Climbing Improvers - Snowdonia

Matt and Neil have completed Scrambling, Climbing, and Winter Skills courses with me in the past but only Matt could make it for a 2-day "improvers" climbing session. The aim was to get maximum climbing in different venues, to improve Matt's confidence, gear placement, and ability to lead.

So, 2-days to get lots of climbing done......

We started at Idwal Slabs on Hope - V. Diff. This enabled Matt to get his head and body "warmed up" to climbing, and experience longer routes.

Next we were in the Moelwyns, above Blaenau Ffestiniog with beautiful views and the whistle of the narrow guage steam train passing below. Matt got used to the very different rock, and gear placements on Asahel - Severe. Then he led all 3 pitches of Africa Rib - V Diff.

Matt on the sharp end

Next was Milestone Buttress and Direct Route - V Diff  (WARNING - not easy, very polished, and more akin to many Hard Severe routes). Matt led the fine cracks on pitch 1 and, higher up, the challenging corner chimney.

Then we were off to Dinas Cromlech, the spectacular location of Cenotaph Corner in Llanberis pass, where we alternated leads on Spiral Stairs - V Diff; and Flying Buttress - V Diff.

Climb all these routes and you'll "bag" lots of stars and many routes from the book Classic Rock.

We managed to climb loads of areas and crags, with Matt experiencing a great variety of routes & developing his confidence and leading to much higher level that ever before.

He and Neil will be back in late July for another week-end of climbing.

Scrambling Expedition

Back out today with Dave & Nigel, we headed up to Borrowdale (after finding the early morning cafe in Keswick) with the intentio of getting maximum scrambling variety and distance; increasing the practice of yesterdays skills.

Dovesnest Crag is vey atmospheric and a place with lots of variety. But read the guidebook carefully, it is not a place to go wrong on.
Our first ascent took us through steep climbing ground by an intricate route, next we headed up the side and then on and over the grassy ridge to drop down to the base on Cam Crag Ridge in the next valley. This is a wonderful ridge with a variety of grades up it. We headed up and then followed the hillocky ridge back down past a group climbing on Glaciated Slabs. A long but very full day.

Grade 3 Scrambling on St Sunday Crag

We headed up Pinnacle Ridge today, it's a fantastic scramble. Dave & Nigel practiced finding the route in the guide book and we did some brief revision of scrambling rope work before heading up the route. As predicted the weather changed in teh early afternoon and it snowed! There was sufficient grauple for it to build up on backpacks but everyone enjoyed the day, with me stepping into the lead whenever concerns were raised.

I've been late with blogs but will try to add photos and more later.