In reply to Different Steve:
Mach/Corris is a good place to live - fairly central for access to both North and South - Severn Bridge/Manchester are both about 2 hrs, 5 hrs gets you to Edinburgh or Southampton and the train is pretty good if you want to see the big cities. There's a climbing wall in the sports centre in Mach, but that's just been closed until further notice apparently. The area can feel a bit more cosmopolitan than other areas of rural Wales - a good mix of the CAT folk (lots of alt energy micro companies and a fair bit going on, it's surprising what specialist skills are lurking in the hills) and traditional Welsh farming communities (it's a fairly strong Welsh speaking area and Dolgellau side is stronger again). Heaps of less well known hills for walking and a more "Scottish" (but on a much smaller scale!) feel to the crags - you've got to be prepared to put a bit of effort in but some great climbing. Tremadog and the Pass (or Pembroke if you leave before the tourists rise!) aren't too far way (45 min to Tremadog, hour and a bit to the pass, 2 1/2+ hrs to S Pembroke). I've not climbed for a long time, so don't know of a scene, but there's heaps of people in to mountain biking if that's your thing, which the area is also good for. Feel free to email me if you have questions. Might be worth looking at Huw Gilbert's blog - he seems pretty active locally doing guiding.
Just be aware that parts of Corris are colder than Siberia in winter
Cheers
Deri
