Snowdonia: 21st – 23rd

Disclaimer: Peate may have edited some of Ellie and Charlie's sections.

Saturday 22/11/14

Selfie game on point

Despite low committee numbers and threats of bad weather, the bus was psyched to get to climb on the Slate and in the Pass as it chased after Charlie and James in their cars. Dire weather and a somewhat malfunctioning bus resulted in some nerve wracking moments en route, but nothing a smooth talking Jim couldn't fix. On arrival at the NLMC hut in Capel Curig, we unpacked our bags in the cramped sleeping compartments to settle down for a beer and a perusal through the guide books; until someone exclaimed that it was late-o’clock at which point we slowly drifted off in the direction of bed.

As expected, we woke up to dark ominous cloud (once the sun had come up). Praising the impermeable, and subsequently quick drying, nature of slate we kept our hopes held high for a good day. Upon arrival Jim, Jake and SamNE got on some hard climbing on the lower tier, whilst the rest of went up to the Sidings to warm up on some gentle routes. These routes were very slimy in places, but Remy appeared unphased by the lack of friction. Ali got his climbing head back on so as to put up a rope for Aiden to get his feet wet on some slate. It later transpired that Remy had taken a ground fall from the second bolt, but landed directly onto his feet and was unharmed. Unfortunately the weather rolled in at this point and we debated the potential for more climbing. The decision was made that Jim and Ellie would lead a party of brave/naïve climbers on the Snakes & Ladders route around the Quarry, whilst James and I would take the other half of the climbers for a stroll in the pass.

Cyrn Lacs Hiking Party:

James and I joked that as long as we don’t admit to it, the others wouldn't realise that we didn't know where we were. We set off at a quick pace following the ‘faint path’, which in reality involved us slogging straight up the hill. Once the hill had levelled off we had a chilled lunch break under the shadow of Cyrn Las, and debated whether the Snakes & Ladders crew were still alive.. Keen to show off his new found ability to complete ‘hard winter ascents’, James Thyng lead us off up the ridge to the right of Cyrn Las for a mild scramble. However after a brief chat with a hardy mountain couple, we decided to descend the way we came so as to avoid being caught out in the dark (to get a cuppa from Pete's Eats) 

Ellie/Charlie’s description of Snakes & Ladders:

UKC describes this route as ‘not a conventional climbing experience’ and that it certainly is! It takes you through the enigmatic world of the quarries with amazing names such as ‘Hades’ and ‘Mordor’, up rusty ladders and through dark dripping tunnels. While the route took us through the depths of the Dinorwic quarry and its history, Jim gave us a guided tour of the climbing history and the many awesome and hard routes.

So Jim lead us off though the tunnel above Dali’s hole, then skirting around the first of the deep pits ‘Hades’, we found ourselves in ‘California’. There I lead up a giant rusting chain to the next tunnel, but just then the rain set in good and proper resulting in only Josh and Jake managing to second it. The others skipped this section and we three abseiled down to meet them back above Dali’s hole.

The route then took us through a secret tunnel – ‘doesn’t count if you use a head-torch’ - where you can see the old train tracks. We then scrambled around ‘Australia’ and up a very sketchy pile of loose slate scree… so much loose!... to a series of rusty ladders. Some of these looked less suspect than others, but it was simply best not to consider what was keeping them from falling down! Each ladder seemed to get worse than the last, with some missing several rungs, some attached at the top even less than others and some that required a big step across to the next ladder in mid-air!

All happy to be alive we emerged at the top of the quarries to explore the old miners huts where tattered clothes hang on the wall and boots still remain abandoned from when the miners left. Having ascended all the ladders, the snakes were still to come in the form of abseils deeper and deeper into the slate pits. Down ‘The Heaven Walls, into the depths of ‘The Lost World’ and ‘Mordor’ we found some truly forgotten and otherworldly places. Cave entrances far up the rock face, incredible rock colours, hidden miner’s huts, bits of hanging metal, silence and strange echoes, we really experienced the awesomeness of the slate quarries. Our adventure ended in a contemplation of ‘The Bridge of Doom’; a recently (and thankfully) collapsed train line suspended in mid-air.

Back to Peate

That night one of out French expats Marie thought she would share her culture with us by cooking up the largest quantity of crepes I've ever witnessed. ULMC proved that they can be a classy bunch by garnishing their crepes with cream and smoked salmon. We settled down for the evening to play a game lead by our host Marie. Having not been on  a meet yet this term, an excitable James Thyng rudely quizzed said host as to "when does this game get fun?".

Sunday 23/11/14

Josh’s Slate Vignette

Having been rained off the previous day, Charlie and I were still psyched for slate, so we brought (dragged?) Maya, Aidan, Connor, Anthony and James along and got on it. We headed to the sidings to get warmed up on some of the shorter routes in the quarry, with everyone quickly dispatching the lower grades! Highlights of the morning included Charlie leading Choo Choo (5c) and Maya and I both ticking Sodor (6a), definitely an underrated route! Following an early lunch (at least for some of us, Connor wisely abandoned his tinned goop) psyche levels were high. Charlie and I headed down to Looning the Tube (HVS 5a), leaving Aidan in Maya's capable hands for his first lead whilst Connor continued his ticking spree with Anthony following.

 

Charlie on Clash of the Titans

Aiden on Sideline

Connor's goop....

Maya on Sodor

Loonin'

After an excellent outing on Looning the Tube (that chain...) with some great abseil photography from James, Charlie and I checked back in with the Sidings gang to find that Aidan, having crushed his first lead (Gordon, 4a), was already eyeing up a second whilst Connor and Maya were also scoping out some hard routes for the afternoon. Charlie and I left them to it, this time to do Clash of the Titans (6a), an atmospheric  40m route at the top of the quarry, with James making the most of the golden hour with another abseil photo session. We returned to discover hard sending all round, with Aidan having cruised his second lead as well (Sideline 4c, top effort!)whilst Maya ticked the Railway Children (6a) and Connor led Hogwarts Express (5c) with Anthony seconding in good style (get on a lead already!). After a swift pack up we dashed back to the cars in the fading light to meet the multipitchers in the pass, with psyche levels high for KFC on the way home.

                

Ellie’s Clogwyn y Grochan (Llanberis Pass) Vignette

Plodding up the scree to the Grochan, we kept glancing apprehensively upward at the rather wet looking crag. On closer inspection a few routes proved to be dry, although James seeked out one that wasn’t. While Jim and Jake dispatched Spectre HVS 5a (Jake’s first proper trad lead), and Sam, Joel and I got going on Phantom Rib VS 4b, James valiantly, if exceedingly slowly, scaled a very soggy first pitch of Nea VS 4b. He managed to have only just completed the first pitch as our team topped out at the second belay and Jim and Jake finished their entire route! However James it seemed was not having the best of luck, on top of the wetness (I heard things about water running down rock), he managed to go the wrong way, and when he eventually re-routed himself he arrived at the most microscopic of belay ledges. However he made do, setting up a cramped “homoerotic” (Peate, J. 2014) hanging belay. The next half an hour it got increasingly more cramped as Remy and then Ali joined him. Things got fairly intimate over there, while we sat on our spacious ledge laughing at them; Jim then abseiled down to join in the fun. ‘This is fucking awful’ Ali stated, unamused by the whole wet, cold, lengthy, and overcrowded affair. Things got a little better after that. Then they got a little worse when James dropped a Cam from the top pitch. They finally managed a successful top out of the third pitch at 3pm, a lengthy 5 hours after starting!

In the meantime Jake had lead Brant Direct HVS 5a with ease, and Jim Kaisergebirge Wall HVS 5b. Sam psyched me up to also lead Brant Direct, an awesome slightly overhanging groove which necessitated some funky shapes. I was psyched, and then speedily impressed as Joel rapidly seconded it clean with no apparent difficulty at all!

               

  Peate’s Carreg Wasted Vignette

Katie, Marie and Iteamed up to enjoy a day in the pass. We messed around racking up and spooling out the ropes in the saturated soil at the awkward belay point of Crackstone Rib. A nervous Katie eventually got on it, avoiding the first wet holds, whilst I tried to build moral in a cold, tired Marie. Katie got stuck into the traverse making swift progress as I unhelpfully pointed out gear placements, progress briefly slowed down as she calmly said “I’d really like some more gear”. However she pushed on and easily made the swing out onto the airy arête. Progress briefly slowed as Katie worked out the moves and the gear placement, again informing us that she was (understandably) ‘scared’. Despite this she focussed and made it to the ‘belay ledge’. Once I arrived at the ‘belay ledge’ it was obvious that this was a James Thyng style belay ledge as myself, Katie and Marie got somewhat cosy.

 I was next to lead off, which brought us to the actual belay ledge (‘ledge’ almost doesn’t indicate the size of it) and proceeded to tease Katie for not setting up at this point. The next pitch makes a somewhat intimidating traverse under a steep wall on jugs filled with water. I finished up the route and proceeded to bring Katie and Marie up, who were not impressed by the swing potential created by this traverse. On attempting to retrieve another of my awkwardly placed nuts, Marie dropped/ threw my nut key onto the belay ledge 15 metres below. A highly apologetic Marie topped out, whilst Katie and I swapped over so I could be lowered off to retrieve my belongings. All in all a good day out.