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Tremadog a good place to do some seconding in June?

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Hello.

I am of to Plas Y Brenin in early June to do some seconding and hillwalking.

Since Tremadog as quite a low lying sun trap with short walk-ins....

Would Tremadog be a good crag to learn how to second on?

I am only planning to second o low grade routes.

I will also be doing some hillwalking

Sav

Post edited at 01:05
 birdie num num 27 May 2014
In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Tremadog has a wealth of great multi pitch routes in the severe to very severe range. Well protected and a diversity of moves and situations. So yes, a great place to learn.
 Lurking Dave 27 May 2014
In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Yes great place to learn, the multi pitch nature will add to the experience.

I would have thought that your PyB instructor will have some particular routes in mind so probably best not to start a tick list... one step, vector, Strawberries etc.

Cheers
LD
In reply to Mountain Spirit:

You can hardly imagine a better place on this planet (for the kind of climbing you're looking for).
 Offwidth 27 May 2014
In reply to Gordon Stainforth:
I can. It might be a bit hard and intimidating. Sawas is super keen on these forums but has he climbed anything outside yet? Id be thinking something like Little Tryfan might be a better start point.
Post edited at 10:22
In reply to Offwidth:

Oh COME ON!! Little Tryfan is scarcely climbing, and it's overshadowed in every way, and embarrassingly so, by its namesake.

Of course, the instructor/s at Play y Brenin might start the OP on that, and will most certainly give very good initial training. But I took it to be a question about what to do after that, to consolidate on what he's learnt there.
 Offwidth 27 May 2014
In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

The venue I'd chose would depend on the candidate. Given the history of posts here around Sawas I'd certainly be as cautious as possible initially and adapt if things went well (maybe walk over to Milestone). I helped run a club beginners trip to North Wales every November for a decade and those we chose to go to Little Tryfan or took on scrambles on other climbing crags almost certainly got much more out of that venue than other possible choices. The real world of beginners can be a long way from your ideal: worst case someone who told us he was a VS leader was wimpering up a grade II on second.
 Owen W-G 27 May 2014
In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Sun comes off Trem surprisingly early, from about 4 routes start going in the shade, particularly those east of Vector buttress (Mesach, Grim wall et al)
 Skyfall 27 May 2014
In reply to Mountain Spirit:
Hi there.

I'm guessing your instructor will assess your ability and talk to you about your preferences before you get to a crag, so don't worry overly.

Tremadog is a lovely place to climb and I'm sure you'd really enjoy the vibe of the place. There's even a really nice café just over the road which is a great place to have a cup of something and some food between routes. However, whilst the walk ins are short, the routes are quite long (being multi-pitch) and so your instructor might prefer to get you going on shorter single pitch routes elsewhere. But there are some easy'ish routes at Tremadog, with some classic Severes which are challenging enough for a beginner. There are even some slightly easier routes although they're not quite so classic. It's not so much the difficulty of the moves as the exposure being high up and keeping going over several pitches. They're amazing routes to do when your instructor thinks you are ready though.

Having said that, there are some single pitch routes on the upper tier at Tremadog, although with a longer approach and I'm not sure how easy or not they are.

PyB often visit Tremadog so your instructor will be the one to talk to about it when you get there. Have a great time!! It's my favourite place to climb and I have a bit of a connection with the place.
Post edited at 13:43
 Mick Ward 27 May 2014
In reply to Offwidth:

> Id be thinking something like Little Tryfan might be a better start point.

Totally agree (assuming the OP ever actually starts!)

I'd recommend Little Tryfan to an awful lot of people climbing outside for the first/second/third time. Yes, it's a little innocuous but it's fun, near the road but you still feel you're in the mountains. Better starting there than straight into an epic on Grooved Arete, etc.

I like Little Tryfan. Those routes are just so much fun.

Mick

 CurlyStevo 27 May 2014
In reply to Offwidth:

The OP has been to little tryfan climbing before BTW.
Tangler 27 May 2014
In reply to Skyfall:

> Hi there.

> I'm guessing your instructor will assess your ability and talk to you about your preferences before you get to a crag, so don't worry overly.

^^This^^
Though I might change it from "worry overly" to "worry at all".
Realistically what do you intend to do, if having viewed your climbing/assessed your ability, the instructor decides to take you to specific climbs on a specific crag that he thinks will suit you - are you going to say:
"Actually people I don't know, that have never seen me climb, that don't know my instructors level of knowledge of various areas, think that we should go somewhere else...." ??
 Offwidth 27 May 2014
In reply to CurlyStevo:

Fair enough. Somewhere similar them in the levels of exposure and seriousness..Molwyns?
In reply to CurlyStevo:

> The OP has been to little tryfan climbing before BTW.

Then there's absolutely no point in ever going there again. Ever.
 CurlyStevo 27 May 2014
In reply to Tangler:

I agree let the instructor decide and give him full disclousure of the situation with the OP's disabilities.
In reply to Offwidth:

Surely the east face of Tryfan is the next training ground? ... then on to the v. good, mostly all-weather venue of Tremadoc - and the Pass if the weather's good. That's assuming the OP wants to progress, rather than fiddle around.
 Skyfall 27 May 2014
In reply to Offwidth:

Though I could be wrong, I imagine that MS is aware that PyB often take people to Trem and I guess he's, understandably, getting quite enthused at the prospect. I would be. There's nothing wrong with that even if MS does end up going somewhere that the instructor thinks will be even better for him to achieve something given all the factors he or she will weigh up beforehand.

It's all good really as a PyB course has got to be a good way for MS to have some fun and progress. Let's not turn this thread into a heated argument about what was a rather innocuous question in the OP.
 Ramblin dave 27 May 2014
In reply to Tangler:

> ^^This^^

> Though I might change it from "worry overly" to "worry at all".

Totally agree - the instructors at Brenin all seem to know what they're doing and generally have a lot of experience of good places to take people in North Wales. Just go and you'll have a great time.

I generally agree with Gordon as far as Tryfan Bach goes, though. It's basically like an indoor climbing wall with a nice view - hardly an introduction to the romance and adventure of mountaineering!
In reply to Ramblin dave:

And it's such a gentle angle that it's almost a joke. I was siightly embarrassed by it on my very first evening of leading in North Wales, and was delighted to start on the real thing the next day.
 Jamie B 27 May 2014
In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

You really need to check out the OP's posting history. His needs are a bit different.
 jkarran 27 May 2014
In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Tremadog has some nice routes across the grade spectrum, if you end up there with someone that knows the place I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience. It can feel like a bit of a mini adventure picking your way up through the trees until the view opens out above them then back down through the trees again for the next route. Lovely crag!

Wherever you go I'm sure they'll find you something fun to climb that's suitable for the lesson you're having.

jk
Post edited at 16:24
 Rob Exile Ward 27 May 2014
In reply to Mountain Spirit:

I don't know how low you mean but Christmas Curry was one of my earliest, most significant climbing memories.

To start up that initial dank and overgrown thrutchy chimney, with a glimpse of cleaner rock above ... to climbing increasingly clean rock, round corners, over overhangs, on to ledges - before breaking out on to the sun drenched final, spotlessly clean wall, pretty much defined what multi pitch was all about.
 jezb1 27 May 2014
In reply to Owen W-G:

> Sun comes off Trem surprisingly early, from about 4 routes start going in the shade, particularly those east of Vector buttress (Mesach, Grim wall et al)

That's ok, the PyB instructors have to be back for 1630 tea and cakes
In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Thank you for all you helpful replies everyone.

Sorry I do not have the time to reply to each one.

Sav
 Blue Straggler 28 May 2014
In reply to Jamie B:
> You really need to check out the OP's posting history. His needs are a bit different.

Well said. Gordon's repetitive elitism is embarrassing and it does him a great disservice, because I think he's a much better egg than that.
Post edited at 02:29
In reply to Jamie B:
> (In reply to Gordon Stainforth)
>
> You really need to check out the OP's posting history. His needs are a bit different.

This is the guy who was going to make his living as a "route setter", then from publishing a climbing blog, right?

Now he's going to learn seconding.
 Grey area 28 May 2014
In reply to stroppygob:
> This is the guy who was going to make his living as a "route setter", then from publishing a climbing blog, right?

> Now he's going to learn seconding.

I wouldn't normally comment on stuff like this but to be fair mate if you took the time to look at his previous posts then you should have realised what is going on here. If you haven't then please read some of them and show a little compassion.

"There but for the grace of God go I"
Post edited at 06:46
In reply to Blue Straggler:

> Well said. Gordon's repetitive elitism is embarrassing and it does him a great disservice, because I think he's a much better egg than that.

That is not fair at all. I did not realise the particular circumstances of the original poster (how and why should have done?) until someone kindly emailed me about it. I have no idea why you say my remarks are elitist if i was a little bit rude about Little Tryfan. I was a very average climber, and yet found it very disappointing (though nice rock) on my first day's leading back in 1968. It wasn't until i was doing Milestone Buttress Ordinary the next day that I felt that I was doing 'the real thing'. Actually, I don't think it was until I did Terrace Wall Variant a few days later that it felt like the full monty. Of course, Tryfan Bach is an excellent place for the total novice to learn rope work, belaying and placing protection, which is how we used it.
 Blue Straggler 28 May 2014
In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

My apologies, I came across rather more strongly than necessary. I used "elitist" only to emphasise the need to review the OP's climbing/posting history, and I'd made an assumption that you were already aware of this history as some of his threads this year have achieved true infamy.

In reply to Blue Straggler:

No, I wasn't. Sorry.
 Skyfall 28 May 2014
Something that interests me and might the OP, are there are any better V Diffs than Hail Bebe at Tremadog main cliffs? I seem to recall doing it years ago and thinking it was ok'ish but a bit scrappy in places (presumably the usual Trem thing where it improves the higher you get?). Any thoughts on Hail Bebe or others?

 Coel Hellier 28 May 2014
In reply to Skyfall:

Oberon
Bramble Buttress
 Skyfall 28 May 2014
In reply to Coel Hellier:

Thanks but isn't Oberon a severe now (largely because it's polished to a high sheen - like the neighbouring Y'Broga) and Bramble Buttress is on one of the outlying crags I think? I seem to recall actually failing to find the latter when going from the previous guidebook (in fact I think we completely failed to find the right crag!).
 Red Rover 28 May 2014
In reply to Coel Hellier:

Bramble buttress was my first ever multipitch and we got benighted it was brilliant.
 jkarran 28 May 2014
In reply to stroppygob:

> This is the guy who was going to make his living as a "route setter", then from publishing a climbing blog, right?
> Now he's going to learn seconding.

Couldn't resist putting the boot in? Can't say I'm surprised.

jk
 Wingnut 28 May 2014
In reply to Red Rover:

Not sure that "benighted" and "brilliant" usually belong in the same sentence, but IIRC the final pitch of BB has you finishing in a lovely position. :
 Red Rover 28 May 2014
In reply to Wingnut:

I was just a kid though it was a gread adventure!
 liz j 29 May 2014
In reply to Mountain Spirit:
Clogwyn Bochlwyd in the Ogwen Valley is nice, the walk-in is not too difficult and it's usually not too busy. Lots of routes to choose at various grades, with chimneys to slabs and an easy walk off the top.
In reply to liz j:

Bochlwyd Buttress is absolutely brilliant for a day when you're climbing at about Severe. Probably without equal.
 Nath 29 May 2014
In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Nice to see you back on here Savvas.

The Forum was a duller place without you

Nath
 Nath 29 May 2014
In reply to Mountain Spirit:

Tremadog is an excellent location.

Be wary of the descents though as you might find them challenging.
The photos of me and my son you commented on are from Tremadog.

Good Cafe as well which always helps.

Nath
 Bulls Crack 29 May 2014
In reply to Mountain Spirit:

If that's where the PyB instructors are taking you Sav then I'm sure Tremadog in June is ideal!
In reply to Nath:

Afterwards I am still up for Grit

In reply to liz j:

Hi.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Sav

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