Smiler Cuthbertson - Mountain Guide

May Rock Pt II. 11^th - 18^th

 

 

 

With Dave out of action because of his damaged hand and fingers, I chilled out for a couple of days  (11^th & 12^th) with Nick and other CC members in our hut in the pass, and with my family in Llanberis.

On Wednesday (13^th), I would meet Steve and have a day’s climbing with him.

The weather was still poor and the crags still hadn’t dried out so Tremadog was still the best bet for some good climbing. Sure enough, we drove into a now-drying car park and settled down over coffee for half an hour, before heading out toward decidedly drying rocks.

Grim Wall (4a, 4C) was a good opener for Steve, but Merlin Direct (4C 4c) proved an even better and more enjoyable climb for him. The final slanting crack proved difficult for Steve, so I lowered him back down to the ‘resting spot’ so that he could ‘do it again and properly this time’.

 

 

Steve’s second attempt was perfect. “It’s just how you hold your mouth!”

Parting with Steve later that afternoon, I made my way to New Brighton and to my sister-in-law’s house, where the following morning (14^th), I’d drive from and return to Manchester, drop my car off and meet David on the incoming Inverness plane.

We picked up the hire car at 9am and were soon back in Llanberis and storing the bags in the twin room above Pete’s Eats, our chosen accommodation until the following Tuesday morning. Pete offers basic accommodation but it’s very comfortable, and only a short hop downstairs in a morning for breakfast, plus the super meals in the evenings. David vowed next time we’d try a ‘Big Jim’!

Free use of the computers upstairs in the lounge was another great bonus. A superb place, well done and thanks, Pete.

Everywhere was still wet on the climbing front. We reasoned it might not be our week this time. But we still had Tremadog, and it beckoned us today, as it did on each of the following four days.

Ticking off routes that David had not done before was becoming a slight problem, especially with the dampness on the crags. Routes were getting chosen that were harder each day and I felt it was getting me ready for a trip the following week, up north.

We managed good selections day after day, and on our first day at Tremadog, we climbed the superb Meshach (HVS 5a) and the even more exhilarating Scratch Arête ( HVS 4c, 5a) on Pant Ifan. David enjoyed the ‘most fallen-off move at Tremadog’, and going over the roof on pitch 2 was a really great move.

 

 

On day 2, we made an early diversion to do the traverse of Carreg Hyll-Drem (HVS 4c, 4b, 4b, 4c) where this route remains dry except for the final, committing move onto slime and grass - a little worrying!

 

 

 

 

Our  return back to Tremadog after the diversion gave the opportunity to climb The Fang (5a, 5b) in the afternoon, the awkward and overhanging crack giving access to the groove under

the Fang itself. Water was soaked with my beer mat from the crucial bridging hold on the left wall before I committed myself up to the undercut and around the corner. The slab was a sheer delight, as always! David agreed and was really having fun!

We decided to sample a much-missed out crag on day 3 - Craig y Gesail. Having talked to Steve about the crag, (he was re-writing the section for his new Climbers’ Club guidebook to the whole of Tremadog and surrounding areas), and I therefore had a good picture of the routes on this fine crag, after what seemed like over thirty years of absence.

Princess (Hard Severe 4a, 4c) (I remembered it well) was still excellent, even though the ‘slatey’ start didn’t inspire. Touch and go (Very severe 4c, 5a) was much better, a tricky traverse on pitch 1 out of the roof, and a really great top pitch, the route well worth its star rating.

 

Day 4 saw us back in the cafe and the required coffees, before all looked drier outside. I returned to Valarie’s Rib (HS) after, again, thirty years, and marvelled at its superb slabby climbing after the more tricky start, which actually I found easier than ever before. So there ARE good holds when you want them?

Another great classic from my days living in Llanberis and climbing at Tremadog so many times in the past was Striptease (VS 5a, 4b) .

This was simply fantastic, huge and bold layback moves over roofs on great holds with a terrific protection. The Jackdaws seemed to recognise me, maybe?

 

Day 5 was a real let-down. Heavily raining in Llanberis, we chose to go down to Tremadog a little later than usual, and paid a visit, via a very misty and cloudy Llanberis pass, to Capel Curig, to Joe’s shop, scanning all the gear, the guidebooks, the whole contents went under scrutiny.

By the time we left Capel, SNOW had covered the top and north face of Snowdon, a surreal sight in May!

Continuing down to Tremadog, we could see things weren’t improving. One coffee later we darted for the car, saying our farewells to Eric, and headed for Ogwen where a blustery and damp walk around the lake gave us some nice exercise before heading back to Manchester.

The weather had for once prevented me from my annual visit to Gogarth, and once again David couldn’t get to a much-wanted climb on Cloggy. However, they’ll still be there next time!

 

Smiler

18^th May

 

 

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