Welsh Wilderness Grit
By Steve Swygart
Next time you are at the hut, but are homesick for grit, why not try some of the Welsh version? I can assure you that the views will be infinitely better (but then again, maybe I'm biased?), there won't be any queues, and certainly no damned top-ropers. In fact, if these routes were in the Peak, you'd never get on them!
Take one Meirionydd guidebook and turn to page 363 for the Craig y Merched section. Follow the description of how to get there, noting that the road up to Afon Cwm-mynach is quite narrow and steep. After you have left the car and followed the track into the forest, the blighters have cut some of it down from the moment the route up leaves the forest track to the crag. Don't make the mistake of reaching Rhino Buttress then immediately trying to drop down to find Three Pillar Crag; it's much further over than the photo depicts. Allow 40-45 minutes to reach the climbs.
Rock quality on the whole is top class. The outlook from the crags is spectacular; heather upland wilderness abounds all around, with a fine green valley full of trees stretching out below; idyllic and serene. (Ed. With a visit in 2005 in superb weather, I'll endorse this).
The Crags
It's a toss-up as to which of the above is the best crag. Rhino Buttress is more like a cross between a gritstone edge and Tremadog, with small intricate slabby sections cut with roofs; cams are de rigeur here. Three Pillar Crag is more like climbing on conventional rock in somewhere like The Pass, good jugs and edges abound. Lower Crag I won't mention for reasons that are obvious by reading the guide, and North Walls lie down and left of Three Pillar Crag, through a small stand of pine trees.
North Walls: only a couple of routes of interest here. These are The Gadgie (E2 5b**) and The King of Sunset Town (HVS 5a*) (Ed: Pretty good but tough for HVS,), which both look good but end up somewhat short on the gear front; additionally, they need a bit of gardening. The four routes detailed on the walls in the aforementioned pine trees didn't inspire me to unfurl the rope.
Three Pillar Crag: some great lines here. The first two routes listed start from a heathery ledge, which snakes up and left from the small pillar of rock at the foot of the crag. This seems dirty, unprotected and problematical to access, so we didn't bother. However, this is not really necessary as the good stuff starts right here. Alien (HVS 5a*) is a super route, with a somewhat contrived start to gain a peg (hammered into the only crack visible in the wall), which wouldn't stop you from blatting yourself against the large block mentioned if you fell from above it. From this, sprint upwards to gain some curious pockets (good Friend 2 here) below the dubious flake, which you can feel creaking away as you pull on it. The good layback edge isn't that good, but it is positive enough on a long reach to get you on slightly easier ground above the overhang. Having had a rest, move up to the amazingly thin spike and wrap a tape around it several times, before sketching up the technical slab to the top. Worth two stars in my book!
Another good route is Magic Mushroom (E1 5b**), which looks like it should be at Pembroke! This provides intricate and delicate climbing with enough protection on a classic line, which is more striking than the picture in the guide suggests. A nicely positioned lower grade route appears just around the next edge; Sunset Arête (V.Diff*), which has a loose spike half-way up, and is not overly endowed with gear. One for a steady leader, I think. There is even an unsung VS here; Bleating About The Bush at VS 4c provides steep, juggy but well protected and satisfying climbing, and is worth a star, I would think. Belays are not fantastic on the top of this crag; mainly small wires and ingenuity required.
Rhino's Buttress: More like what you would understand by the term "grit crag", although some of the routes are better than that, if you see what I mean. On the left of the crag are some steep and bold slab routes that are quite short are seem to be lacking generally in line. Zig-Zag (HS) is disjointed and only has one move of note. Horn of Plenty (VS 4b) is a strange offering; it appears to climb a corner, but I found myself climbing on the left arête of it in the main, which provided some excitement! Gear placement required initiative, I seem to recall.
Now we're are getting to it. Endangered Species (VS 4c*) feels like those limestone slabs on the Blanca, with so many crozzly pockets for fingers and feet that you can never make up your mind which are the biggest and best ones to use. Gear is not an issue here, due to the crack that the line follows. The big hitters follow on. Velvet Revolutions (VS 4c*) is a superb route; worth 3 stars surely. Breaking out right on a technical slab from the previous route, it traverses up and into a slot in the roof. Fortunately, the gear is good as you udge up into this slot and sling a chockstone before fighting your way through the constricting roof with a good dose of exposure for such a small crag.
An even better version of this type of route is found next up with Rhino's Corner (VS 5a**). The initial corner proves awkward with sparse gear, but careful bridging will see you up it. Further bridging with good gear lead to the roof and an intimidating position. Here is where you will need lots of cams and courage; it can't possibly go out there at this grade?..or can it? Place your cams and crank outwards and upwards. Keep going upwards and rightwards; fortune favours the brave! It's quite exposed, but unlikely as it seems, it does go at the grade and is well worth three stars!
Upper Craig y Merched: This seems great when you read the descriptions and look at the pictures, but trying to find it from the book is a nightmare. If you follow the description, you come across a buttress that looks exactly like the one in the picture, but has far easier versions of the same routes?spooky! Maybe I'll walk back up there to claim them when I go next! The real crag is well over to the right of the top of Rhino's Buttress (about 30 mins walk) and the crag is prone to seepage and looks as though the holds have been put on upside down. Not exactly as it looks in the photos!
So there you have it; some of the better Welsh grit crags described for your edification. Take a visit in the spring sunshine, you won't regret it!
Steve Swygart, Welsh Correspondent.
(Ed. Though Steve is no longer a member, Roger D applied the thumbscrews, obtaining this article - thanks Steve!)
