge/trench above a large flake.
3) Tricky moves up a smooth slab lead quickly to a grassy ledge below the right arete of the steep buttress.
4) Go up the gully on the right side of the buttress for a few metres to where a corner leads you back left onto the crest. An awkward exit leads to a small bay below a smooth groove with a couple of cracks.
5) Climb the groove to a spike. Stand on it and arrange a sling before summing up the courage to make a bold step out left to the edge of the buttress. Easier moves lead to below the Shark's Jaw pinnacles that rise up above you.
6) Gain the pinnacles by an easy scramble to the right. Photo opportunity. To reach the top climb the side facing the mountain before a careful sliding descent.
7) The next step is easier than it first appears. The easiest way is to gain the grassy gully on the left and go up here until you can trend up and right to regain the buttress.
8) Go straight over some tricky steps to reach a large grass terrace with a short but hard-looking quartz-riddled step. This can be passed on the left or direct.
9) Above is a large perched pinnacle. Pass through this steepening just to the left of the looming pinnacle.
10) Continue up the ridge that becomes more prominent from the hillside, to eventually traverse its crest before the ridge disappears into a more open rocky hillside. A short easy scramble leads more or less direct to the summit plateau of Glyder Fach just below the true summit. © Rockfax

UKC Logbook Description
Aka Shark Pinnacle (Hawks Nest Buttress Scramble)
Grade M / 3

Ticklists

Scrambles in Snowdonia - Steve Ashton , North Wales Scrambles - Garry Smith , Snowdonia Mountain Walks and Scrambles - Mark Reeves , British 3 Star Scrambles , Snowdonia *** Scrambles

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