Ty Powdwr Bank Holiday 75th Anniversary meet

A weekend of climbing, walking, scrambling, eating, drinking, socialising and if there is a good enough turnout then dancing in the lounge to all the old faves on Saturday evening from 9.30pm.

Food: Bring your own generally. For Saturday sign up on the add me and /or email Andy and Jo by the 1^st May and on Saturday evening simple catering will be provided for a modest cost price charge: A Veg Chilli and Meat Chilli with suitable accompaniments and some sort of desert. Those with skills in desert making are welcome to contribute cakes, pies etc. Please let us know.

Walking: There will be a group walk / scramble on the Saturday and/or Sunday – details nearer the time according to interest and weather.

Climbing: On whichever of the Saturday or Sunday has the better weather forecast, then this year the crag I’m aiming to go to is one of the tallest mountain crags in Wales – Lliwedd – hopefully it will have been dry for the previous day or two.

The crag is steeped in history, having been the favoured training ground for the early pioneers of Everest days. I’ve done a nine pitch route and a twelve pitch route here before and it gives a very satisfying day out. On the eastern Buttress there are climbs at relatively amenable grades such as the wonderful Horned Crag (9 pitches, V Diff.)

Paradise/Black Arete (8 pitches, HS 4a), Terminator (5 pitches E1 5b) and The Sword / Route 2 (5 pitches - VS then VDiff) can all be finished up the fantastic 120m Terminal Arete (Diff) either moving together or pitching. Avalanche / Red Wall / Longlands (12 pitches S 4b) tops out on the summit.

On completion of either Terminator or The Sword/Route 2 (both finish part way up the massive crag!) it is possible to traverse across Great Terrace and finish up Red Wall / Longlands. Further along the crag Slanting Buttress Ridge is one of the very best easier routes (10 pitches, Diff) in Wales – 250 metres of exposed climbing finishing on one of the most photographed Aretes anywhere.  

We’ll be getting the early bus at 08.00 from Llanberis to Pen-y-Pass so we can get our choice of route(s). (this means leaving the hut at 07.30am!) This crag has its’ share of loose rock, and due to the slanting nature of the strata, the climbing is always interesting. Route finding can be a challenge although all the routes described see plenty of traffic and the belays are well worn on most routes.

On finishing we can descend to Pen-y-Pass via Y Gribin (1) to Glaslyn and get the bus back or if we’ve made good time on the routes and have energy to spare ascend from Glaslyn to Bwlch Coch then along Crib Y Ddysgl (1) to Carnedd Ugain summit and descending the pleasant easy Cwm Glas Spur (1-) back to the Pass and a bus from the RAC boulders or a walk back to the hut through the quarries.

Alternative Climbing

As a possible alternative day out (or one for an easier day)..... I’d suggest Clogwyn yr Oen in the central Moelwyn range near Blaeneau Ffestiniog, approx the same driving time (50 minutes) from TP as Tremadog or Holyhead/Gogarth. The hillside has several extensive crags listed in the (definitive) CC Merionnydd guidebook, and the new Rockfax has a limited selection of the best routes, which are at all grades, single pitch and multi pitch. It is usually pretty quiet and is definitely worth a visit and certainly will be less busy than all the usual venues.

Everyone is welcome for the whole weekend or just a day or two including prospective and associate members. Please be aware that the multipitch climbing on Lliwedd is not best suited to novices - please contact the meet leaders for a chat - there will be plenty of other options - not everyone will be going to Lliwedd!!

Members - please use the Add me function to register interest.