Country diary: British hills hint at alpine levels of drama

Crib Goch, Snowdonia: As we climb, the ridge narrows, the exposure widens. Llyn Llydaw looks like a hole in the earth On the way up to Crib Goch (Red Ridge), we meet two young men from Mold, who confess they have no idea what lies ahead. After I describe it, they go quiet and fall into step behind us, hoping to surreptitiously siphon some guidance. At the first sign of trouble they sensibly back away, seeming chastened. "We've done the Pyg Track before, we just thought it would be like that," says one of them, referring to another, much less vertiginous, route up Snowdon. Continue reading...