How Many People Die on Crib Goch Each Year?

Published By: Daniel Weadley. Published: 4th December 2024. Filed at: Guides and Articles. 

Crib Goch is a knife-edged ridge scramble in Wales that takes lives each year.

Here’s what you need to know:

1) There are typically between 1 and 3 deaths per year on the Crib Goch “route”.

2) Some of the incidents occur on the approach to Crib Goch or on the other side of the ridge.

3) There isn’t a database or any centralised published record that includes all the deaths on Crib Goch.

4) There are typically between 8 and 12 deaths per year on the Snowdon range; an area which includes Crib Goch and all the other routes up Snowdon, as well as some technical scrambling and climbing routes.

5) The figures of 1-3 and 8-12 are often confused with each other and there are dozens of publications and individuals online that have stated there are 8-12 deaths per year on Crib Goch, despite there being no published evidence of this.

6) Mountain rescue teams have reported a sharp increase in the number of callouts in recent years. This has been attributed to social media posts by popular influencers, COVID lockdowns and more general awareness of scrambling routes.

Actual Deaths Per Year

In a 2019 publication, a spokesperson for Llanberis Mountain Rescue made this statement:

We respond to around 12 cragfast incidents a year on Crib Goch, and eight fatalities a year on Snowdon generally; a couple of those are usually falls from Crib Goch

– The Great Outdoors Mag

In November 2024 I conducted research into the number of deaths each year on Crib Goch.

Although there’s no official record, by searching online news publications I discovered that there are approximately 1-3 deaths per year on the entire route including the approach from the Pyg Track, the ridge itself and the continuation up to Garnedd Ugain.

This contrasts with the figures of 8-12 deaths which are widely suggested by Google’s Gemini AI, misinformed social media users and various websites, none of which cited any reliable sources.

I looked at data going back 6 years and chose not to go back further as web pages older than this are often deleted and any conclusion I come to would be skewed.

Incident Locations

Without a centralized database, it was difficult to find out exactly where each incident occurred.

Many of the news publications covered the deaths but just stated “Crib Goch”, even if the death occurred on the route to the ridge (all approach routes are grade 1 scrambles) or at some location after the ridge ends; there is more dangerous grade 1 scrambling located further west of Crib Goch.

Here are the accident hotspots, as per the incident reports published by various media outlets:

• The east ridge approach to Crib Goch from the Pyg Track.
• The ridge itself.
• The pinnacles near the end of the ridge.
• Attempts to descend off the route early (usually near Bwlch Coch) which lead to dangerous, slippery and often loose terrain.
• The approach to Garnedd Ugain/Crib Ddysgl which involves grade 1 scrambling.

General Safety Advice

I used AI to read and summarise 38 web pages and articles written by safety experts, mountain rescuers and rescue teams, official publications and prominent authors/publications.

The general safety advice is:

• If it’s your first time, go with someone who has completed the route before.
• Understand that this is not a walk or hike but a scramble.
• Understand that you will need a good head for heights.
• Go on a fine weather day when the ground will be dry, visibility is good and there’s little wind.
• On the ridge itself, avoid walking hands-free on the top of the ridge at its narrowest point. Take a line slightly down to the left of the ridge (1 metre or so) and use your hands to hold onto the ridge top.
• Allow plenty of time; at least 6 hours car-to-car.
• Stay on the ridge and don’t be tempted to follow paths that leave the ridge early, most lead onto steep, loose and slippery terrain.
• Be aware that if you attempt to come back down the way you went up; that descending is almost always more dangerous than ascending and most accidents happen during descent.
• Take a map or mapping app (such as AllTrails) and a fully charged phone.
• Wear appropriate clothing/footwear including an extra layer in your bag, take food and water and tell someone where you are going and when they should expect you back.
• Do research as there are thousands of photos, videos and blog posts/websites online where you can discover information about the route. There are also 3D maps online that can help you create a mental picture of the route you intend to take.
• Consider going with a qualified guide, there are many based in Snowdonia and the cost can be shared if you go as part of a group.
• Crib Goch is not a good choice for a first scramble. Novices should cut their teeth on less challenging routes first. Consider Striding Edge or Moel Siabod’s Ridge which aren’t as vertigo-inducing.

I have published a very in-depth guide to Crib Goch, including a video, photos, map and route description.