Thursday 11 April 2013

Filling in the Gaps under everyones nose


It might be thawing here in North Wales, but reports still keep coming in regards a variety of excellent new routes. Not many gaps left up here ( Grib Y Ddysgl )  but Gaz managed to claim the last few.

Some write ups below for some new routes up on Crib y Ddysgl

Pope's Nose IV,5 * 75m

Varied climbing and something of interest on each pitch.  Start below the snowy groove just right of Gargoyle Route and to the left of a small overhang.

Pitch 1, 25m: Steep initial moves lead into the snowy groove. Head up and right on easier ground to belay on the first rock encountered below the overhanging chimney.
Pitch 2, 20m: Turf and rock steps up and right lead to a snowy ledge below a shallow chimney. Interesting moves and spike belay on left at the top.
Pitch 3, 15m: Step back right and positive moves over the jammed boulders and spikes, ledge then up and right again until below a steep headwall. Easy traverse left to boulder belay.
Pitch 4, 15m: Climb the slab up and right until final moves lead onto the arete. 

Gaz Davies and Will Oates 19/03/13

Tick Tock Tick V,6 * 92m

A direct line up the crag. There are two grooves to the right of Three Cave Gully Start on the slightly more open second groove.

Pitch 1: 25m Follow the groove for a few moves, step left on the ledge and continue up the groove system. Belay on the ledge below a steep sweep of rock.
Pitch 2: 20m Step left and make some steep moves into the continuing groove line. Spaced gear but positive climbing leads to a ledge on the left and belay.
Pitch 3: 22m Step back right and follow a couple of steep steps until it flatens out onto easier ground.
Pitch 4: 25m Easy ground leads up to the remaining rock steps and Clogwyn y Person Arete. 

Gaz Davies and Matthew Hawkins 18/03/13

Matt Hawkins on Tick Tock Tick



Now for a even more rare posting. Due to recent conditions other areas have seen action 


Ffŵl Ebrill IV 4 180m

Just a quick description, not too sure about the grades, neither me or Martin have much experience at the grade, definitely felt harder than III. Pitch 3 had two steep steps first vertical on snow for 2m, after snow for a bit second step of about 2-3m vertical climbing up 3 overhanging 'cauliflowers', easing to belay. Pitch 4 easy snow, ice near vertical up corner for 13m??, easing again to snow slopes above. A cracking day out, proper adventure, seeing as looking at it I thought probably about a II (possibly I, possibly III), I had a bit of a surprise coming over the steepness on pitch 3 to catch a glimpse of the steepness above. Pitch lengths also a bit of a guess based on recollections of rope used.


Needs good hard snow, and well formed ice for the crux pitch, both rare commodities round these parts. It is situated directly west of the north summit of Moel Lefn, and south of craig Cwm Trwsgl. Start just left of a wall, immediately below the invitingly obvious gully, which cuts directly through an imposing buttress (about SH 548 487)

  1. 30m 1 From a tree belay continue in the line of the gully, rock belay on left before first steepening as gully walls become more defined.
  2. 25m 2 Follow the gully past two steepenings. Poor belay on obvious ledge below overhang to the left of the gully, before a steep step below the first deviation of the gully line to the right.
  3. 35m 3 Climb the steep step to snow slope above and follow line up to the right to a second steep step in the corner on the right, before the gully opens out again moving left. Rock belay on left as gully walls once again become more defined.
  4. 52m 4 Continue up easy snow slope to a corner. Tackle the steepness in the icy corner or possibly the rocky wall to the left. Eases to snow above, potential belays on rocks to the left.
  5. 40m 2 Move right, back to the continuing gully line, which again becomes defined for a short distance, before disappearing onto the easing slopes above with a drystone wall and fence on the right.


Gerwyn Madoc Jones / Martin Bischoff  - 2nd April 2013












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