Outdoor Features

10 Best Mountain Ridges In The UK

A look at the gnarliest mountain ridges in the UK from the CMD Arête to the mighty Cuillin Ridge - here's what the experts had to say

Which mountaineer or hiker doesn’t love a good ridge? In his book ‘Scotland’s Mountain Ridges: Scrambling, Mountaineering and Climbing’, expert hill walker and mountaineer Dan Bailey writes:

“Threading a bristling gendarmed spine; inching around an extravagantly fluted cornice; balancing gracefully along a stone tightrope in the clouds – these are some of the finest things a climber can get up to.”

As humans, we love to live on the edge, and with most ridges, you literally are. It’s the feeling of pure exposure and opening yourself out to the elements that you can’t experience anywhere else.

It’s no coincidence that most of the top guidebook writers and outdoor journalists agree that ridges are the pinnacle for any UK mountaineer. It’s a chance to truly test your mountain skills.

Luckily, we live on an island with some brilliant ridges and in this article we’ll take a look at a selection of some of the gnarliest ones out there.

The UK’s Best Mountain Ridges

The choice hasn’t been easy. Some have been shoe-ins like Crib Goch, the Aonach Eagach and the legendary Cuillin Ridge. Others like the Nantlle Ridge and the Pinnacle Ridge are more niche, but still a brilliant day out.

To navigate through all these epic ridges, take a look at the guides below. In no particular order…

Crib Goch (Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa)
Nantlle Ridge (Snowdonia / Eryri)
Striding Edge (Helvellyn)
Sharp Edge (Blencathra)
Pinnacle Ridge (St Sunday Crag)
Aonach Eagach Ridge (Glencoe)
Carn Mor Dearg Arete (Ben Nevis)
An Teallach (Highlands)
Liathach (Torridon)
Cuillin Ridge (Skye)

Crib Goch – Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa

Highest point: 923m (3028ft) above sea level
Location: Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, Wales
Video: from BMC
Scariness rating: 4/5

Snowdon’s razor ridge forms half the classic horse-shoe route and is must-do for anyone who enjoys dizzying exposure, but without any serious technical difficulty. The first few metres are often a proper reality check with sheer drops on one side and a less steep but still serious run-off on the other. The best holds are on the sheer sides while the best bits are the pinnacles, which are best tackled direct.

Crib Goch is one of the classic British scrambles, but can get horrendously busy as a result. The North Ridge is a brilliant alternative approach to the pinnacled main ridge that neatly side-steps the crowds on the normal route and gives a quiet start from a deserted Cwm Glas, before the potential business of the ridge proper. The alternative Grade 3 start up Jammed Boulder Gully is for experienced scramblers who want to add a bit of spice to the route. The rock is generally good and stable, and drains well.

The North Ridge tends to dry slower after rainfall, and Jammed Boulder Gulley, in particular, can be wet. The other main consideration is wind, as both the North ridge and the main ridge of Crib Goch are very exposed.

In the book ‘Great Mountain Days in Snowdonia’, Terry Marsh wrote: ‘The ascent and traverse of Crib Goch is one of the finest ridge walks in Britain, although ‘walk’ is hardly the right word. This is hands-on, and the ridge wants only for more length to make it a hugely different undertaking.’

Nantlle Ridge – Snowdonia / Eryri

Highest point: 734 m (2408 ft) above sea level, named Craig Cwm Silyn, one of seven main peaks
Location: Snowdonia National Park, Wales, south-west from Rhyd Ddu to Nebo in the Nantlle Valley
Video: from Visit Wales
Scariness rating: 2/5

Less well-known than Crib Goch and on a smaller scale, the Nantlle Ridge runs from Rhyd Ddu to Nebo and is a brilliant mix of ridge walking interspersed with scrambling. Situated on a rocky crest, it’s interesting without being overly terrifying. A brilliant day out without the crowds, though its linear nature means you’ll need to make transportation plans for the way back.

Nantlle Ridge is a relatively easy grade scramble for beginners and one of THE classic ridge traverses. The ridge is mainly thought of as a long ridge walk, but with a little ingenuity you can string together sections of easy grade scrambling along the way.

The views alone make this route worthy of inclusion in any Snowdonia visit. Taken in its entirety the ridge is a two-car trip, or you can make use of the seasonal special rate taxi service when available.

In the book ‘Ridges of Snowdonia’, Steve Ashton wrote: ‘You are walking around with the essence of a day in your head, perfectly preserved like a pickled octopus: fish the thing out, and even years after the event you will still be able to make novel observations.’

Striding Edge – Helvellyn

Highest point: 863m (2831ft) above sea level
Location: Helvellyn, linking the summit ridge of Birkhouse Moor to Helvellyn’s summit by what becomes a sharp arête
Video: from Paul Messner
Scariness rating: 3/5

Another classic grade one scramble, Striding Edge is the most dramatic way of reaching the summit of Helvellyn. Though not as narrow and scary as Crib Goch, it’s very atmospheric if you avoid the side path and stick to the crest of the ridge. The route is actually one of the Lake District’s most popular walks and involves a circular loop linking the summit ridge of Birkhouse Moor to Helvellyn’s summit by what becomes a sharp arête.

The ascent of Striding Edge makes an ideal approach in good weather, with panoramic views in all directions. In rain, high wind, or snow, however, the route takes on a more sinister nature with its steep drops on either side. The return, on the other hand, takes in Catstye Cam and Swirral Edge, a less fearsome ridge than its counterpart on the outward leg. It can get busy, but is definitely worth the effort.

In the book ‘Travels of an Everyday Man’, David Ferguson Elliott spoke of a famous tale on Striding Edge: ‘Some years ago a man climbing Striding Edge on his own fell to his death but his faithful terrier stayed by his body for several weeks, some reports say three months, until his body was discovered, proving canine dedication.’

Sharp Edge – Blencathra

Highest point: 868m (2848ft) above sea level
Location: Between Tarn Crag and Foule Crag on Blencathra, Lake District
Video: from BMC
Scariness rating: 3/5

After all the recent high-end routes, we felt it was time to go back to basics: Sharp Edge is a classic and probably the most popular lakeland scramble after Striding Edge. Although it’s a humble grade 1 route, and makes for the perfect hill day out in the summer; it’s an entirely different prospect in the wind and rain.

More of an ascent than a traverse; it’s generally quieter than Striding Edge and offers equally impressive views. While mostly a straightforward route on a rocky crest, there’s one seriously exposed section where the route traverses some slippery slabs that need proper care in the wet.

If you really want to make the most of a day on Blencathra then think about combining this route with a descent down Hall’s Fall Ridge (also a grade 1 scramble).

In the book ‘The Ridges of England, Wales and Ireland’, Dan Bailey wrote: ‘Tucked away around the back [of Blencathra] – only clearly seen from the east – is the hill’s real start attraction, perhaps the best and certainly the most famous easy ridge scramble in England.

‘It is indeed a ‘sharp edge’ – knife keen, even. Despite its fearsome profile the summertime difficulties are modest, the main one being an exhilarating sense of exposure.’

Pinnacle Ridge – St Sunday Crag

Highest point: 676m above sea level
Location: The northwest side of St Sunday Crag, near Patterdale
Scariness rating: 5/5

A proper scrambler’s classic, Pinnacle Ridge is considered a grade 3 scramble (if taken direct) and gets its name from the dramatic, steep pinnacled section near the top. While it’s not obviously visible from below, it’s in fact a superbly defined ridge route that reaches the broad plateaued summit of St Sunday Crag.

The route begins with a long-ish walk from Patterdale, but all sorts of continuations are possible from the end point, including Fairfield or the mighty Helvellyn. An exhilarating hidden gem of a route – it’s one for experienced climbers and mountaineers.

In the book ‘The Hillwalker’s Guide to Mountaineering’, Terry Adby wrote of Pinnacle Ridge: ‘It involves one rock pitch at difficult level, but in context of the route this is manageable and, along with a couple of other challenging situations, is what makes Pinnacle Ridge a perfect scrambling experience.’

Aonach Eagach Ridge – Glencoe

Highest point: Sgorr nam Fiannaidh at 967m (3172ft) above sea level
Location: North of Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands, stretching 10km from Am Bodach down to the Pap of Glencoe
Video: from ‘Scottish Munro Journey’
Scariness rating: 5/5

Like Crib Goch on steroids, the Aonach Eagach runs along the skyline of Glencoe and is a steep-side roller-coaster of precipitous rocky pinnacles, sheer rocky steps and knife-edge ridge walking. Often rated the best ridge on the UK mainland, it’s a proper bucket-list trip for any keen walker or scrambler.

The knife edge crest between Am Bodach and Sgorr nam Fiannaidh is totally exposed, with stunning views down into Glencoe and across to the Three Sisters. A full traverse is an all day undertaking, and once committed to the ridge there’s no turning back (there’s no escape route).

Watch out for the aptly named Crazy Pinnacles and be wary in the winter time when the route is a grade 2 winter climb, though difficulty varies depending on snow cover.

Renowned outdoors journalist Chris Townsend wrote in his book ‘Scotland’: ‘Walling Glencoe to the north is the long, serrated Aonach Eagach, whose name means ‘the notched ridge’ and which strikes fear into the hearts of hillwalkers, as it’s both the most sensational and the most difficult ridge on the mainland.

Carn Mor Dearg Arete – Ben Nevis

Highest point: The summit of Ben Nevis, 1,345m (4,413ft)
Location: The Scottish Highlands, connecting the mountains of Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis
Video: from ‘Scotland’s Mountains’
Scariness rating: 1/5

Stuff the tourist route on the Ben, the CMD Arete on a fine day is the best way to the summit for hiking folk, with panoramic vieww across to the north face of the mountain and classic lines like Tower Ridge. It’s not difficult or particularly exposed, but the views more than make up for that.

It’s a long haul with almost 6000ft of ascent from Glen Nevis, but there’s no better way to see the north face of Britain’s highest mountain than from the ridges of Carn Dearg Meadhonach and Carn Mor Dearg.

‘The Carn Mor Dearg Arete curves gracefully round the head of Coire Leis to a broad boulder covered slope that leads up to the summit of the Ben,’ Chris Townsend wrote in the book ‘Scotland.’

‘The views and situation are spectacular, and this is one the finest places in the Scottish mountains.’

An Teallach – Highlands

Highest point: An Teallach is comprised of two main peaks, Bidean a’ Ghlas Thuill standing at 1062m (3484ft) and Sgùrr Fiona 1060m (3478ft)
Location: Southwest of Dundonnell, NW Scotland
Scariness rating: 5/5

Further north than anything else here, An Teallach (‘The Forge’) is more than worth the trip for a full traverse of the mountain. It has everything from graded ascents of rocky buttresses through to tip-toeing along foot-wide ridges with sheer drops on either side. A proper walking-in-the-clouds kinda day.

If you’re a beginner, be weary as the ridge walk has a lot of exposure especially on the north-east side where the drops are around 400m. It’s a route that’s best-suited to seasoned mountaineers, otherwise it’s recommended you go with a guide or a friend with suitable scrambling skills.

In his book ‘Scotland’, Chris Townsend wrote: ‘One of the great peaks of the Highlands, An Teallach (1062m) is a magnificent and complex mountain with sandstone spires, deep cliff-girt corries, shapely peaks and huge buttresses. It’s distinctive outline is identifiable from nay places near and far, but it looks grand from the A832.’

Liathach – Torridon

A view of Liathach from across Loch Clair. Photo: espy3008/ Adobe Stock

Highest point: Spidean a’ Choire Leith at 1,054m or 3456ft at the eastern end of the ridge
Location: North of Loch Torridon, west coast of Scotland
Video: from ‘Scottish Rock and Water’
Scariness rating: 4/5

Situated in north west Scotland’s epic Torridon region is Liathach, a ride masquerading as a mountain. It’s a ‘best tackled direct’ kind of traverse, including cracking scrambling throughout.

The main route follows the ridge line with the highlight being the Fasarinen Pinnacles complete with a short ‘a cheval’ section. The pinnacles are avoidable by a path on the south side, but as is the way with such things, it can be more dangerous than sticking to the crest of the ridge.

The full ridge traverse of the mountain is a brilliant day out either as a challenging summer scramble/ hike, or as a tough grade 2 climb in the winter.

Cuillin Ridge – Isle of Skye

Highest point: Sgùrr Alasdair at 992 m (3255 ft)
Location: The Black Cuillin Mountains, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Video: from Rab Equipment
Scariness rating: 6/5

The best British ridge by a mile of narrow, crenellated, pinnacled lunacy. Skye’s Cuillin Ridge is a 12km monster of twisting ridginess with no fewer than 3000m of ascent and 11 Munros. The ultra-grippy local gabbro rock lends a helping Velcro-like hand, but if you want to tackle the entire ridge including Britain’s hardest Munro, the Inaccessible Pinnacle, you’ll need to be able to climb up to V Diff standard.

Tackling the entire ridge in a day is one of the great British mountain challenges, but there’s plenty of scope to take smaller sized bites out of the route. The most popular route can be tackled in around 12-14 hours from Glen Brittle to the Sligachan Hotel. This incorporates over seven hours on the ridge itself from the summit of Gars-bheinn in the south to the summit of Sgurr nan Gillean in the north.

In the book ‘Scotland’ by Chris Townsend he wrote: ‘The Cuillin Ridge offers climbers and scramblers a lifetime’s worth of exploration. The complexity of the small slice of jagged mountain landscape is astonishing.

‘Every corrie, every ridge, every crag, every gully is different. It’s all just rock and water, yet the variety is immense.’

Cover photo: Crib Goch