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.

Idwal Slabs - Ordinary Route

Back at Idwal Slabs on Ordinary Route learning to lead.

Wales - Learning to Lead

Nik and Carolyn have already completed a days "introduction to climbing outside" in the Lakes and are now on a weekend "learning to lead" in Snowdonia. By moving to different parts of the country they learn skills whilst experiencing different venues and rock types.

Here they're climbing on Milestone Buttress in the Ogwen Valley. A wonderful crag not too far from the road but with an unusual feature - climb here when the RAF are practicing low flying in the mountains and you could be surprised by a jet flying past below you - it's quite unnerving at times.

They've already booked a weekend later in the year so after practicing what they've learnt these days they can build more skills and confirm their practice period.