Tryfan

This is a scramble, not a conventional hill walk. Every route to the top involves using your hands, and even the easiest line from Bwlch Tryfan is graded 1. The North Ridge is the classic, exposed approach, while other lines become harder. There is no single obvious path across the upper boulders, so route-finding matters as much as fitness. The nearby rescue team is frequently called to people who become lost or stuck in the gullies.

Go only when you are comfortable with steep, exposed scrambling and have the equipment and judgment for it. Wet rock is slippery, and wind, mist, snow, or ice can turn an already committing ascent into a serious mountain day. The summit pillars are a famous photo, but the leap between them is not a required part of the visit and the exposure is real.

Carry a detailed map, a compass, a charged phone with a backup navigation plan, food, water, spare layers, and footwear suited to rough rock. Tell someone your route and expected return. The summit is not a serviced attraction, so plan to be self-sufficient once you leave the valley.

Feral mountain goats live on Tryfan and may drop lower when rain moves in. Watch them from a distance and give them room. The mountain also has a strong mountaineering history: George Mallory made two of his first British rock climbs here in 1907, and Sir Edmund Hillary's team used Tryfan to practise with oxygen equipment and rescue techniques before the 1953 Everest ascent.