| Well it all started with the club Fontainbleau trip being put back a week leaving me with a pass out from Wifey for the weekend and nowhere to go. So I thought I’d try something different, and planned a trip to N Wales with the bait being of suggesting doing some of the big routes on Lliwedd NE face Alpine style – several of them put up by a chap called George Mallory. | |||
|
|
|||
| There was a fair amount of interest, especially since it was only advertised via e-mail, and I got a couple of mates who I climbed with me in the Alps to come along and they also brought friends. 15 people turned up in the end. | |||
| Most people rolled up at the Bryn Trych on Friday night as planned, me, having organised this, then went with the non-RMC lot to the pub with the stage coach outside, but there was method in this madness, I knew that we were too late for food but they still did puddings there after they officially stopped serving food. Much hilarity was to be had in the camp site, my mate Andy blagged a tent from me but then turned up with Kim, an American lass who had only ever climbed bolted sports routes. The only problem was the tent, shall we say it was a little on the small size. Very cosy. Good job, ‘cos the sleeping bag Andy blagged from Mark was incredibly thin. To cap it all, Lee was in a tent on his own that you could park a car inside. | |||
| Saturday morning dawned grey and drizzly and we eventually managed to get everyone into the café for breakfast, where we split into two groups, the Lliwedd group and the craggers. Erol, Richard and Rob dashed off first to do a 1000’ severe on Lliwedd, followed by me and Andy (Hope), then Mark, Richard, Andy and Kim. Its an hour walk in from the Pen-y-Pass to Lliwedd and we kept looking but couldn’t see Erol and Co on their route, Mark and Co were in sight about half an hour behind. | |||
| We could see the quartz chevrons that marked the start of our route (Slanting Buttress – Diff) and plotted how to get there. We could go up a terrace but then that would leave a blind traverse so decided to skirt the bottom, round a buttress and up another gully to the start. We saw a party on the ridge line and thought this was Erol and Co, who had changed their plans, so, scramble up this gully, rope up at the bottom of the headwall, climb up and on to the top of a ridge, only problem was, there in front was a group of walkers; roped up with climbing gear dangling prominently we suddenly felt rather over dressed. Down below we see Mark and Co being joined by another three and then they all trudge off round the lake. What happened was Erol, Richard and Rob got to the start of their route (a 1000’ severe) found it wet, slimy and clagged in and thought better of it. |
|
||
| They come down, meet up with Mark and the others, who then can’t see me and Andy on the start of Slanting Buttress and so they all decide to go to the indoor wall instead. Anyway, we take stock and see the chevrons off to the left. “The traverse looks doable, we’re roped up, we’ve got enough gear to ab off if things go to ****, lets go for it.” Off we go, Alpine style. [You rope up together with 10 – 15 m of rope between you, keeping this tight at all times and move together. The leader puts in runners as he goes and the 2nd takes them out when he gets to them. Its very quick, almost as fast as soloing. If you do come off the leader’s going to take a flyer but hopefully the rope will stop you going all the way. On hard stuff you use direct belays and move one at a time.] | |||
| The traverse could have been better but wasn’t that hard although it had nice wet sloping grass ledges, some loose rock, copious quantities of water pouring down it, and surprisingly good heather hand holds. It did have a couple of moments of interest. “Andy, for ****’s sake don’t fall off, we haven’t got any runners in!”. Take an end of the rope each, swing it like a skipping rope and hook it over a spike till I can get to a placement. A bit further on… “I’m at the last runner now.” No placements ahead so traverse back, go up to a large grass ledge, dig in heels and bring Andy up on a waist belay, more psychological than useful. Its at times like this that you ask yourself what on earth you’re doing and why you’re not sitting in front of the telly wearing slippers and a cardigan. Almost there, Andy’s leading (in trainers by the way, he forgot his boots) and rather than take a nasty looking rib direct he ascends one side then I counter-balance him as he descends the slime filled gully on the other side. I get to the top horrified to see that we’re both hanging off a single No 3 wire, fortunately, on close inspection it was a bomber. Andy puts me on a direct belay and we’re there, on top of the chevrons. Off we go on the proper route, much better rock and plenty of placements. We decide to forget the guide book and just pick the most promising line. We were flying and in seemingly no time we come out on a broad rib with the summit in sight. If only we had a view, the setting was absolutely stupendous. “That didn’t seem like 700 feet” says Andy. Consult the oracle. “The guide book says that the route starts at the bottom of the chevrons, not the top”, so that explained that. | |||
| What now? Andy’s never done Crib Goch so we decide to go over the top of Snowdon and down via the Crib Goch ridge, by now in horizontal rain. That was uneventful, albeit damp and we’re in the pub for a quick pint at 5:00, before dashing back to the campsite for a shower before it got dark (no lights in the shower block). All day we’d been wondering what the others had done as it was too wet for rock climbing – Andy #3 (don’t know his last name, sorry Andy) had led them all up Tryfan N ridge, and a very good time was had by all, despite the weather. Into the pub for beer and food and watch Lee drool every time the waitress came to the table, he’s only 18 so its allowed. Unfortunately, I had to cry off sick and went back to campsite early. By all accounts I missed a good one, every one partied hard, and I do believe someone who shall remain nameless (but not for long Erol) rode on the back of a car on the way back. | |||
| Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny – hooray!! I’d recovered and get up to make a brew then go and watch Herr Von Lieutanant Richard mercilessly kick a hung over Erol and Rob out of their tents so they could get to the café for breakfast spot on 8:00. The others gradually arrived, including Lee who ran up from the camp site (Oh to be young and fit). Tremadog was the favoured location - we thought Idwal slabs would be too wet. Off we all set for Eric’s café, but Mark, Richard, Andy and Kim went for Grooved Arete on the East face of Tryfan, and what a day for it too, they don’t come better than that. Unfortunately, they were a bit late, missed Heather Terrace, scrambled up some horrible slope where Richard fell down a hole and twisted his knee. He hobbled off back to the car whilst the other three got to the start at 12:00. They climbed the first pitch on a rope of three, then got lost on the 2nd pitch and decided they were too slow and binned the route. But they’ll be back to give it another go. Mark said the first pitch was absolutely superb. | |||
| The rest of us paired off at Eric’s and we all set off on our routes. Rob conned poor Erol into leading his first E1 – The Plum - with a hang over; Richard took Jane up a HS; and Steve, Andy, Alan and Simon went off to do something on Moel y Gest. Doctor Andy led Computer Andy up a Severe, Steve seconded a couple of V Diffs and Simon led a Severe and Alan led a V Diff. I went off to climb with Lee and since it was the first time he’d climbed outdoors (he’s only ever climbed twice indoors) went up to the Upper Tier, the only decent single pitch crag in Snowdonia. Amazingly, we were the only ones there all day. The rock was warm and dry, with only the odd crack being a bit slimy. We got four climbs in, I led two and we top roped another two. Lee is an absolute natural, indoors, after only an hour he was climbing at f6a, outdoors, only his second ever route, he goes up a HVS 5b. Makes you want to sit down and cry. After a truly great day, we set off back to Eric’s for what the RMC do best – drink tea and eat cakes. Unfortunately I manage to slip down a grass bank and get completely soaked in muddy water. “Not to worry,” I think “I’ve got a spare pair of tracksuit bottoms in the car…oh, no… no… they’re in my kit bag … which is in my tent… which is in Capil Curig!” | |||
| And finally, here’s Erol’s account of his first ever E1 lead, a major milestone in any climber’s career. Well done mate !!!! | |||
| I wasn't feeling my best on sunday morning we had been in the Bryn Tyrch and had been ejected long after everyone else had gone. You see I just had to finish the last game of pool. At least the sun was shining which was a promising start to the day. It was 0730 and we just needed to get our shit together and get in the cafe at 0800 as we did on Saturday. Once the breaky and tea were out of the way it was down to final preps. Tremadog it was. Apparrently I was climbing with Rob Smith. Everything seemed a bit hazy though but I felt sure I would wake up soon. Once at the crag it was " which route then Erol " from Rob Smith. A few had been mentioned but I had rather fancied One Step in the Clouds since I first saw it on my last visit. So it was then, a warm up on One Step at VS 4b. This soon woke me up and was an extremely nice climb. "What what you like to lead then Rob" I churped hoping for an easy afternoon. Well Rob had decided that that he would like to follow me up something "a little more interesting" so I had a HVS in mind called The Plum. On further inspection though it is only HVS if you avoid the first crux and do it in two pitches. Oh what the heck I'll do it in a single run out and climb the first crux which will make it "interesting" for Rob and give me my first E1. If successful this would be the icing on the cake. This summer has been one in which I have climbed VS very confidently and attained HVS which I was more than happy with especially as the summer was now all but gone. I was now fully awake and concentrating fully on the task in hand. I think Rob was also now assessing the objective we had set ourselves and which was staring at us as we prepared ropes and rack. The first few moves looked quite thugish and having spoken to a girl about it earlier apparently this climb was not well suited to short arses. Ho hum, and away we go then. I had already set the camera up for Rob to snap a few off if the opportunity arose. The first moves were a lovely thugish layback and then onto a horrible slopey ledge and immediately round to the left where a good hold allowed me to take a gasp of air. There was only time to insert one piece of gear to enable me to get over the low crux cleanly. This duly dispensed with it was onwards and upwards through the groove which again had a dodgy move for us shorties. Up the crack and then onto the Micah arete to finish. What a fantastic climb, the best on Tremadog and a real plum. Rob followed via the ledge above the low crux and we both thoroughly enjoyed the experience. This was a just reward for all the effort with fitness levels during the summer. Talking of which Richard says it must have been the six pints of Castle Eden and three games of pool which helped. My thanks to Rob for motivation and to Simon for organising this unofficial trip. Thanks also to a great bunch for a great summer. Here comes Winter! | |||
| Home page | |||