This is one of the more extreme scrambles in Snowdonia. Whilst never technically hard, a mere grade 2, it goes on at that grade for about 400m. As such it is both committing and exhilarating in equal measure. For most parties it is a roped up adventure of the highest order of difficulty, and will require a full day to complete due to the number of pitches. Only true expert scrambles should consider soloing this route. The route climbs a gentle slab of immaculate rock which was once the ocean floor, and it is for this reason that the rock appears 'undulated', like the sand on the beach of a gently retreating tide.
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Detailed description
1
SH6304763550 From the car parking walk back along the road to a stile over the fence just before the hostel. Head over this and across a short boggy section to reach the drystone wall. Follow this steeply up the hillside, to where the wall splits. It is here you can turn the route into a walk by heading up and right to gain the ridge above the slab cliffs.
2
SH6288163247 For the scramble, carry on along the right side of the drystone wall. The terrain soon gets less steep and the cliffs appear above you to the right. Carry on until you can see the main Atlantic Ridge. There is a scree slip of large boulders that leads up to it. Stay by the wall until you reach the scree.
3
SH6254562729 Pick your way up the scree to the base of the ridge. Starting from the toe of the ridge scramble up, staying as close to the crest as possible, with deviations onto the cracked slab on the left where needed. The ridge soon splits: take the left ridge. This continues up in the same general vein until the right hand ridge rejoins you at a small overlap. From here carry on up the ridge again using the cracked slab on the left to the top. This is nearly 400m of continuous grade 2+/3 scrambling, with epic exposure by the top, and as such a rope is recommended. Turn left at the top and walk to the summit of Carnedd Y Filiast. 
© Mark Reeves, Apr 2019
4
SH6205862708 Walk along the main Glyder Ridge for about 500m and then follow the edge of the cwm around to the left to the top of a steep ridge descent.
5
SH6247162323 Descend the ridge - there is a vague path. A rock step is avoided to the right and then the ridge broadens out as you descend it to the drystone wall.
6
SH6299262918 Turn left and follow the drystone wall across the edge of the cwm to reach the wall you ascended. Cross this wall and descend along its left side back to the car.
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Further Routes
by Mark Reeves
- Snowdon via the Llanberis Path, and down the Snowdon Ranger 9 Oct, 2020
- Dolwyddelan - The Cwm Penamnen Horseshoe 10 Jul, 2020
- A Round of the Northern Carneddau 3000ers 11 Jun, 2020
- Maesglase, a Mid Wales Gem 24 Apr, 2020
- Moel Hebog to Moel Lefn 5 Mar, 2020
- Cwm Cneifion in Winter - Hidden Gully and Y Gribin 20 Feb, 2020
- Dartmoor - The North Moor from Princetown 12 Feb, 2020
- Snowdon Via the South Ridge and the Watkin Path 21 Dec, 2019
- Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr from the Pen Y Gwryd 27 Nov, 2019
- The New Forest: Abbot's Well - Fritham Circuit 26 Aug, 2019
This was one of my favourite days out back in the day when I lived close enough to nip over to Snowdonia for a day, back in the early 90s. Once you're a few pitches up, the convex nature of the slab means that you can no longer see the bottom, and there's just you and your mate(s) on this patch of rock half way up to the sky. The climbing is never difficult for the grade, just exposed, though if you do rope it, there were sections with little gear in for the more nervous leaders. It would take for ever if you put lots in though! Mostly its just wandering around near the edge of the slab until your rope starts to get heavy, then find a belay. Though easy enough, its highly recommended for anyone with a sense of adventure, whatever grade you climb.
This looks awesome! It's definitely going on my to-do list.. :)