Trwyn Maen Melyn

The rock type is apparently "Gwna Melange" (unless Pantontino made that up in a sleep-deprived guidebook-editing haze) and the crag classic is The Bardsey Ripple. If you think these sound more like exotic Welsh ice-cream flavours, then that's a fair view of what to expect from the crag - imagine ALL the rock types of the Lleyn mixed together and frozen into a concreted wave of the upmost weirdness. But somehow it has the highest ratio of "surprisingly solid" to "looks alarmingly semi-detatched" in the area, quite fortuitous given the angle. The guidebook descriptions needed sorted for a couple of routes and some of the stars are estimates but it really is a lovely spot. Approach etc via Lleyn CC guide or North Wales Rock, check BMC RAD for bird bans but they don't seem to affect this bay.

Headstrong E2 5b *

Start from the giant block (the white speckles are quartz not bird poo), and follow a line leftwards out to the edge of the wall. An easier lower line might be possible.

The Incredible Surplus Head E3 5c **
Start from the giant block, climb steeply up to bisect TBR, continue even more steeply up via the head and finish leftwards with much pump.

The Ideal Hom Experience E2 5b **
A good irresistable line. Ideally start at the base of the corner behind the blocks, or at high tide from the block itself. Climb the steep corner via the featured rightwall to bisect TBR, continue via an undercling to escape rightwards into a bay, the far corner being the obvious exit.

Isis In Orbit E3/4 5c **
Another good, very direct and steep line. Bridge up between the boulder and the right wall of TIHE, then continue up the wall on various fangs and boulders to regain TIHE at it's crack and undercling. Climb direct into a well-positioned niche and pull out directly through the steepness to finish.

The Bardsey Ripple E2 5b ***
Brilliant and bonkers, traversing the intrusion to take in the best of the crag. Start in the cleft of QB, bridge up then drop down and swing swiftly leftwards to gain a groove. Follow this then escape around the left rib to gain the intrusion, and follow this all the way to the left end of the crag with much exposure, elation, rope-drag etc.

Stoned Immaculate E2 5b *
Superceded by TIHE and TBR, but should still be fun. Start as for TBR to the groove, the continue direct to gain the bay of TIHE. A direct finish from this might be good. The "bouldery start" described in the book would be much harder and more serious (E4 6a and paddable?).

Queer Bar E3 5c **
Another great line. Start in the mighty cleft and squirm up it to get some respite above, the continue through the obvious bulge above. Can be very greasy, giant cam useful.

The Ungradeable Donkey E3 5c/6a *
A shorter route, but varied and interesting. Start a few metres up the ramp from QB, at an RP slot and high hold. Crank past the bulge onto the slab of rock that's escaped from Holyhead Mountain. Continue to the break then climb up the interesting crunchy groove to pop out rightwards. An easier start is possible just right, while the "start as for Queer Bar" described in the book is illogical and would be much harder.

The Eyes Have It E4 6a *
Climb the obvious diagonal break from right to left, with a very steep finish.

The Bardsey Shuffle E7 6b **
Wild and aesthetic. Start as for TEHI until the TUD groove, then break out left onto the very steep wall via the giant embedded eyes to finish up the crest.

10 year moratorium.

As some eagle-eyed viewers may spot, I am quite keen on normal traditional climbing i.e. looking at the book, looking at a route from the bottom and maybe side or top, pulling on to it and trying really hard to get to the top first time - let's call this "onsight" climbing, without prior knowledge nor experience of the route. I'm less a fan of the spurious ego-wanking attainment-entitlement toss-wittery of picking something you want to achieve or tick but you're not actual capable of, not trying to improve to be capable of it, and avoiding the whole issue by inspecting or practising it - let's call this "pre-failure", without even giving it a normal attempt to fail on gracefully. I even sometimes vocally promote the former over the latter (subject to the usual disclaimer about it being less applicable to cutting edge "beyond current onsighting levels" routes and especially new routes, because despite the gargantuan levels of idiocy required to mis-extrapolate that, some people really are that stupid - you know who you are).

So far, so unsurprising. Also unsurprising is that I promote the former in a "spirit of the law, not letter of the law" sort of way. It's all about the experience - the best, most rewarding, most honest, most true-to-self, experience. There's lots of potential nitty gritty about the ethics - or style, if anyone gives a flying belay-ledge-shit about that linguistic distinction - that roughly codify that experience. Lots of potential UKC "Peak vs Peaks"-style cure-for-insomnia pedant-debates about "if a mate throws up a cam you've forgotten, is it onsight?", "if you downclimb to a rest ledge and take your shoes off to rest your feet is it onsight?", "if you ab down, wirebrush the fuck out of it and preplace the gear, but you'd shot a testtube of crack into your ringpiece* before doing so, is it still onsight?" etc etc (* - nb a prerequisite for taking part in such debates).

In fact it's a grey area, with the shades of grey being fairly obvious to anyone with half a brain who gets that experience. But still they are many and varied and shades and sometimes one gets strange results...

Take a climber. He has just climbed a cool bold route. He abseils down to strip the spaced gear as his partner doesn't fancy seconding it (the same partner that despite being a much better climber neglected to mention that he had previously been rescued of a rest ledge on his attempt ahem). On the way down he casually glances across at an adjacent much harder route, spying the crucial mid-crux RP placement and noting that it seems good, as does a sporadic hold. He doesn't test the size, pull on the holds, nor attempt any sequences - a literal quick look. Yet so much crucial information is revealed that would make a massive difference to the confidence in climbing it. Enough of a different experience so of course he walks away, does a couple of boulder problems, and drives home.

(That was me, doing Pillar Of Judgement, and looking at Judge Dredd at The Nth Cloud)

Take a climber. He's at a crag choosing a route. He looks at his friend's guidebook and picks a mild testpiece. He sets off from the bottom, pulls on some holds, places some gear, works out some moves, cranks through a pushy bulge, reaches the top. All good honest fun. Except when he comes to "tick" the route in his own, battered and abused, guidebook, he notices the shock of "X - PF" . He's previously failed on the route, presumably pumping out and not committing on the crux bulge, presumably slumping and lowering off the gear. He has been there, on those holds, placing that gear, pulling those moves. But not only can he not remember enough to constitute any prior knowledge, he couldn't even remember having tried and failed at all. He calmly rubs out the cross and replaces it with a tick.

(That was me, doing The Prophet at Cummingston)

What does it - all this 3rd person verbosity - all mean?? It means that the concept of the retro-flash, the amnesia-point, letting the onsight grow back, is very real. And if you're honest with yourself, and have genuinely forgotten any prior knowledge that could change the journey, the experience is very real. Honesty is the key, as is forgetfulness - I seem to do okay at both.

This relates to my current situation insofar as I'm back down somewhere where I've previously climbed a lot, and thus as a cowardly punter naturally previously failed a lot. Dividing my existence into pre-Scottish-exile and post-escape-from-the-frozen-North, there is an elegant decade gap between climbing and failing back then and climbing and failing now. Thus my 10 year moratorium - if I failed on it in my previous incarnation, I almost certainly can't remember anything useful, so it is fair game in the spirit of the ethical law.

Bring on the retro-flashes!

The Novelty Wears Off

I make that 24 days now...

1. Min Pistyll & Llechau Mawr with Helen
2. Y Grisau with Magpie
3. Craig Y Merched with Coel
4. Y Foel Penolau with Emma
5. Ffridd & Moelfre with Emma
6. Col Crag with Tezza T and Coel
7. Ramp Crags & Foel Wen with Coel
8. Graig Isa with Pylon Kunt
9. Foel Wen & Colonel Jones Wall with PK, Stannerz and Jerry
10. Foel Wen with PK
11. Y Grisau & Llechau Mawr with PK and PeteJH
12. Father's Day Crag with PK and TT
13. Crawcelt on my own
14. Clip with Smelly Fox
15. Craig Bodlyn on my own
16. Craig Swn Y Nant with PK
17. Carreg Fawr with PK and TT (who got us hopelessly lost)
18. Llawlech with PK, Stannerz and TT
19. Ysgor Y Gwn with TT
20. Two Tower area with TT, PK, and Stannerz
21. Craig Bodlyn with PK
22. Bwchan Woodland Crag with PK and TT
23. Craig Galch with Coel
24. Carreg Y Saeth with Coel and Purkle

Maybe one can have too much of a good thing?? Even when it looks this good...

I was pleasantly accosted in the Ynys Etws CC hut the other week by various people who either knew me as "that Fiend guy off UKC" (no no, I'm his twin brother and not nearly as much of a complete arsehole) or had actually read this blog or both. Which was nice - good chat! During the course of the conversation on ethics, exploration, and everything, the sentence cropped up "no offence but I'm not sure I'd entirely trust your word on particular routes....". Honestly. Really! I was mortified. As if my route / crag judgement isn't entirely objective and scientifically accurate??

After all, what clearer indication of a climber's sanity and judgement than spending 24 days total climbing in The Rhinnogs, 22 of which were after extensive DVTs and most of which were while being based in Scotland?? Swerving past the reliable accessible honeypots of the Pass and Tremadog, dragging friend and foe through boulders and bilberries for the promise of some 10m hollow-starred hidden gem that Martin bloody Crocker soloed in the rain after shunting and then completely misgraded without the slightest concern for what it would actually be like for the mid-grade leader?? Exemplary evidence of a balanced perspective, surely...

In my actual defence, I do know when esoteric is esoteric, and it sometimes looks like this...

But the Rhinnog novelty might be wearing off. It was cool to explore there yet again, stumbling through heather, downgrading previously unrepeated Leo Houlding routes, etc. But the crags were a bit uncouth compared to some of the genuine gems I'd visited previously, and the feel of the rock and climbing was a bit less exciting. This may or may not have something to do with Carreg Y Saeth (above) having the worst crag base I've ever been to in those hills, and one of the worst sandbags - on the apparently solid-starred Koh-I-Noor, which must have been "confirmed" by someone either 6'6" or who thinks that Font 6B bloc is a standard finish to an E3. It also may have something to do with running out of appealing places to explore. Looking forward, Mur Y Tonnau, Y Clawydd and Craig Morwynion look amazing on paper but their Northerly aspect guarantees lichen, a plan to downgrade all of Williams & Kerr's 5m HVS at Cefn Cam has already be done by Tezza T who might be putting them in his bouldering guide, and errr, that's it?? I might be tempted by a return to the genuinely excellent Y Foel Penolau and maybe a solo recce along the ridge near Clip... Maybe TT will reveal some reliable gems. Maybe PK will persuade me to some wire brush nu-routing after he's had a good session belaying me on the Lleyn.

But maybe it's time to head back to somewhere legitimately great. Like The Range, of course...

Craig Galch

A little Rhinnogs outlier update for you...

Craig Galch 
(pp 359 of Meirionydd guide)
A crag with a lot going for it on paper: open, sunny, quick drying, with a nice crag base, impressive rock architecture and a exceptional view over the estuary right down to Harlech Castle. But... There's not many climbs, the rock is a variable flakey quartzite sort that might preclude further development, and the approach is potentially arduous. Expect a combination of Rhinnogs atmosphere and mini-Gogarth/Lleyn climbing.
Approach:
Cross the bridge from Penrhyn, turn left on the A496 and park carefully at the second entrance on the right with a rusty iron gate. Follow this rough track through the woods as it steeply zig-zags up the the lone cottage (friendly residents if in-situ). The crag is obvious due North, the approach less so. Go through the two cottage gates, turn left, and follow a grassy "peninsula" into the boggy-looking plain, aiming towards the crag. At the ferny left end of the peninsula, cut across the bog towards a cluster of small trees to pick up a faint path through the opposite ferns. Follow this over a low wall then onto a heathery ridge towards the crag. Go over a notch in a wall and cross a small boggy valley, then follow the hillside on the left, below an obvious buttress (unclimbed crack and arete, flakey rock) and contour around to the main crag.
0.8 miles, 25 mins, 150m alt gain, good track then some tussocks and ferns, potential bog.

Left Buttress
Bat Capers E3 5c 15m
Now defunct due to hanging death fang at final roof.
Bat Attack E3 5c 15m
Now defunct due to obvious rock fall at final roof.

Main Crag
Large and full of all sorts of weird angles.
Descent: Scramble to the top and descend easy gullies / slopes to the right (facing in).

First The Worst E4 5c 25m
Line is not obvious. It appears to be a thin flake in the sidewall of the corner left of FRZ??
Frank Zappa RIP E3 5c *** 25m
The giant central alcove provides an excellent route with some creative contortions.
1. 5c 17m Ascend easy rubble to the alcove, then bridge up the corner past a bulge to some respite at the roof. Perform a counter-intuitive insertion into the hanging slot out left and pop out to a fine belay to witness the second's shenanigans.
2. 5b 8m Tiptoe rightwards along the hanging slab to an exposed au cheval position and better gear on the arete, then crank straight up to finish. Spike belay well back.
(Down to E3 5c as it is indeed shockingly easy)
Kneebar of Eternal Justic E5/6 6a ** 25m
Line makes sense according to description, joining SE briefly at the ledge and good flake before a direct finish.
Subservient Elephant E1 5b ** 25m
A fine sea-cliff adventure weaving up the sidewall to gain the same exciting FZR finish. Good positions and excellent rope-drag potential. Start just right of FZR and climb the bulging groove above an inconvenient hawthorn to gain a break/ledge at 7m leading left. Follow this to a good flake and swing up and left to the FZR shelf (possible belay). Take a deep breath and teeter out right to finish up the arete, as for FZR.
(Down to two stars as although the positions and finish are fine, the rock is a bit crude and climbing disjointed)
Fearsome Worrier E1 5b ** 25m
Line is not obvious. It appears to go direct from SE's left to the roof, move right and maybe tackle the incredibly obvious but unmentioned groove above??

 Subservient Elephant

Subservient Elephant (also the finish of FRZ)