Crib Lem (Llech Ddu Spur) – an awesome Grade 1 Scramble in Eryri

lottieinthewild
Mar 8, 2025
4 min read

Crib Lem is a great sustained grade 1 scramble in a quiet valley that feels like you’re going on a proper adventure. It’s hidden away from the main hustle and bustle of the park, and one reason I like to visit the Carneddau so much! Despite the long approach, it’s totally worth it for the rock quality, the views and the lack of people. It’s a great introductory scramble, and way better (in my opinion!) than the more popular north face of Tryfan, which ok ok, is still a classic and you should probably do it at some point😉

Hiking stats

When to Hike

Route Description

Alternative descents

How long does it take

Where to start and finish

GPX route files

The stats

Difficulty: Moderate

Grade: Grade 1 Scramble (with 3 stars!)

Distance: 6.5 miles / 10 km (but I’ll share 3 different routes of varying length!)

Duration: 5-6 hrs

Highest point: Carnedd Dafydd 3425ft / 1044m

Total elevation gain: 2921ft / 890m

Start/finish: Bethesda

When to hike

Best tackled in dry weather as some of the rocks have lichen which can be slippery when wet and not to be attempted in high winds unless you want a miserable day! Despite it being north facing, the rock dries pretty fast so any good clear day and you should be onto a winner.

Route Description

The route starts in the village of Gerlan but parking here is scarce and the lanes are narrow so I’d recommend parking closer to Bethesda and walking a little bit further. If you arrive early you’ll probably find a spot, but please be respectful of the residents and park sensibly. I snagged what I thought was the last good space and genuinely got yelled at by a lady even after I told her I was happy to park somewhere else, I think some people just love to have a go, but bear it in mind!

Follow the lane south east, leaving Bethesda behind you. On a sharp corner you cross a bridge over the Afon Llafar and then take the first left which is signposted as a public right of way and follow the river up the valley.

The path is faint in patches at the beginning but soon turns into a really obvious track

which heads right to the back of the valley. The approach is long but really easy going with only minimal elevation gain. Expect to be walking for 1-1h30 on this section.

As you approach the end of the valley, you’ll see the obvious crag face of Llech Ddu. Here, you’ll want to cross the stream coming in from the right and follow the faint track on the other side towards the bottom of the crag. The approach here turns steep and you want to have the crag on your left, and the waterfall on your right. Follow the good scree path up until you reach the upper cwm then take a sharp turn left and traverse above the path you just climbed reaching an obvious shoulder at the top of the crag.

This is an excellent spot for a brew with a view as the scramble starts here!

Start by scrambling straight up the rock face, there’s a multitude of ways to tackle this and you’ll notice it’s more worn in certain areas than others so just go with what feels right for you. You’ll soon gain the first rise where it’s quite broad and grassy. Continue on this line to reach an obvious tabletop of grass where the first proper view of the Crib Lem Spur becomes clear.

The ridge becomes quite narrow in places with steep drops either side, the rock has good holds for the entire route but shouldn’t be underestimated. After passing the famous Christmas Tree Rock, carry on and take the excellent blocky rock straight ahead or avoid it with the worn grassy slopes to the left and join back a little further up (note: I have never taken the grass slopes, but it’s very obvious that people go this way as the ground is really worn). Eventually the rock peters out and you’ll be left with a vague path that leads up to the summit of Carnedd Dafydd.

Carnedd Dafydd is the third highest peak in Wales standing at 3425ft / 1044m and on a clear day the views across to the Glyderau are outstanding!

For the quickest descent, take a faint path north-west towards Mynydd Du, keeping the cliff edge on your right. Take extra care in poor visibility as this isn’t a very popular track but will eventually meet back up with the valley path you used for the main approach.

Two alternative descents

via Pen yr Ole Wen – to make this a linear hike (6.3miles / 10km) take the south-west path from the summit of Carnedd Dafydd to Pen yr Ole Wen (3208ft / 978m) and take the classic east face route back to the A5. If you have two cars this would be a great option, but also buses run through here to get back to Bethesda!

via Yr Elen – to make this a longer circular (around 10miles / 16km) head east and follow the ridgeline round to gain Carnedd Llewelyn (3490ft / 1064m) the second highest mountain in Wales. At the summit head west on a faint track towards the outlier of Yr Elen and drop off the west side on a steep but obvious scree path back towards Bethesda. Once back in the valley proper, the path is really faint and can get quite boggy but a bit of leapfrogging on rocks will keep you dry! Generally speaking, head for the gates and you’ll be on the right track. At the end, pass through a farmyard and pick up the road at the bridge that crosses the Afon Llafar.