I’ve guided strong groups around the full Snowdon Horseshoe in five to six hours, while slower groups have taken over eight hours with a Miners’ Track descent. These are timings from my guided days, including the approach and the scrambling beyond Crib Goch.

By the time we stop below the first steep rock step, I’ve already learnt quite a lot about the group. A look at what I’m watching and doing throughout a guided Crib Goch day, including the decisions you might not notice.

My first crossing involved driving rain and an instructor hauling me along by my rucksack. Since then, there’s been a fell-running obsession and more than 200 crossings, with a slightly unreasonable amount of the route now lodged in my head.

A confident person ahead of you might be taking a harder line deliberately, or they might be lost. From the East Ridge to the Goat Track on Crib y Ddysgl, some examples of why a worn path or another person isn’t enough to choose your route.

What actually happens on a Mountain Craft Crib Goch day, from the joining information and the climb out of Pen y Pass to the pinnacles and the choice of descent. The whole outing, including the bits that rarely make it into the reels.

Most of my first-time clients find Crib Goch less frightening than they’d expected, though some find the exposure every bit as serious as they imagined. Here’s what the dramatic footage often leaves out.

Bwlch y Moch can be considerably windier than you’d expect. I carry a wind meter, but the reading is only part of the decision. Here’s how I assess a marginal Crib Goch day and what happens when we change the route.

If you’ve already had a difficult day on Crib Goch, I’d like to hear what happened before we plan a return. Sometimes going back makes sense; sometimes a different scramble is a better place to start.

What experience helps before Crib Goch, how I assess people on the approach and why I’d like to hear about the mountain day that didn’t go brilliantly as well as the ones you enjoyed.

Lliwedd can be a brilliant way to finish a Crib Goch day, but there’s a substantial amount of scrambling and descent left once you leave Yr Wyddfa. Here’s how I decide whether the full Snowdon Horseshoe suits the group.