Showing posts with label Climbing UK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Climbing UK. Show all posts

Monday 15 April 2019

A return to Snowdonia

I have been doing a fair bit of running, my usual hiking and I've even tried to fit in a  few visits to Awesome Walls in Cork so I had hoped to be in better shape for a bit of rock climbing. With that in mind I answered a shout from a guy on UK Climbing for a partner on "easy stuff" in North Wales for Saturday and Sunday April 6th and 7th.

I had a long weekend off work so I decided on the easier option of travel this time and caught the afternoon ferry from Dublin to Holyhead. I had intended to camp at the excellent Platts Farm in Llanfeirfechan so it was with some disappointment I discovered en-route that it was booked out. I opted instead to stay at a cheap hotel in Bangor and it was still nearly dark when I checked in. I think the overnight ferry is probably just as easy.

Saturday April 6th;

Craig Condie met me on a beautiful sunny Saturday morning and he had decided to do Amphitheatre Buttress. I have done this a few times before and I was delighted at the choice and reasonably confident I would be able to do it. I didn't have a map and neither did Craig so our first problem was to find the right road to the car park near Llyn Eigiau. Now I know I have been there before but I have a less than perfect memory and using mobile phone maps and my dodgy recollections we went wrong and found ourselves going up from Trfriw, turning around and finally heading up the correct lane from Tal y Bont. Alas we took a left turn higher up and ended up at the small reservoir at Coedty. Oh dear it wasn't the most auspicious start but on the plus side it was a gorgeous morning and the snowy mountains looked wonderful. I had been a bit taken aback by the amount of snow that was still on the mountains and I wondered if rock climbing would be possible but I reckoned that a buttress like the one we were heading towards should be snow free and provide a good adventure.


Parking where we did added a couple of kilometres to the walk in and we made another mistake in crossing the bog to reach the correct car park rather than stay on the track we were on. Lets just say that this was energy sapping and was more akin to post-holing  through crusty snow than anything else. Finally we were on the correct route and we gladly hot footed it into the spectacular valley. Around into Cwm Eigiau and past the old disused mine and the route looms dead ahead. Snow now lay on the ground and after the steep climb to the base of the route we geared up and readied for the fray.
I started up the first pitch. Starting at the very bottom the first few moves are fingery and slabby and the wet snowy soles of my boots didn't inspire confidence but it isn't difficult and I was off. I soon reached the corner where you have to move left onto the continuing slab. I have always found this difficult and stepping off snow onto the slab I found too daunting so I asked Craig to have a look instead...oh dear. He climbed up to the corner and found the hand hold that is higher up above the corner (which I cannot reach) and he was up. He finished off the pitch and I followed up. I wasn't climbing well but I was okay. Craig continued up to the base of the slab pitch but he couldn't figure out the start so I joined him to have a look. I found the start (on the right side) and I was off. This is a superb pitch with continuous interesting top quality climbing and while I was not really comfortable I got up to the top and brought Craig up. Next comes the crux pitch and I led this as well. I was less than stylish but I got up it and again Craig followed me. We moved together until we reached the "pinnacle" pitch and again I went first across this short but interesting little arret. Again we moved together until we reached the next awkward step which I just couldn't figure out. I knew there was a stretchy step but I wasn't spotting it so Craig again took over. He was just out of sight when he made the moves and climbed up but once I followed it was again a struggle for me and it was a disgraceful shuffling desperate couple of metres for me. Bollocks. Just below the top there was another step and once again I struggled there but once Craig went up I found the bomber hand hold that made it easy..another bollocks moment. I need to make a final decision soon on my climbing future.

Topping out to an alpine landscape

Craig
Back near the car in the evening light

 Anyway all that aside it felt great to top out into an alpine landscape and we were in great spirits as we enjoyed a late and well deserved bite to eat. We descended back to the valley via Bwlch y Marchog and hot footed it back to the car. It was nearly 7pm by the time we were back and Craig then dropped me around to the campsite at Capel Curig. Craig had been a real gent throughout the day and is excellent company and a fine climber and while there was a half hearted agreement to see each other the following day, I wasn't expecting much after my poor performance and frankly it would be a relief if things ended there. Besides I was too tired to be too bothered as it was 8.30pm by the time I was cooking dinner and I went straight to bed when done. A long excellent sleep followed.

Sunday April 7th;

After a fine sleep I emerged into another promising weather morning. While it was cloudy on the tops there were patches of blue sky about. I was full of aches and pains from having used muscles yesterday that were obviously sorely underused and feeling a bit sorry for myself as well, as once again I had to deal with my increasing lack of climbing skills. I hadn't heard from Craig so I decided to walk from the campsite to the Glyderau plateau. The cloud hung at around 700 metres but I was hopeful that things would clear. Leaving the village past the new Joe Browne shop ( the old Pinnacle Stores shop is gone) I crossed the stile at the farm and headed up the craggy ground towards Cefn y Capel. The next couple of kilometres are very boggy and then you climb steeply for nearly 300 metres towards the twin topped Gallt yr Ogof. Now I was in the cloud and visibility was absent and once again I was bemoaning the fact that I hadn't brought any maps. I followed the trail over Y Foel Goch and here there was some snow cover that made following the trail more difficult. I was on the point of turning back when the cloud lifted and like Saul on the road to Damascus I was shown the way.
A cloudy start

Otherworld

The view towards Snowdon

Tryfan

On the 200 metre pull to the summit plateau I tried to avoid the slushy snow patches where possible and progress was steady. The other good thing was the weather. Clearances became frequent and by the time I was at the top of the rocky almost alien landscape of Glyder Fach it was mostly clear most of the time. I decided to continue on to the summit of Glyder Fawr and by then I was mostly in sunshine. What a treat it was, with this gorgeous otherworldly landscape looking great and now expanding views to the other mountains nearby coming into view. The views across to Snowdon from the top were a delight. As it was now so nice and having missed out on the views as I ascended I decided to return the same way to the campsite. Back near YFoel Goch the vista of Tryfan (clearly very busy) and Bristly Ridge rising to Glyder Fach was a real treat and of course the glory of the Snowdon Horseshoe also drew the eye. It was warm and sunny all the way back and another senior moment was the fact that I also had left the sunscreen back in my tent. I got a good scalding. Back down and a good shower and change of clothes went some way to restoring me and after a refreshing cuppa I hitched into Betws for some provisions (Pinnacle Stores is missed). A very pleasant evening ensued and my spirit was restored.



Monday April 8th;

I wasn't sure what I was going to do today, whether to head home early doors or go for a hike. The weather forecast was uncertain and promised cloud and rain in the afternoon but when I emerged from my tent it was pretty good with some high cloud but plenty of clear skies as well. I decided to head for the Pen y Pass and do the Snowdon Horseshoe. I was too early for the bus so I walked into the village and hitched a lift towards the pass. I quickly got a lift as far as the junction near the hotel. I walked from there up the path as far as the pass and then joined the hoards. It was cool and a little breezy but the cloud seemed to be lifting and Crib Goch was in full view. I enjoyed the scramble to the summit but it was disappointing that the cloud arrived as I neared the crest of the ridge. The wind was quite strong up here as well but it wasn't buffeting so crossing the ridge was fine. I enjoyed the pinnacles as usual and some of the best climbing is reserved for the final slopes before you reach Garnedd Ugain. With only the very occasional breaks in the cloud there was no reason to stop and I turned and rejoined the masses once I reached the track that comes up from Llanberis. The summit of Snowdon was the usual massing of hikers of all ages and abilities and I quickly passed beyond it so as to find relative peace for an early lunch. I was very conscious of my lack of a map and in the clag and with some snow laying about I decided not to try and find the correct continuation path and instead returned to the pass via the Pyg track. I walked back down the path to the Roman Camp and once again tried my hand at hitching back to Capel Curig. No joy this time but I was able to catch the bus anyway. It was a little disappointing not to complete the horseshoe but Crib Goch is always a pleasure and is ample compensation for missing the rest. The only pity is that Snowdon itself is so so busy. Don't go there expecting solitude.




I enjoyed a relaxing couple of hours back at the tent before beginning the long journey home. Three days in one of my favourite places...no rain...some excellent rock climbing (at least an excellent route) and getting sunburned on the Glyderau...life is good.

Friday 29 April 2016

Snowdonia...Amphitheatre Buttress and Atlantic Slab.


Saturday April 23rd;

 I went back to Snowdonia last weekend with Denis O'Brien for another taste of what this wonderful place has to offer. Denis had never been here before so it was nice to get the chance to show him around a bit. He is also trying to get more experience of rock climbing/ mountaineering so there is nowhere better to come. The weather forecast was reasonable and we were hopeful of getting some good days under our belts. We traveled overnight on the ferry and hoped to catch a few hours sleep on that before driving to the mountains and climbing on Saturday. We were booked in to stay at the excellent Tyddyn Bach bunk huts for Saturday and Sunday nights and we were booked to return home on Monday evening's ferry so we had three days to look forward to. The chance of a sleep on the ferry evaporated thanks to a few bus loads of teenage girls that were as noisy as they were excitable.
A Bothy or clubhouse on the way in.

The route in red

We emerged from the boat into a beautiful dawn and we were soon on our way to the hills. This being promised as the best weather day I decided that Amphitheatre Buttress would be a worthy day out. We drove around to the Tal y Bont side and went up the steep little lane and parked at its end. We got ourselves sorted and set off in past the old dam walls and around the end of the U shaped valley when the climb comes into view. This would be my third time on the route. The first time was way back in 2008 when Tim Long led the route. The second time was in 2010 when myself and Neil Nand alternated leads on another good day so this would be my first time leading the whole lot. It is fair to say that I haven't been doing a whole lot of proper climbing in recent years and after taking a bit of a tumble in Scotland I was a bit anxious to see if I would still enjoy leading. We arrived at the base of the route and I donned the fully laden harness and started up. The first real test arrives after around twenty meters when you arrive at a notch and you have to move left onto the slab. It is (or at least it was for me) quite tricky and as I was climbing in boots the little footholds didn't inspire much confidence. Still it is well protected and after a couple of moves I was established on the slab and moving up again. I was now fully immersed in the climbing and enjoying myself to the full.

Looking up at the start of the route
On Pitch 2



Denis looking...epic?

It is a lovely varied and interesting route that offers a wonderful day out. It has good pro when you need it and for a plodder like me it provides thrilling climbing in a remote mountain setting. I ran out a full rope-length for the first pitch and the second saw me climbing the beautiful slab section. This was over all too soon and next up came the crux section which was super polished but it went okay and I was soon above it. After this the route becomes more broken and we moved together until we reached the narrow little arret that is easily protected with a couple of slings. We continued up the remainder of the route and topped out in beautiful sunshine and enjoyed a well deserved lunch. I had really enjoyed the whole thing and it was pleasing to have got a good lead under my belt. We continued up to the summit of Carnedd Llewelyn and from there descended easily along the gentle spur of Tal y Llyn and back to the car. It was a short spin around to Betws Y Coed where we were soon settled in for the evening. The fun wasn't quite over however as after we went for a walk into the village on our return, as we walked by the A470 we saw a man lying in the briars down the embankment below us. We had seen him shortly beforehand in the village and he was clearly the worse for wear. To say I got a fright would be an understatement. I told Denis to stay where he was and I went down the 10 feet or so to him. I thought maybe he had been struck by a vehicle but on closer inspection he seemed intact except for some cuts to his face and hands from the thorns. A young guy who had seen him moments before stopped and rang the emergency services and we stayed with him until they arrived. He had woken up before they came and thankfully he was okay but confused. Trying to keep him where he was and not fall further down the bank was all we had to do until the police and the ambulance arrived when we left them to it. It had been a full day.
The narrow arret

Looking down from the top

Happy chappie

Sunday April 24th;

Where does the time go ??. Today we were meeting with Paul Harvey with whom I have had a couple of lovely days out in the past. I was astonished to find that it had been almost two years since we last met. He has had his injury problems and a knee operation put paid to his outdoor endeavours for a considerable time. We met in the Siabod Cafe in Capel Curig where some good coffee and chat followed and after looking at the guide book Paul suggested looking at the Atlantic Slab. I was delighted to agree as it had been on my wish list as well. We originally had thought to go to Little Tryfan or maybe Milestone Buttress but we reckoned on a fine Sunday morning they would be very busy but it was a real surprise to not see a soul on either crag as we drove by. We parked at a lay by on the road down by Ty Gwyn and had a pleasant stroll across the valley floor until we were past the farmhouses at Maes Caradoc. After this there is nothing for it but to turn and climb the steep ground up into Cwm Perfedd where the impressive slabs are fully revealed. Further steep ground follows before we eventually arrived at the base of the slab. Our route for today was Central Route on the Atlantic Slab.
The impressive slabs. Red slab on the right..Atlantic slab in the centre

Paul and Denis almost there

Curious geometric split...Swastika Rock?? Almost

As Denis doesn't lead and Paul had been out of the game for a long time I once again took the front. I climbed up The Runnel, the gully on the left side of the slab until mid way in the slab and set off up. Well I did for perhaps fifteen feet as I found the going delicate (I was once again in boots) and wet patches of mossy rock and nowhere to place any protection meant I came back down. I went a little to the right and spotted a much more likely line and set off up, this time successfully. The route is long and varied and entertaining. There are some delicate little sections and some vegetated heathery sections but the rock is so grippy that it is a pure pleasure to climb. I stayed well to the left of the right edge and we climbed pitch after pitch (8 in all) until we emerged on the sunny plateau a little tired but with big grins on our faces. Over 300 metres of super climbing lay below us and we hadn't seen another soul all day. I had really enjoyed the route and it is definitely a place I would like to explore some more. I was also pleased with how the climbing went as it is never that easy to climb with three on a rope but we kept it as simple as possible and things went very smoothly. We enjoyed a well deserved late lunch and turned towards the spur on the southern side of Cwn Perfedd, which looks very steep but it offers a nice easy way down to the valley below. Paul was feeling the effects of the day by now but considering the fact that he hadn't been  out on the hills at all he had done really well. It had been great to climb with him again and hopefully we will get the chance to get out again soon. We returned to the cafe in Capel Curig and after a brief coffee and chat we said our goodbyes. Nothing unusual occurred in Betws y Coed that evening.

Paul and Denis following on


The route we followed


Snowdonia really is great.. Tryfan and Glyder Fach

Monday April 25th;

We had had a great couple of days so far and whatever the weather would bring today the trip had proven well worthwhile. We were hoping to do Flying Buttress at Dinas y Gromlech but it was raining quite heavily by the time we reached the Pen y Pass. We decided that the Snowdon Horseshoe would be a fitting finale to the trip and after waiting a little for a lull in the rain we changed and set off up the Pyg Track to Bwlch y Moch where we turned and headed for Crib Goch. The wind was fairly strong here and the rock ran with water but progress was never too difficult and eventually we reached the summit with its super narrow crest. We traversed the ridge, always taking care not to be dislodged by a sudden gust and then we reached "The Pinnacles". These I tackled direct and Denis decided that discretion was the better part of valour and stuck to the track. As usual the pinnacles provided great sport but the fun is over all too soon and we arrived at Bwlch Coch. In the cold windy conditions and in the absence of any views we didn't linger and soon reached the next scrambly section. Again I climbed the rocks direct and Denis stuck to the track. I continued on past the narrow section and reached the cairn and easy ground but there was no sign of Denis.
Denis....before his disappearing act on Crib Goch

I had a few bites of flapjack while I waited for him but there was no sign. I was getting a bit worried so I returned along the ridge to the start of the rocky section but again could see nothing. Getting more worried now I reasoned that he must have gotten ahead of me and was probably waiting at the summit of Garnedd Ugain so I hot footed it to the top but again no sign. At this point I should perhaps point out that Denis didn't have a map nor had he ever been here before. I was really worried by now so I again retraced my steps all the way to Bwlch Coch and called and down-climbed in places to see if he had fallen and I wondering if I should call the rescue. I had tried his phone several times but it wasn't ringing. Finally I decided that perhaps he might have continued to the summit of Snowdon and if so he would surely be waiting there. I went more in hope than expectation by now to the top but again there was no sign of him. I was reluctant to get the emergency services involved as I didn't know for sure that there was anything wrong with him but if he wasn't back at the car when I got down I would have to make the call. I went down the tourist route as quick as I could fully expecting the worst but there he was sitting in the car waiting for me. I wasn't sure how I would react but its fair to say that anger was to the fore. Lets just say the trip back to Ireland was long and silent. It was an unfortunate end to what was otherwise a very good trip.

Thursday 9 September 2010

Snowdonia September 2010






 Saturday 4th,

Neil leading pitch two
I headed over to Wales last weekend for a spot of climbing. This time I took all my rock climbing gear and I had arranged to meet an English guy called Neil Nand. I travelled overnight on Stena ferries and arrived by train in Betws y Coed at 6am. A short walk to the campsite and I pitched my tent and lay down for a spot of shuteye. Neil had arrived the night before and rang me at 7.30 and we met. We had breakfast and decided to climb Amphitheatre Buttress on Pen yr Hegli Du in the Carneddu. The morning promised good weather and we drove to Tal y Bont on the B 5106 and turned left up a narrow steep road to arrive at a large open plateau. We continued to the end of the road where there is good parking and walked on the good track past Lyn Eigiau reservoir with it's broken dam walls into Cwm Eigiau. This is a large U shaped valley which contains a disused slate quarry. Having passed this you are facing straight at the imposing crags on the northern side of Pen yr Hegli Du. Amphitheatre buttress is on the left of a large gully. It is a full 1000 feet long and is graded at VDiff.



Amphitheatre Buttress

There is a steep climb up to the base of the climb and Neil found it tough going. When we arrived there was two other parties before us. We rigged up and waited for our turn. We decided to do alternate leads and I took the first pitch. I also chose to climb in my boots as opposed to rock shoes as I would see this type of route as more a training exercise for Alpine climbing. The first pitch starts very straight forwardly up laid back rock until you arrive at a large notch where you have to move left on to another slab. This is quite awkward and involves some delicate moves. Up this slab and you arrive at a good stance with a spike belay, we were off. Neil led up the second pitch without any bother and we then came to the best section of the route. This is a long steep slab with adequate holds and loads of exposure. Up around a block and left onto the slab which it climbed via a series of cracks up to a ledge with a thread belay. You are now well up the crag and the situation is great. Steep drops in all directions, warm dry rock and great views meant that I was really enjoying the day. This is what I went there for.

Neil climbing the slabs




Shortly thereafter we came to the so called crux. This involves climbing up and around a short corner over to a large stance. This passed very easily and is very easily protected. A couple of more short rock sections and we came to a long scrambly section. This we moved together on until we came to a very narrow arret which I crossed and protected with slings. Above this we continued to move together, using friction belays where necessary. In this way we soon reached the top. There was a group of walkers there who were taking pictures of the climbers and seemed impressed with the effort. After a good bite to eat we continued up and over Carnedd Llewelyn (at 1064mtrs the second highest in Wales) and a long easy descent across the broad expanse of Gleddrfford and along Cefn Tal-Llyn-Eigiau and back to the car. We were both glad to sit into the car but were well satisfied with the day.

Sunday 5th,


The forecast for today was good and after a good nights rest we arose quite optimistic for the day ahead. After a very leisurely morning we headed for Tryfan and the target for the day was First Pinnacle Rib on its east face. This is another VDiff route and 185mtrs long. I was really looking forward to this as it is supposed to one of the best routes at the grade in Wales. Unfortunately the day was showing signs of deterioration and the air was pregnant with moisture. Still we set off up the steep climb and gained the heather terrace. Neil was really struggling on the steep ground so progress was slow. Still this was no bad thing as when I arrived at the base of the climb the threatened rain arrived. Very quickly the rock turned as slick as ice and the decision not to proceed was made.






We retreated down to the car. As the forecast for the following day was really poor Neil decided to return to Salisbury. We said our goodbyes at the campsite and I went for a 9k run up and over a 700ft hill to get rid of the excess energy. By now the day had cleared up nicely and I had a pleseant evening at the campsite.





Monday 6th,
I was almost afraid to stick my head outside the tent this morning, however the promised bad weather had not as yet arrived.I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and wandered into town with the intention of catching the sherpa bus to the Ogwen Valley and climbing the Glyderri. After waiting for a full hour it became apparent that the bus wasn't going to come so I stuck out my thumb. Lo and behold the first car stopped. As we progressed up towards Capel Curig my eyes were drawn to the lovely flanks of Moel Siabod. A sudden change of plan I asked to be dropped off and headed its direction. Easy walking up a metalled road led to a disused quarry, on past this into ever wilder ground under the imposing southeast face and I soon came to a large Cwm with a nice ridge at its rear which led directly to the summit. Some nice scrambling along this ridge and I was soon at the summit.




Here I met a gentleman dressed in the style of the early climbers replete with green tweed plus fours and a flat cap. You just have to love the English and their eccentricities. I decided to walk back to Betws y Coed across the vast expanse of moor into the forest and down to the campsite. This went well until I reached the low point before the incline up to the woods. Here I had to go through a marshy section with bog myrtle and deer grass. This was very tiring and I was relieved to reach the higher ground. This however proved a false dawn as when I crossed a fence I entered virgin ground with chest high heather, grass and scrub which was exhausting to traverse. After a few hundred meters of this I decided to head for the forest. This was going from the frying pan to the fire and proved the worst yet to get through. It was with considerable relief that I eventually came to a road and I relaxed for the remainder of the walk back. The day had remained dry but shortly after reaching the tent it started raining. I had to cook inside the tent and it rained right through until I went to sleep at around midnight. As I had no climbing partner for the following day and the forcast was again iffy I decided to return home the following morning. Still although things didn't work out perfect I am really looking forward to my next visit.