The approach. Those dots near the base are people

Here’s another classic climb taken from ‘the laminated book of dreams’ (it’s not really laminated, that’s just how David and I refer to it after watching a Bill Bailey show. Bill was referring to the Argos catalogue, Dave and I are referring, of course, to Classic Rock by Ken Wilson).

‘Hope’ is a 3 star, 135m, 4 pitch line right up the middle of one of the most impressive slabs I have ever seen outside of a book.

The Idwal Slabs are perfectly easy to reach. Parking is at the Idwal Cottage youth hostel pay and display. The path to the crag starts to the left of Idwal Cottage. The path meanders up the hillside then breaks right toward Cwm Idwal. Once you reach the cwm, you turn left and follow the path through a couple of gates, by which point the massive slab  ahead of you is clear to see.

David and I climbed Hope last summer. As always I led the first pitch. Reaching the top of the first part of the slab I yelled down to David, telling him I was ready to build a belay. He responded by informing me I’d had nowhere near enough rope yet for the length of the pitch, and that I should continue. Happy to oblige, but convinced he was wrong I continued to climb.

I remembered the pictures from the Classic climbs book indicating that the correct way is to follow a thin, rightward trending crack to a block. This looked far too easy, I elected to climb a much steeper crack to my left. This proved to be the most enjoyable and entertaining part of the climb.

David on Pitch 2 of Hope

As suspected David was wrong, I had linked pitch one and two together and by the time I reached a suitable belay stance we had run out of rope (I don’t know why I ever listen to that lad). After some creative wrangling with the belay, involving David actually climbing around 3 metres from the ground, I sat down to start to put him on belay. As I pulled my bug from my harness, it flew out of my hand… Oops! Luckily I managed to catch it on my foot. With a sigh of relief I brought David up.

I can’t quite remember why David asked me to move up further once he reached me but I didn’t mind. I think we thought that there would be a better belay stance around the corner. There wasn’t.

I ended up running up the last 2 pitches placing a couple of token runners. I have to say, I felt disappointed that the climb lost its legs and had become far too easy. As I finished the last couple of moves, and the heavens opened, David wailed up at me “You’re nicking it all”.

The sketchy descent

Having setup the second belay at the top of what was supposed to be a 4 pitch climb, I belayed David up. We agreed that the climb had been far too easy for the grade, but would make a fantastic first multi-pitch route for a newbie.

We had planned to climb Lazarus, a neighbouring Severe route, but didn’t fancy it much in the heavy rain.

Much more exciting than the climb was the scramble off. Steep solo climbing on big but slimy holds followed by an abseil down a water soaked 60m gulley.

By the time we reached the bottom the rain had just about stopped. We met another group who had just climbed a route to the left of hope, up the corner. It looked excellent. They described it as reasonably easy climbing with some very long run outs on sharp quartz holds. Nice! Unfortunately we didn’t feel that we had time for another 4 pitch climb and walk-off (on wet rock).

I suspect we’ll be heading over to Idwal Slabs again this summer to sample some of the other routes.

Snowdonia climbing – Hope 135m VDiff, Idwal Slabs, Ogwen, North Wales is a post from: Rock Climbing UK, an online UK climbing magazine, written BY UK climbers FOR UK climbers.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

1. Snowdonia Climbing – Cneifion Arete 130m Mod, Ogwen, North Wales
2. Snowdonia climbing – Amphitheatre Buttress 294m VD, Ogwen, North Wales
3. Snowdonia climbing – Flying Buttress 87m VD, Dinas y Gromlech area, North Wales

What is winter climbing?

Classic winter mountaineering on the Snowdon Horsehoe (I-II) with the Trinity Face beyond

Winter climbing is essentially mountaineering. One can be a climber without ever going near a mountain but when snow covers our hills even a walk requires the skill and judgement of the mountaineer. Your stamina, navigation skills, avalanche awareness and self reliance will be put to the test on a typical day out in the winter hills. A period of freeze/thaw action is needed before the routes come into condition and a patient approach will pay dividends and make for a safer climbing experience. For the purpose of this article we’ll stick to the relatively straightforward grades of I and II.

Grade I climbs usually involve simple gullies sometimes containing a short ice/chockstone pitch and possibly a corniced exit, (a good example being Parsley Fern Gully in Cwm Glas) or easy but exposed ridges such as Crib Goch.

Grade II climbs cover similar ridge and gully terrain to grade I routes but the difficulties (such as the short pitches/problems detailed above) can be multiple, steeper or more sustained.

For more detailed information on grades, equipment and safety I strongly recommend the book Winter Skills:Essential walking and climbing techniques by Andy Cunningham and Allen Fyffe which is available at all good outdoor shops and online retailers. Also the Welsh Winter Climbs guide book by Malcolm Campbell and Andy Newton (Cicerone) will prove an invaluable addition to your library.

Why go winter climbing?

Topping out on Banana Gully (I)

A very good question. Long, uncomfortable vigils on freezing belay ledges. Horizontal ice pellets exfoliating any and every piece of exposed flesh. Groggy dawn starts and epic head torch descents. Excruciating hot aches. Long run outs on gearless snow fields. Sounds lovely doesn’t it? Err no! Ok, so on paper winter mountaineering may sound frustrating, miserable, dangerous, scary and in truth it can be all of those things though many of us know from our summer climbing that the hardest won battles can often gift us with our most memorable days. But they’re just the bad bits, in winter raiment the British mountains come into their own and in terms of beauty and atmosphere they are unsurpassed. To bookend an enjoyable and often challenging climb with sun rise and sunset is one of the most rewarding and unforgettable experiences one can have in the mountains. Add to that the fascinating study of weather patterns and snow conditions then winter mountaineering is an absorbing pastime which can quickly become an obsession. You have been warned!

When to go winter climbing?

On good neve in Broad Gully (I-II)

Much ink has been spilt on the subject of global warming and I see no reason to spill any more here. Especially as in recent years winter climbing in Wales has seen a renaissance with the last two seasons providing prolonged spells of excellent conditions. This coming (2010/11) winter looks set to be another cracker so my advice is to get out there while you can, however if it all goes belly up don’t blame me! Snow can fall on the Welsh hills in considerable quantities from November to early April with the best months usually being February and March.

Where to go winter climbing?

The Glyderau, Carneddau and the Snowdon Massif are the main mountain groups in northern Snowdonia and offer the finest winter climbing furth of Scotland. Numerous cwms hemmed in by narrow arêtes provide gullies and buttresses affording an inspirational setting and routes at all grades from easy snow plods to desperate modern test pieces.

Cwm Cneifion

Clogwyn Du (Cwm Cneifion) topo

This shy and retiring cwm situated high above the Idwal circus is probably best known for its eponymous arête (itself a fantastic grade III) but as one of the most reliable snow holding venues in North Wales it has become a favourite with winter climbers. As well as slabby ice climbs and easier gullies Cwm Cneifion plays host to the impressive Clogwyn Du, on the steep walls of which desperados ply their trade. At a more accommodating grade the cwm gives us a little gem in the form of Hidden Gully (II), a short but superb route onto the Glyderau plateau where matchless views of the Snowdon group will accompany the inevitable round of peak bagging that follows!

• Easy Route 150m I*
• Hidden Gully 100m II**

The Snowdon Massif

Trinity Face topo

Much maligned and unfashionable, the highest point in Wales is a dumping ground for summer day trippers and on a bank holiday weekend it is probably the last place a discerning mountain fancier would choose to be. But make no mistake, Snowdon, or Yr Wyddfa to give it its Welsh name is a full blooded mountaineers mountain and the culmination of a fantastic set of supporting ridges, each enclosing a fine cwm. With limited space we’ll concentrate on the spectacular Cwm Dyli, at the head of which rises Yr Wyddfa’s daunting North East face, correctly known as Clogwyn y Garnedd and commonly as The Trinity Face. When clad in ermine, the sight of the Trinity Face compels and intimidates like no other in the Welsh hills. The two climbs featured, though technically easy are not to be underestimated due to the remote nature of the face and limited options for belays, especially on the exposed upper section of Left Hand Trinity. It’s also worth noting that its ‘Central’ counterpart often has a short ice pitch at about mid height.

So that’s Trinity Face dealt with but a special mention must go to a traverse of the Snowdon Horseshoe (grade I/II) which gives a long and serious mountaineering expedition straight from the top drawer. Unrivalled south of the border and better than a good many north of it the ‘horseshoe’ when caught in good conditions and under a blue sky ranks as one of the few truly alpine days that can be had in the UK.

• Left Hand Trinity 220m I/II*
• Central Trinity 220m I/II***

Y Garn

Y Garn topo

Y Garn is the conspicuous armchair shaped peak at the head of the Ogwen Valley with the ‘arms’ cradling two small llyns and forming Cwm Clyd. The head wall of the cwm rears up in a broken buttress and to its sides can be found a wealth of grade I and II gullies, the most popular of which is Banana Gully, probably the most frequented snow climb in the valley. My personal favourite is C Gully (II) and with A, B and Banana it can form part of a full day of gully bashing. Y Garn’s Cwm Clyd is a great place for learning snowcraft and retains a remote atmosphere despite being less than an hour from the road.

• A Gully 220m I
• B Gully 240m I/II
• C Gully 260m II*
• Banana Gully 280m I**

Cwm Ffynnon Lloer

Cwm Ffynnon Lloer topo

Tucked away behind the uncompromising bulk of Pen yr Ole Wen, Cwm Ffynnon Lloer is a special place seemingly far from Ogwen’s madding crowds but in reality little more than an hour away from the busy A5. A good selection of easier climbs are available, the best in my opinion being Broad Gully although Hourglass Gully also gives a fine outing if ‘Broad’ is busy which is often the case as it is the finest natural line in the cwm. Whichever route you choose be sure to follow it by a long round of the Carneddau giants for an epic mountain day.

• Hourglass Gully 180m I
• Broad Gully 220m I/II***

So there you have it, ten routes at the easier end of the grade spectrum for you to try this winter and though technically easy this is a good place to add a small caveat…

Winter mountaineering is a dangerous pastime and advice on avalanche conditions and appropriate equipment should be sought before embarking on any of these routes. It is recommended that for your first forays into the winter mountains you should be accompanied by a more experienced friend or guide.

Happy climbing and pray for snow,

Nick

An introduction to Welsh winter climbing is a post from: Rock Climbing UK, an online UK climbing magazine, written BY UK climbers FOR UK climbers.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

1. Snowdonia Climbing – Cneifion Arete 130m Mod, Ogwen, North Wales
2. Lawrencefield – The Peak District
3. Climbing book review: Scrambles & Easy Climbs in Snowdonia (Grey Stone Books)

This is actually the sixth edition of this climbing book. The first edition was published back in 1987. I’m not sure how many climbs are featured within, without counting them, but I can tell you it’s a lot.

The passion of the author really shines through in every page of this climbing guide. Evident from the clear description of the process applied to grading the routes, to the comprehensive list of first ascents at the back. Each crag page features an overview of the crag, aspect, altitude and a guide to the walk-in time. There’s even a guide to when to use each crag for optimum conditions!

The residents of Snowdonia are spoiled rotten for rock climbing. Driving through the Llanberis Pass, you notice smaller crags which appear to be virtually ignored. If you were to relocate those crags to the Peak District they would be crawling with climbers. It’s easy to see how Iwan found the enthusiasm to treat us to this guide, and I’m really glad he did. Llanberis is arguably the best climbing venue in the UK, and this guide is a must have if you plan to go there.

Oh, did I mention the book covers are plastic coated to keep it in reasonable shape when you take it climbing with you. Brilliant!

This book is available to buy fromThe Climbing Book Shop for £19.50. It’s not cheap, but it is well worth it.

Climbing books reviews: Llanberis by Iwan Arfon Jones is a post from: Rock Climbing UK, an online UK climbing magazine, written BY UK climbers FOR UK climbers.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

1. Climbing book review: Peak District Climbing (Vertebrate Publishing)
2. Climbing books reviews: Rock Climbing Essential Skills and Techniques (Mountain Leader Training UK)
3. Climbing book review: Scrambles & Easy Climbs in Snowdonia (Grey Stone Books)

I came across this book while looking for a guidebook for the Amphitheatre Buttress route in Snowdonia. It features this classic route along with 50 others, all contained in a handy, pocket-sized package.

The climbing routes are well described and easy to follow, and if you don’t understand any of the terminology used, there’s a glossary at the back. There’s even a handy guide to some of the Welsh terms you might encounter.

You’ll find a good combination of illustrations and black & white photos throughout. The climbs are indexed alphabetically and by grade. There’s advice on where to climb when it’s wet, and which climbs are best reserved for blue sky days. The book even includes advice on where to eat and sleep.

I have used the guide twice now, for the Amphitheatre Buttress and the Cneifion Arete (which is featured on the cover). The directions for the walk-in for the first climb were a little light on information, and I ended up having to ask a local for directions, other than that the guide was spot on for both expeditions.

You can get this book for £12.95 from The Climbing Book Shop.

Climbing book review: Scrambles & Easy Climbs in Snowdonia (Grey Stone Books) is a post from: Rock Climbing UK, an online UK climbing magazine, written BY UK climbers FOR UK climbers.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

1. Climbing book review: Peak District Climbing (Vertebrate Publishing)
2. Climbing book review: North Wales Rock (Ground Up)
3. Snowdonia climbing – Amphitheatre Buttress 294m VD, Ogwen, North Wales

I offered to take some people from work on a climbing expedition so they could experience what climbing is all about, and why I go all misty eyed every time I talk about it. We had planned to do some single pitch cragging in the Peak District, but the weather was looking hit and miss and the forecast was better for the west of the country. I opted for Wales to give my colleagues the opportunity to try a nice big mountaineering route in some (hopefully) reasonable weather. As it transpired, only one person managed to come along, so it turned out to be just Reg, My bro and me.

The approach

As we approached the Ogwen Valley in the car, it was quite a surprise to see that pretty much all the peaks were covered in snow. I started to question my wisdom of attempting a big route as we would almost certainly have to top out onto snow, which none of us had come prepared for. Once parked, we debated for a few minutes and decided to approach the climb and see how it looked.

Walking toward the ridge

As with all the best mountaineering routes, there’s a bit of a walk-in. Parking is at the Idwal Cottage in the Ogwen Valley, it costs just £4 for the full day – bargain! The approach starts on the cobbled path leading up behind Idwal Cottage. We followed the path until we reached Llyn Idwal, turning left and working our way along a stony path with the Llyn on our right. We passed through a gate and then headed up the hill to our left. Once we reached the top of the hill, we could see the Arête off to the right in the distance (see picture). As you can see from the picture we had to stomp through a fair bit of snow, which made some of the steeper traverses a bit sketchy.

The climb

Me near the top of pitch 1

Once we reached the foot of the Arête, it was obvious where to start, from the highly polished rock. I arrived first and took a couple of pictures of David and Reg as they scrambled up behind.

After all that walking, we eager to get stuck in. Well at least David and I were, Reg looked more than a little apprehensive. I had selected the route as a moderate grade to give him taste of a proper mountain day out, without the climbing being technically difficult. However, standing at the foot of the route made me feel a little uneasy for him, what if he just found the whole thing terrifying and couldn’t proceed? I considered this for a moment and decided that we could always abseil off from the top of pitch 2 if it wasn’t working out.

I climbed first. As I made my way up pitch 1, I placed a couple of pieces of gear to show Reg how it works. The guidebook, Scrambles and Easy Climbs in Snowdonia suggests this pitch is 26 metres. We had decided that Reg should follow next so that I could coach from above and David from the ground. Reg huffed and puffed his way up to a nice big ledge, just below my belay point. He still looked pretty white, but relieved to have the first pitch under his belt.

Reg about halfway up

Once David joined us at the first ledge, it was decided that I would continue to lead. I started climbing the sloping chimney above us. After a few easy moves I decided not to bother placing any more gear, I felt very confident and decided that adding gear would slow us down and cause a lot of rope drag (though I was very careful not to leave David and Reg exposed). I kept the pitches reasonably short, mostly setting up belays from the many spikes available.

We took a full rack with us, which was completely unnecessary. If you plan to do this climb just take nuts 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, a few slings and some carabiners. Route finding was never a problem, I just stuck to the top of the ridge wherever possible.

The climb is really easy but keeps you involved. My favourite part was the exposed ridge. I tried to strike a balance between concentrating on the moves while not losing sense of the occasion. After all what’s the point of all that exposure if you’re so focused that you don’t notice it?

When we reached the top we were met with a good 6 inches of snow and truly magnificent views. Reg looked genuinely happy and I got a buzz from his obvious sense of achievement.

The descent was tricky, steep stony paths covered in snow. In some places, sliding down on your bum was the only option. We arrived back at the car a bit weary but completely satisfied.

Conclusion

The Cneifion expedition was a brilliant mountain day. I think there’s something for both experienced climbers / scramblers and beginners. I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

If you fancy it, I would recommend purchasing Scrambles and Easy Climbs in Snowdonia as a guide.

Snowdonia Climbing – Cneifion Arete 130m Mod, Ogwen, North Wales is a post from: Rock Climbing UK, an online UK climbing magazine, written BY UK climbers FOR UK climbers.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

1. Snowdonia climbing – Amphitheatre Buttress 294m VD, Ogwen, North Wales
2. Snowdonia climbing – Flying Buttress 87m VD, Dinas y Gromlech area, North Wales
3. Snowdonia Climbing – Milestone Buttress, Ogwen – Nasty rock climbing fall

All started well on this trip to Wales. David had booked us in for kite surfing lessons in Kinmel Bay (more hobbies – seriously my wallet can’t take it). We didn’t have to start on the Saturday until 1:30 so it made sense to fit a climb in, early doors. We booked 2 nights at the excellent Idwal Cottage YHA and drove over Friday evening with a view to climbing around 8am Saturday morning.

Now I would ordinarily have liked to have gone for a really big multi-pitch route, and Tryfan was tantalisingly close. Unfortunately there was no way we would have been able to walk-in, climb and then walk-out in the time we had, so we opted for Milestone Buttress (just 15 minutes walk-in from the side of the A5 at the wide end of Llyn Ogwen).

David and I have been confidently leading to HS level outdoors this summer (and about 5b/E2 indoors – crazy huh), but for the bigger routes over 50m, we have pretty much stuck around VDiff (well it’s only our 1st year outdoor climbing). I told David that I fancied going for a big HS, so we decided we would tackle Wall climb, Soap Gut Chimney Route 79m HS (North Wales Rock, by Ground Up). We arrived at the foot of the climb and geared up. As usual I would be first to lead.

When I stepped up to make my first moves, three things became evident:

1. The beginning of the route had a LOT of polish on the footholds
2. The rock was a bit damp
3. The first gear placement was rubbish

Anyway, I gingerly stepped up and tried to place a small nut in a shallow crack to protect me over the next couple of moves. The nut sat awkwardly, only half in the crack. I wasn’t happy with it, but it looked like it was the best I could hope for (please tell me if you have climbed this and found better). The next move required me to place my left foot onto a sloping hold a few feet to the left, and pull up on a crimp. I didn’t feel too uncomfortable with that so off I went. As I pushed from my right foot (which rested on a tiny, polished foothold) it all went belly up. I slipped and fell, landing painfully on my chest on the boulder that I had stood on to start the climb. The nut I had placed had popped straight out and left David holding a slack handful of rope – I knew that nut was crap when I placed it!

It took me a good 2 minutes to get back to my feet after that fall. David was pretty concerned until it was clear that we were not going to require a ride in the Sea King helicopter, he then found it pretty amusing.

A nasty bruise to complement the cracked (or bruised) ribs

I spent the next 5 minutes trying to analayse what went wrong and find an alternative start. There was an alternative just a couple of metres to the left but while it looked better for holds it required a good deal more commitment and would have resulted in a far worse fall had I not made it to the first point of protection a good few metres up. Eventually David and I agreed that we should move round to the right and climb a VDiff. I hate to be beaten, but I was in pretty considerable pain which kept my ego in check.

So what have I learned?

I’m not sure I have learned anything. I would probably make the same mistake again given half the chance. The first few moves of any outdoor climb are the riskiest, especially when you can’t place a good piece of protection. Perhaps the moral of the story is that; if your first piece of protection is poor and the move to get past it requires a commitment near the limit of your ability, walk away and try a different climb (or get someone else to lead that pitch).

It’s now 4 days since that fall.  I did go on to climb a nice big VDiff straight after and another fantastic multi-pitch climb the following day (both of which I took my usual turns to lead). I’m sore as hell and I’m not sure if my ribs are cracked or just bruised, but my enthusiasm for rock climbing remains.

I would be interested to hear your experiences of falling off, whether you managed to escape uninjured and how you dealt with it psychologically.

Snowdonia Climbing – Milestone Buttress, Ogwen – Nasty rock climbing fall is a post from: Rock Climbing UK, an online UK climbing magazine, written BY UK climbers FOR UK climbers.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

1. Snowdonia climbing – Amphitheatre Buttress 294m VD, Ogwen, North Wales
2. Snowdonia climbing – Flying Buttress 87m VD, Dinas y Gromlech area, North Wales
3. Snowdonia climbing – Llanberis Pass, Crag Ddu – Rib and Slab 79m, Vdiff

David and I had elected to head down the Llanberis pass and have a crack at a medium sized VDiff. We had risen a bit late (due to being completely destroyed by Saturday’s climbing and kite surfing antics) and we had to be in Kinmel Bay for another kite surfing lesson at 2pm, so anything bigger or more difficult was out of the question. A quick look in the climbing book revealed the ideal candidate; Rib and Slab, a 79 m VDiff, divided into 2 convenient pitches and just a short 5 minute walk-in from the road – lovely!

The view back at the Rib part of Rib and Slab (middle distance)

We scrambled up to the foot of the climb which is just to the right of the black rock of Crag Ddu (the first slab on the left) on entering the Llanberis Pass from the Nant Peris end.

I always lead the first pitch, and I’m always happy to do so but this time I threw the question in just to be sure “Who’s leading first bro?”. The response was as expected “You are, as usual, get on with it”. No getting out of that one then!

The first pitch was a pretty steep 30m. The first few moves were pretty easy and I soon got that reassuring first piece of gear in. After that things started to get interesting, I found myself faced with a large block to negotiate. The block sloped to the right with a wide crack running down it, where I was able to rest my foot and place some more protection. The spot where my foot was wedged was pretty uncomfortable and I found myself feeling a bit uneasy by the time the gear was in. The block required that I climb up some very small toe ledges and move out to the right onto its arete. This part of the climb served up some of the best exposure I have experienced to date, and I felt pretty relieved to reach a small ledge on which I could traverse right to a good gear placement – whew!

From here I made my way up a steepish wall to a ledge with a Holly Tree. I chucked a sling around the trunk of the tree and clipped my rope in. There appeared to be 2 ways around the tree, one to the left which required getting wedged in a crack but had little exposure, and one to the right which meant heading out into super exposure on very small holds. After a bit of umming and ahhhing I elected to take the exposure (I hate getting wedged into cracks). I thrashed my way past the branches of the hollybush and out onto the exposed rock. A couple of moves put me onto a nice mellow ramp leading to a big tree root belay – once again…whew!

Once I had the belay set up and David had started climbing, I reflected on the pitch and how nervous I had felt (almost throughout). There had been several times where David had tried to engage me in conversation and I had ignored him completely as the climb required such intense concentration. I hoped he wouldn’t just breeze up it and tell me how easy he found it. I had a nagging suspicion that I might have just been a bit of a wimp (following my fall the previous day). I needn’t have worried, David had major problems on the exposed block. He finally appeared on the ramp after a good deal of cursing with a big smile on his face, “bloody hell, that was nippy. I was bricking it, even as a second!”

David on the Slab part of Rib and Slab

We gathered all the gear up and prepared for David’s pitch, a nice slab with small but positive holds – hmmmm, typical! David made short work of the slab until he reached the top, where it became a very steep grassy slope. Patently aware that his last piece of protection was a good 10m below he nervously edged his way up the wet, slippery grass to a belay position. I quickly followed, happy to be able to focus entirely on the moves without worrying about falling off. Once I reached the grass David instructed me to veer off to the escape to the left where I could provide a body belay for him to move across. I moved on hands and feet like Smeagol from Lord of the Rings, managing to find every warm patch of wetness within the cool grass along the way (hmmm, sheep urine – lovely).

The walk off was pretty uneventful (unlike the treacherous descent of the previous day). We made it to Kinmel Bay in plenty of time for out kite surfing lesson, just to find there was not a sniff of wind – BUGGER!

Snowdonia climbing – Llanberis Pass, Crag Ddu – Rib and Slab 79m, Vdiff is a post from: Rock Climbing UK, an online UK climbing magazine, written BY UK climbers FOR UK climbers.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

1. Snowdonia climbing – Amphitheatre Buttress 294m VD, Ogwen, North Wales
2. Snowdonia climbing – Flying Buttress 87m VD, Dinas y Gromlech area, North Wales
3. Nova HS 4b, Lawrencefield, Peak District

• It has over 670 routes; everything from trad routes and sport climbs to sea cliffs.
• It comes in a handy pocket size, but is packed full of detail.
• There’s maps showing the position of the crags and clear, full colour photographs illustrating the climbing routes.
• Each crag features a nice introduction and a quick-view of the grades available.
• Each crag has a description of its aspect, altitude and rock type.
• There’s a grid ref for every crag.
• Each climb features a grade, length and description of each pitch.

Overall this climbing book has real quality feel to it. The routes look fantastic (especially those big multi-pitch routes), and the climbing pictures are really inspirational.

At a touch under £25 it isn’t the cheapest book, but I still feel it represents good value for money, and it’s probably the only North Wales climbing book you’ll ever need. To save you the bother of looking for it, there’s a copy right here: North Wales Rock

I simply cannot wait to get over to North Wales and climb some of the routes featured in this book. If you get a copy, let me know what routes you climb, I would love to hear about them.

Climbing book review: North Wales Rock (Ground Up) is a post from: Rock Climbing UK, an online UK climbing magazine, written BY UK climbers FOR UK climbers.

If you liked this post, you might also like:

1. Climbing book review: Peak District Climbing (Vertebrate Publishing)
2. Snowdonia climbing – Flying Buttress 87m VD, Dinas y Gromlech area, North Wales
3. Climbing book review: Eastern Grit (ROCKFAX)

David’s mates Paul and Stuart showed us a pretty easy route called Middlefell Buttress, 97m Diff at Langdale in the Lake District. The climbing was easy, but in some places exposed which made for really enjoyable climbing. Needless to say, we were hooked!

I decided to start trawling the internet for big multi-pitch climbs, and came across one or two blogs describing a climb called the Amphitheatre Buttress, in the Ogwen Valley, Wales. The pictures posted on these blogs made my jaw drop, and at 294m, it was to be out biggest climb to date (by a long way). What’s more it’s only graded as V Diff, so well within our technical ability. I told David about the climb and we started to make plans for our Snowdonia climbing expedition.

At this point I had only managed to find blogs and log books referring to the climb, so the first thing we had to do was find a guidebook; to enable us to locate the crag and pick the right climbing route. We settled on Scrambles & Easy Climbs in Snowdonia, which turned out to be an excellent purchase (more about that later).

We opted to go one weekend in May. David owns a butchers shop and has to work most Saturdays so we had to plan well in advance so he could arrange to take the Saturday off. The weather, the week leading up to the chosen weekend was dubious at best, and the forecast looked pretty ominous. Every day of that week we checked the met-office forecast, hoping for the best. By Thursday night, it looked like it could go either way, so we agreed to just go for it.

Late Friday afternoon, we set off from my place in East Yorkshire, scanning the sky for BBCs. The journey was pretty uneventful apart from the fact I hadn’t actually booked anywhere to stay which meant David had to start calling his way through a list of potential bunkhouses I had hurridly put together. Unfortunately, trying to book a bunkhouse for that evening in North Wales, so late in the day, was futile. We eventually gave up and decided to have a look once we got there.

Betws Y Coed is a few short miles from the Ogwen Valley, so we started there. It’s a beautiful, lively village and by the time we got there we were pretty desperate for a pint and some food. Driving past a load of busy pubs with people sat outside again and again while we searched for accommodation was a real bind. Eventually we struck gold at the Dragon Hotel which was pretty reasonable motel style digs. After that well needed pint and fodder we settled down early doors, agreeing to get up at 6am to begin our expedition. The walk-in to the Amphitheatre Buttress is 5K, and the guide book suggests a climb time of up to 6 hours, an early start is a good idea.

We got up at 6am as planned and made ourselves some porridge, using David’s camping stove. We chatted excitedly about the task ahead of us as we devoured our breakfast with the obligatory nice cup of tea. Once the bags were packed in the car, we set off to Tal-Y-Bont, where we were to start the 5K walk-in to the climb. Unfortunately we ran into 2 problems:

1. We had forgotten to pack any lunch, and couldn’t find anywhere open at 6:30am to buy some.
2. Once we got to Tal-Y-Bont we didn’t have a clue where to go to start walking (the guide book is pretty vague in this respect)

For the first problem we had no solution, we were going to have to eat cereal bars and some dates I had left in my pack from previous cycling trips. The second problem was sorted by asking a local (we were lucky there was one available). If you’re planning on doing the climb, and you drive from Betsw Y Coed to Tal-Y-Bont, you need to turn left just before the pub. The road is a steep single track which you have to follow for a couple miles and through two gates. eventually you come to a small car park with a locked gate, here’s where the walk-in starts.

The walk-in was absolutely fantastic. The Ogwen Valley’s dramatic rock formations loomed above either side of us, giving a tantalising glimpse of what was to come. Passing through the broken dam, we stopped for photographs and discussed how the owners of the nearby farm must experience incredible isolation, especially in the middle of winter.

I like big Buttress and I can not lie - view of the climb

After the dam we picked up a narrow, stony path which took us down the valley toward the buttress, which at this point was out of sight. We followed this for a couple of miles, and as we rounded the corner the amphitheater buttress came into view. It looked pretty huge and just a little bit menacing. “Are you frightened?” asked David, I considered the question and responded “No, I’m just excited” which was completely true. I have started to identify the feeling before I climb as a nervous energy with a hint of butterflies in my stomach. I’m always keen to get my hands on the rock and get started. I always lead the first pitch, and this time was no exception.

We walked past the remnants of an old slate quarry to the foot of a very steep approach to the foot of the crag. From here to the foot of the actual crag was extremely steep and left us both huffing and puffing as we finally reached the foot of the climb.
We agreed that I was to go first and proceeded to get our harnesses, rock shoes and gear on. We tied in to either end of the rope, David put me on belay and I started to climb.

The first pitch is an easy slab climb. I made short work of it, set up a belay and sat down on a grassy ledge while David followed, clearing the gear I had placed. So far, so good. By now the sun was out and it was shaping up to be a beautiful day, life doesn’t get much better.

David took the lead for the second pitch. Again pretty easy, but with a couple of interesting moves. We were moving pretty slowly as we had to keep checking the guide book to make sure we were on route. The second pitch ended beneath a large, leaning block which was to be the start of pitch 3.

Now I was lucky enough to be the one to lead this pitch, and I have to say it is one of the most enjoyable leads I have done to date. If buckets of exposure at a decent altitude on fairly easy climbing is your thing, then you will absolutely love it!  I stepped out right, onto a block then onto a steep slab with nice little holds and nothing but fresh air below – brilliant! From the top of this pitch I Belayed for David from a spike. We then moved a short distance to a steep wall for the start of pitch 4.

It was now David’s turn to take the lead again, and he was pretty nervous about this pitch as the climbing book described it as the crux of the climb, with a super-exposed move as you step around onto the Amphitheatre wall. As it happened, it was a lot of fuss about nothing. Yes the step around onto the Amphitheatre side sees you a long way above the ground, but it is really well protected. David used a huge sling over the spike on which you hold onto to move around, so there was absolutely no risk of serious injury!

Pitch 5 started with a reasonably challenging 10m wall, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This lead onto an easy path up to a belay point. Pitch 6 is more scrambling and walking than climbing, for 65 metres. We elected to move alpine style, roped together with the rope looped over our shoulders.

Next up was what I believe to be the most exposed (and fluttery) part of the climb. A sharp alpine crest with a drop of 50 – 60 metres either side. We continued, alpine style over this, wrapping the rope around the spikes for protection. Just before the ridge is a large gendarme which I was keen to climb onto for a good picture opportunity. I passed David my iphone, clambered up and posed for my picture. David took the shot from the other end of the ridge. Unfortunately I discovered, in the pub, much later that day, that David had actually taken a picture of his hand – grrrrrrr!

David crossing the alpine style ridge

After the ridge we reached a series of blocks (pitch 8). Full of confidence, I set out to solo this part, only to discover it was tougher than I had anticipated. I had to stand on a block while David passed gear and the end of the rope up so I could tie in and do it safely. Turns out I was trying to climb the wrong side of the block, I got really stressed out and frustrated trying to make a move that was clearly not vdiff. I was relieved when I finally figured out the correct route and moved up to belay David, who had found the episode highly amusing.

Pitch 9 looks a bit menacing as you approach, but turns out to be a really easy climb up a flake. Reaching the top of this pitch (and the climb) left me feeling elated, worn out and a little bit sad that it was over.

This climb is an absolute must for anyone seeking a big multi-pitch, mountaineering experience. I would recommend it to anyone, and I’m sure I’ll be heading back for a second at some point.

Snowdonia climbing – Amphitheatre Buttress 294m VD, Ogwen, North Wales is a post from: Rock Climbing UK, an online UK climbing magazine, written BY UK climbers FOR UK climbers.

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My brother David and I climbed this on the Sunday of a weekend expedition to North Wales, following an epic climb up the mighty Amphitheater Buttress on the Saturday.

Let me start by saying that there only one way to describe the walk-in to this climb… Evil! It’s actually more of a “scramble-in” (on all fours) up a super steep scree field, and will take anyone and everyone at least 30 minutes (probably more like 40 minutes). At least it starts at the roadside, there’s parking right opposite the crag, but get there early as it gets very busy.

As we could see the crag just up the hill (yeah right), we elected to travel light and left our packs (including water) in the car. Big mistake! We were parched by the time we reached the foot of the crag.

On reaching the top of the scree field we were met by a party of four at the base of the Flying Buttress climb. They were all tooled up and ready to go, climbing as two pairs. The oldest member of the group, a very well spoken gentleman wearing old school gear, told us in no uncertain terms that his group were novice climbers, that they would be moving slowly and that we should move along to another route, thank you very much.

As keen as we were to oblige, we had only brought 1 guidebook, “Scrambles and easy climbs in Snowdonia” (a fantastic book which I’ll review very soon). Flying Buttress is the only climb featured on this particular crag, so having endured the murderous ascent from the road to the foot of the crag there was no way on earth that we were going to go back down until we had made the climb! We sat down, dug in and waited for our turn.

By the time we were able to get started on the first pitch, another party of four had gathered behind us. We agreed that I would climb first (which is almost always the case – I’ll explain why in another post). In the wait for the climb I had already decided that I would maintain a brisk pace and place the minimum of protection along the way. Feeling very confident, I shot up the first and second pitch in one go. I set up a belay next to the party who had set off before us, a nice young lad and lass who had just realised that they didn’t really have time to complete the climb as they were supposed to be at a wedding that day. As David joined me, they abseiled off the side allowing us to pass.

From our position on a little pinnacle, we climbed down a few metres to a new belay stance for what was to be the most exciting pitch of the climb. David lead this one, and I think it gave him quite a lot to think about. It’s a super exposed pitch and the route finding for the leader is not as straight forward as you might expect. Stood at my lonely belay stance I couldn’t see what David was up to and we couldn’t hear each other either. The rope kept pulling tight, so I would pay out some slack, then it went really slack so I would have to pull it back in. this happened several times then eventually, after what seemed like a life time, came a welcome solid tug on the rope, followed immediately by another one. I took David off belay and waited impatiently to get started.

That pitch was absolutely superb. Beautifully exposed and quite steep but with excellent (if not a bit polished) holds for both hands and feet. I worked my way around and up a sloping gangway to where David sat waiting for me with a big smile on his face. I can’t help feeling a bit envious that he got to lead that pitch, it was truly fantastic.

The last pitch is a fitting finale and one which I was lucky enough to lead. It starts with a sloping chimney with a really awkward, thrutchy start. It’s pretty easy to protect, and once you get going it’s an easy finish. I reached the top feeling completely satisfied with both the climb and my weekend in North Wales.

On the way up we had to retrieve a piece of gear that the party in front of us had left. The well spoken chap had shouted down to us and asked if we would mind collecting it as his novice climbing partner had been unable to extract it. When I reached the top of the climb he was waiting to collect. His initial frosty demeanor from when we first met at the foot of the crag had been replaced by massive enthusiasm, and we had a very enjoyable chat.

I can’t wait to climb in North Wales again, Snowdonia climbing is the most enjoyable I have done to date. The sheer quality and scale of the place stays with you long after you leave. I just cannot recommend it enough!!!

As always I would love to hear your experience. If you have been or you’re planning to go, drop me a comment.

Snowdonia climbing – Flying Buttress 87m VD, Dinas y Gromlech area, North Wales is a post from: Rock Climbing UK, an online UK climbing magazine, written BY UK climbers FOR UK climbers.

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