UKC

hi,
am heading up to pen-y-pass in a week or so in the hope of some snow being there.
if theres not, any recommendations on easy rock routes in the pass that are ok if a bit wet?

cheers
ross

In reply to ross duffield:

Crackstone Rib is an excellent Severe, and shouldn't be too bad with a bit of wetness around.

In reply to ross duffield:

'Flying Buttress': Dinas Cromlech. 'Nuff said!

H.D.

In reply to ross duffield: My two all-time favorites are Shadow Wall on Carreg Wastad and Nea on Clogwyn Y Grochan. The former is Hard Severe, the latter Severe. Even in the wet they are very rewarding climbs.

In reply to chopkins: Nea is now graded VS since the top pitch fell down you have to do the last pitch of Spectre 4c

In reply to ross duffield: Flying buttress on the Cromlech is nice. A favourite summer day out used to be Flying Butress, followed by Crackstone Rib and then Nea. However I doubt that many of the routes would be as much fun in the wet. Far better to head to Tremadog where it should be drier and milder. Or do the Snowdon Horseshoe a nice mountain day out. Enjoy

In reply to hugedyno:

Spiral Stairs is as good.

In reply to ross duffield:

Main Wall is a nice HS in the Pass. Not sure about in the wet though.

If it's wet I'd be inclined to go over to Ogwen and do something on Milestone Buttress. Rowan route, Pulpit route or Milestone direct.
If it's minging I'd do Lockwoods Chimney near Cwm Dyli on Snowdon.

In reply to ross duffield:

Another idea for a wet day in the Pass is Clogwyn y Person Arete. In the dry its a grade 2/3 scramble. In the wet it becomes a multi-pitch adventure climb. Allow plenty of time.

In reply to ross duffield: Personally I wouldn't choose to have a go at Main Wall or Nea or Crackstone Rib in the wet (too serious!), and even Flying Buttress and Spiral Stairs might be a bit tricky. Flake Chimney and Flake Traverse are two really good little Diffs with good holds on Dinas Bach (south side of The Pass - park at Cromlech layby, then walk back up the road about 500 yards then directly up the hillside).

In reply to Marc C: Agree with Alison - Parson's Nose(Diff) is a good exposed route that 'goes' in most conditions.

In reply to chopkins:

Since when was Shadow Wall Hard Severe? As far as I know it has been a quite full weight VS even since it was put up, and certainly since my first Llanberis North guidebook (1964). I don't think it would be at all straightforward /'rewarding' in the wet!

In reply to Marc C:

Yes, Parson's Nose and Flake Traverse would both be OK in wet conditions, and Flying Buttress fairly straightforward.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth: Yeah shadow wall is a proper VS. Great route though.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

Pre modern protection wasn't Shadow Wall given VS (hard)?

I stayed off it for quite a time after a climbing friend died on it about 1958. It was full on VS then, as hard as Lion which others think hard.

In reply to sutty:

It was one of my first VS leads in 1968 and I found it very hard. Very nearly fell off the third mantelshelf.

In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

That was where Eric fell from, and only one line runner on that failed.
I had been in Langdale with him two weeks before at Whit and told him to go steady. The confidence of youth.

In reply to sutty:

Watched Joe Brown doing Shadow Wall about 3 years ago, when I was gearing up for Crackstone Rib. He was up it like a rat up a drainpipe...quite breathtaking for nearly 70.