UKC

We planned on doing Flytrap (E3 5c) on Gogarth. I did the cave pitch but it seems not the right one judging by peoples comments on the route. I went up the damp ramp from the low belay inside the cave all the way to the far end of the cave, then stepped around a bulge, then traversed back along the other side of the cave at the roof level, pitch black - done by headtorch, sustained 5b/c I would say, green but mostly dry and definitely loose in places, with good but spaced gear (until about 7m short of the belay where it ran out so potential big fall for second). Eventually leading to a short down climb to the belay at the cave mouth. Was this In the Next Room (E3 5c)?

In reply to philhilo:
Did you come onto the chockstone ledge/belay from below via a fairly wild couple of moves past the remains of an old rotten peg?

It's definitely not a downclimb to the belay

In reply to philhilo:

It's a long time ago, but my recollection is that having traversed into the back of the cave (on the right wall, looking in) you then change direction and set off climbing back out on a rising line. But you don't change sides. You are still climbing on the right wall (looking in).

Neil

In reply to Neil Foster:

No, you definitely don't change sides.

In reply to JR:

No, came onto chockstone from above having done full circuit of the cave, in on the right, out on the left. No wild moves just sustained traversing, pretty serious position.

In reply to philhilo:

Yeh it's not flytrap Phil.

From the belay in the base of the groove you just go straight up the groove, it trends slightly left higher up but even at the point where you reach the traverse line back right you're only a couple of metres left of the belay. The traverse line back right is obvious having gone this way and not at the height of the roof of the cave but a few metres below this below a steepening in the wall. The traverse is easy till the end when you're just below and left of the chockstone. Wild moves on poor jugs rightwards leaves you hanging on to the chockstone possibly cutting loose in the process, and then a frantic mantel on to the chockstone to finish the pitch. Solid rock all the way.

Don't know what you did do..

Hi Tim, I saw you had done it recently. Definitely not Flytrap, went a full 10-15m into the back of the cave, and pretty serious, but very good. A couple of very old dead wires in the roof indicated I was not the first to go that way, and it was an obvious line (assuming you could see it in the dark).

Any N Wales locals been into the back of the cave?

In reply to philhilo:

I have, but can't think for the life of me how you would have ended up on the left hand side of the cave...

All the routes over on that side are pretty hard/uncompromising (Shadowy World of the Nemotode/Ultraviolet Exterminator etc...) and from having sat on that chockstone for several hours whilst attempting the Flytrap Roof (E5 6a) I've never noticed an easy line high up across that side. The Porcelain Arena (E6 6b) goes somewhere around that region but I've never really figured out where, plus it's a highly unconventional George Smith E6 that you're unlikely to stray onto this in the name of finding the easiest line!

In the Next Room (E3 5c) comes in from the outside (as per Bury My Knee (E5 6b)), hence if you went into the back of the zawn it couldn't have been that.

Anyhow, all that rambling aside I am at a loss of where you went (but absolutely fascinated to find out) - any pictures?

In reply to philhilo:

With the very large caveat that I've never actually been in there, a perusal of the guide suggests that the latter half of your journey - ie the traverse out at roof level from the back of the cave to the chockstone - might possibly coincide with the 10m 5c second pitch of The (aforementioned) Porcelain Arena.

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing: Hi Rob, Flytrap Roof does look very good, and definitely on the to do list. I have marked the line we did on this pic from UKC:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i2lyk67yvr2f7hi/Untitled.jpg?dl=0

The line carries on from where the climber is stood up the right hand side of the cave till it is visible on the pic, then the top of the pic must be almost back at the chockstone which is where the traverse ends. The higher section of the cave narrows down at the back so the ramp on the right ends and the way is blocked by a juggy lower section of the roof. A few committing moves around this gets you sat on the opposite side up under the roof. Then traverse delicately back towards the chockstone sometimes jamming in the roof crack, sometimes dropping down a few moves, sometimes disposing of holds. Very Preposterous Tales in nature - but more technical, looser and sustained. Climbing not hard, but falling off not advisable as its all going to get very difficult or painful, especially as your second may swing into the inside face of the chockstone as the gear in the last 5m is psychological only! E3 5c in comparison to PP?

In reply to Ian Parsons: That sounds interesting, is that the new guide?

In reply to philhilo:

Wow, that looks bloody amazing - good effort.

It's probably one that will have to wait until next year now, but I too would love to go back to Flytrap Zawn . Will have to take a look at this route when I do.

In reply to philhilo:

It's in the 2008 Ground Up Gogarth North edition. Pitch 1 (E6 6b) seems to take a vaguely diagonal line up across the left wall, starting near the cave entrance and finishing at a belay up under the roof somewhere (presumably) in the depths at the back. Maybe it climbs through some of the ground in the left side of the photo you put up. Could the dead wires have been at a possible belay? Did they have krabs? - the traverse back out towards daylight sounds like the sort of place where you might want to rig a backrope for the second.

In reply to Rob Greenwood - UKClimbing:

Give me a shout when you do - Phil is my usual partner in crime for madcap adventures like this but he's done it now...

Oh and they did it with one head torch because Masa didn't take his!

In reply to Ian Parsons: The wires weren't in a belay location, 2/3 way along the traverse back to the chockstone, no krabs and rusted to the point of the wire snapping when I pulled on them. A back rope for the second would be a good idea in future but I guess it would mean leaving some gear in the back of the cave. Seems like a pretty good link up and an obvious line. I will have to find the Ground Up guide to see if the line/description matches up.