Foel Goch scrambles

Peak/Crag: Creigiau Gleision/Foel Goch
Route: Needle's Eye (North) Arete (M:led p.1,2,3,4)
This crag is an atmospheric and neglected place with wonderful views into the jaws of Ogwen and down Nant Ffrancon. I'd been up here for the neighbouring South Arete before, but after doing Traditional Route above Betws this morning, the rain clouds wreathing Siabod cleared and it seemed like a good idea to bolt on a mountain outing to the day. John is still very new to all this, and is leaving the country soon anyway, so a long scramble with good views was in order. We ploughed up the steep hillside via the shallow scree couloir in 20 minutes, running where possible. The broad gully then gives access to the tremendous rock architecture which characterises this crag: very much a place for the mountaineer, with this route in particular having a distinctly Alpine flavour. We traversed right to avoid a wet slab, then crept rightwards along an exposed ledge to the North Arete itself. We roped up here, and I led round the bulging wall, an easy traverse, to gain a vegetated and insecure grassy runnel which led steeply up to regain the arete at an exposed notch. Great views over the gully to Tryfan. After bringing John up, I led a short second pitch up a slab to the sharp arete itself, gaining the 'Needle's eye' - a perfect thread belay that it seemed rude not to use. I took the next section direct, up a steep crack (more like easy climbing than scrambling) and dodgy blocks to a flake then the top of a gendarme. After another tricky but very short pitch, the route breaks up into a series of pinnacles. We took the rope off and I was pleasantly surprised by the continuation: taking all the pinnacles direct on good rock. Very windy, but superb clarity of light as the rain clouds dissipated completely: deep blue skies and fluffy clouds. We ran to the summit of Foel Goch, then plunged down to Bwlch y Brecan to gain superb, exhilarating running down the spur separating Cwm Bual from Cwm Perfedd. This ends in a very steep nose which gives uncomfortable but very fast downhill running to the old road.