Pinnacle Ridge, Craig y Bera and Continuation

kidsan · Joined: 15 Mar 2007 Posts: 23 Location: corwen, n. wales

i have just returned from a failed attempt at the scramble known as 'sentries ridge' on mynydd mawr in snowdonia. However, looking on the database on here, i see that the only scramble listed for mynydd mawr is something known as pinnacle ridge.

I must say that i have never heard of this name before and the photo looks just like sentries ridge so wonder if there has been some mistake here?

dante · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

No mistake - Sentries Ridge goes up the right hand side of the large gully and is less prominent from a distance, whereas Pinnacle Ridge runs up the left hand side of the gully, starting lower down, and is visible from miles away (e.g. Snowdon). I haven't written up Sentries Ridge as we did it over a year ago and I can't remember all the details beyond what is written in the scrambling guide books. Both routes are mentioned in the "Cwm Silyn and Cwellyn" climbing guide. Both are fine expeditions - the striking nature of Sentries becomes apparent from further up the route.

kidsan · Joined: 15 Mar 2007 Posts: 23 Location: corwen, n. wales

hmm, beginning to think that just maybe i was on this route rather than sentries. Are you saying that the 2 routes are on different gendarmes dante?

dante · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

Yes definitely. To find Sentries I seem to remember you cross a small scree gully and then head up to the narrow-looking buttress poking down from above. Its 10 metres or so up from where you first started to cross the gully. You can't miss Pinnacle Ridge on the other hand - it forms the lowest point of the whole crag requiring you to cross a second gully up to its right hand wall and then descend 20 metres or so down its side to the broken slabs at the bottom. PR is also the most outstanding (literally) buttress on the crag.

kidsan · Joined: 15 Mar 2007 Posts: 23 Location: corwen, n. wales

ok, now i'm really starting to have my doubts. I have posted a picture of the route i attempted (along with 2 other parties...we all turned back!) on my flikr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kidsan/?saved=1

Can you recognise which route this is?

dante · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

Hi Kidsan - that is definitely Pinnacle Ridge, not Sentries Ridge. You can see Sentries Ridge on TouchingCentauri's Flickr page at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikepeacock/417498845/in/set-72157594582079983/

and also at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikepeacock/417498970/in/set-72157594582079983/

Pinnacle Ridge is on the left, Sentries on the right.

dante · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

Incidentally Kidsan, the correct route (for 'Pinnacle Ridge') from where the guys in your photo are is to traverse around to the right under the steep wall and head up the large crack.

By the way- did you find a jammed hex at about where the top guy in your photo is located? We placed it but we couldn't retrieve it when we did the route the weekend before you!

Touching Centauri · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 91 Location: Bangor/St Helens

Heck, completely forgotten I had that photo with the route tagged!

kidsan · Joined: 15 Mar 2007 Posts: 23 Location: corwen, n. wales

ok, dante, it looks like i was on the wrong scramble! the 2 guys in my picture where already on the climb when i arrived along with another female soloist and we just assumed they were on sentries...oops!

In fact, it may be that they thought they were on sentries as well. The guy leadsing got no further than in the picture before traversing a bit to the right, as you suggested. The girl soloed to the top of this gendarme and then backed off. I did only the 1st few moves before backing off, finding it all a bit more exposed and loose than i was happy with.

I am assuming that sentries (at grade 2/3 according to ashton) is a little easier?

Oh well, it's worth going up just to have a look, especially on days like these! thanks for helping me to solve the puzzle!!

dante · Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 23

Yes Sentries is definitely easier, although still Diff in a few places I would say (e.g. the pitch along the knife-edge arete and the following pitch up and round to the right of the large gendarme, finishing at the first grass col - both these are avoidable on the right though). The Cwm Silyn and Cwellyn guide grades both routes as Diff. The main thing you will notice is that it is almost (but not quite) as loose as Pinnacle Ridge! The reason it is slightly less loose is that it sees more traffic I guess. It is a stonking route though!