Why following other people on Crib Goch can lead you astray
One of the awkward things about choosing a line on a scramble is that it’s surprisingly hard to ignore somebody who looks as though they know where they’re going. You’ve looked at the rock and worked out a route, then someone ahead takes a different line. Perhaps they know a better way. Perhaps you’ve missed something obvious. That thought can get into your head even when you know the mountain very well.
I talk about this quite a lot when people want to use a Crib Goch day to prepare for their own scrambling. The person ahead might be a very experienced climber deliberately making it harder. They might be lost, or simply following the person in front of them. You can’t reliably tell which from the confident way they’ve set off.
A few metres can make a big difference
On the first steep rock step of the East Ridge, there are several ways to reach the same ledge. One gives us a straightforward sequence on good holds. Another includes a much more exposed traverse, which can be enjoyable if that’s what you intended to do. Move a few metres too far right and the rock becomes considerably steeper, eventually overhanging.
Those people can all appear to be heading in roughly the same direction. Following one of them because they look assured could put you on something much harder than the route you came to do.
The worn rock can be misleading too. Higher on the East Ridge, there’s an obvious-looking line around a steeper section which leads onto loose, insecure shelves. Going straight up the better rock can be much more pleasant. Elsewhere, a heavily polished slab is an awkward choice when there’s a simpler scramble beside it. You need to look at the actual rock, rather than assume that the most visible wear marks the best passage.
The Goat Track on Crib y Ddysgl
A particularly good example comes after Crib Goch, as we approach the steep nose of Crib y Ddysgl. The ridge ahead can look intimidating, while a worn path heads away to the left and slightly downhill. It’s tempting to assume that must be the easier option.
That path, often called the Goat Track, deteriorates into very loose rock and scree as it traverses towards the upper Pyg Track zigzags. There’s also the risk of rockfall from above, and there have been serious and fatal accidents there. It isn’t a line I use with my groups.
Meanwhile, the imposing bit of ridge has several passages through the steeper rock, leading back onto the crest. The climbing takes some care, but I’d much rather take people that way than onto that horrible traverse. Looking easier from the start and actually being easier are very different things here.
When we’re working on route choice, I want people to think about where a line is taking them before they start climbing it. Look ahead while you can still see the shape of the ridge. If what you find doesn’t fit what you expected, stop somewhere suitable and reassess before adding another awkward move to the problem. Reversing a steep step can be considerably harder than climbing it.
There’s nothing wrong with asking other people about a route, and watching how someone tackles a move can help. Just keep making your own assessment as well. The fact that somebody else has gone that way tells you very little about whether you should.
