UKC

I managed to gibber and shake my way up this excellent, albeit rather soft, E2 at Tremadog yesterday.

I was just wondering if anyone knew where the gear that backs up the peg is? The guidebook says there are cams and wires out right.

I stood for ages next to that peg looking for runners, before commiting to the ramp. The only thing I found was a poor cam down and left by my feet.

Has anyone done this route and found the gear which backs up the peg?

It's a great route, but the gear is above and around the peg is rather pokey and not massively inspiring.

I'd say very soft E2 is fair.

It would be quite a different proposition if the peg wasn't there.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Well, I've done the route Tom, but I can't even visualise it now, let alone the peg. What's the peg like? Would it make a better E4 without it? Or is it better at soft E2 with it? Could it be replaced. Should it be replaced?

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

I've just looked at the database and it's given HVS, though it seems to have been voted E1...?

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

I always thought it was HVS in the guides I used.

(Is it to become the new TPS??)

;~))

In reply to jon:

It is on the far right hand side of Bwlch y Moch near boo boo


It looks in poor condition and is at least two body length above the last good runner. I don't think it would come out without snapping.

If the peg was bomber the route would probably only be hard HVS/ easy E1.

If the peg wasn't there at all it would deffo be E2 as you have to commit to 5b moves a long way above gear.

Anyway, does anyone know where the runner mentioned in the new guide are?

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:
At the risk of sounding like an old codger, I can't believe this is E2! It was always a tough HVS and didn't obviously stand out as being a "stopper" at that grade when I was working my way up. I can't remember any fixed gear though so maybe things have changed if crucial pegs are old /gone.

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Hi, this may not be that helpful. I did this route a few times in the 80's we always thought it was HVS???

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Overgraded I think, E1 would be a fair grade for this route, done the route many times but, have never backed the peg up!

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

Aye - it used to be HVS. I think the difficulty has much to do with your centre of balance - my mate could stand easily in a certain spot whereas I was teetering. Never E2

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide: Tom, I've done this a couple of times, twas always an unsung gem, it used to get E1, went up to E2 because you have to rely on the peg, and the last good gear is already behind you as you found out.
I think the runner mentioned is the stuff you've already left behind Tom, which I agree is kind of useless once you're away from the peg.

In reply to chummer: I think there is an rp by the peg?

In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:

I only got around to doing this last year having overlooked it on many previous visits. If it's any consolation I thought it was very reliant on a now poor peg to protect the slightly blind and sketchy start to the ramp. The climbing does turn out to be steady but from what I recall the peg is well past it's 'best before' date and it felt somewhat trying to stay and place what back-up gear there was (nothing good?).

Having said that, I did Geronimo on the same day and I thought that would have been better described as a 'bold' rather than 'enjoyable' E2 (reliant on poor v.small cams and rp's), but others disagree...

Was probably not manning up well that w/end..?

In reply to Ian Milward:

The picture in the previous guide got me inspired to do it. I always thought that the name was a kind of play on "Choss" until a welsh friend said that the three routes on that part of the crag are 'Blood', 'Sweat' and 'Tears'. Can't remember which one Chwys is - but I remember it feeling like pretty steady E1 territory and would be a real soft touch E2.

In reply to GrahamD: Here's a quick Welsh translation:
Blood - Gwaed
Sweat - Chwys
Tears - Dagrau