UKC

Craig Cywarch (aka Craig Cowarc...
The Mountain Club, Stafford, who owns "Bryn Hafod", the mountain hut below the crag, Craig Cywarch has now actively started a clean-up of some of the routes. This will be a long project as at the moment only 6 of the 356 routes are climbable! On the next visit that figure hopefully will increase to double figures. The Club is producing a selective mini-guide that will be available, on a small donation (suggested £1) on request to: webmaster@themountainclub.org.uk and will be updated (free) as routes are cleaned. The first few routes that have been cleaned are all on the Lower Tier, Esgair Felen Isaf, as it's an easier walk in. The routes are: Restoration (quite apt I think!), 1st Anniversary and Twink. This last route has never been established in any guidebook that I could find but I have been told by an older member it was regularly climbed back in the '60's. Moving forward it would be good to have a "Tremfest" type of event with accommodation available at Bryn Hafod.
For more info see our website: http://www.themountainclub.org.uk/ . There will be copies of the mini-guide left at the Bryn Hafod also.

In reply to Paul Hy:

Good effort Mountain Club, that's great news and I look forward to your updates.

As regards the cleaning would you consider route requests?

In reply to Paul Hy:

Great effort - about 5 or so years ago I backed off Keel Haul (E2 5b), I didn't actually make it to the start of the route as I'd used up all my psyche, bottle and nerve getting half-way up the approach. Needless to say we bailed out with our tails firmly between our legs.

In reply to Paul Hy:

Prompted me to pull the early Mountain Club Guide book (R.E.Lambe/AB Knox 1964) off the shelf. First Anniversary is in there. No mention of Twink but North Gully on Esgair Felen Isaf between Central and North Buttresses is in there.

How do/can I get involved in the clean up?

In reply to Paul Hy:

NUKE IT FROM ORBIT.

Many years ago we failed to get to the start of Tap Y Gigfran as the approach was loose, vegetated, death. We did do the Overlap and Sweet Baby James though.

A very honourable goal cleaning it up. GL HF.

In reply to Fiend:


It's the only way to be sure...

In reply to Doug Kerr:
Sure Doug, fire away. i have about 10 in the pipeline but all requests will be added to the list. (as long as it not high E No.!!)

In reply to starbug:

Hi, thanks, the other two routes are to the left of 1st Anni' and go at Sev and HVD (imha). if you pm me your details i'll keep you in the loop.

In reply to Paul Hy:

Excellent, I did Acheron last year Acheron (HVS 5a) , first pitch was very vegetated but after that it was no problem. Absolutely loved the climb and loved the area. Just so so beautiful.

In reply to Paul Hy:

Cheers, Dream Racer would be a good start!

In reply to Doug Kerr:

Its added but will need some help on anything harder than E1.

In reply to Paul Hy: Sounds like you need a B52 plus agent orange.

In reply to Lenin:


the plan is to clear the first pitch. then hopefully more feet will be keep the rest at bay!!

In reply to Paul Hy:
A date has now been set for the next clean-up on the weekend 16-17 Jul. if you are interested in helping out, free accommodation in our Hut is available. For more info contact me via our club email themountainclub@hotmail.co.uk

In reply to Paul Hy:
Does the crag seep much / take long to dry out? In other words, is it actually worth cleaning up these routes or would they stay wet most of the time and hence revert to nature? Seem to recall there's a bit of a bog on top of it, which can't help things. Only been there once, about 10 years ago in winter to do the (classic?) v diff Will o'the Wisp, that was a bit damp but not surprising given the time of year.

In reply to Misha:

the gullies take most of the water away so i see no seepage on the routes so far. The vegetation has been due to lack of foot fall on the routes for the last 20 years!! the plan atm is to clean about 20 of the more accessible routes.

In reply to Paul Hy:

Well done all. Did Doom 2 yrs ago. Quality. Was going to do Acheron, but didn't bring the veg-hooks.

In reply to David Alcock:

We will be cleaning Acheron as soon as possible

In reply to Paul Hy:

Brilliant. I have to give a shout for the farmers who live there. Didn't catch their names. So friendly, and free with their potted history of the crag's ebb and flow of popularity.

Let us know when sorted, and I might return the favour by cleaning some of the upper pitches on Simdde Ddu.

But big thanks for putting the work in. Super crag.

In reply to Paul Hy:


I did Acheron yesterday. Thankfully I seconded the 'scrambling' start, which incidentally we both thought is quite horrific, even in its current, partially cleaned state. Can I suggest you take a pragmatic approach to cleaning it, basically by not bothering, as the first slab overlap can instead be easily reached by climbing the first few metres of Doom. IMHO, the scrambling start adds nothing to the route itself, other than the highly questionable virtue of an independent start.

Elsewhere on the climb the vegetation doesn't detract at all from the climbing and I agree that more footfall will improve things greatly. However, if you were inclined to do some work higher up, then there's the not so small matter of a jammed wire on the crux chimney pitch. It's a DMM offset which looks as if its been there for a year or so, as the wire is very rusty but not as yet rusted away. It's jammed in quite a crucial bomber placement, part way up the initial back and foot section. With no alternative placement to be had, can I suggest that as part of the eventual clean up effort that someone considers abbing down - or be lowered down - with a hammer and chisel to remove it? It could be done by a suitably equipped second whilst climbing the route, but would be far easier done on abseil. The nut's very well jammed in, (perhaps after holding a fall?) and will need some force to remove it. You'll appreciate that once the wire itself rusts away, the placement will no longer be useable and it'll make the crux significantly less protectable. Just a suggestion - as I fully realise it'll be no small matter to do this.

Good effort on the clean up plan btw. As someone who first climbed on Cywarch in the very early '80s, when it wasn't unusual to see half a dozen teams on Craig Llywelyn and queues on Doom, it's actually quite unbelievable to note the difference that a lack of visits have made since then. There used to be a very well worn climbers path beneath Craig Llywelyn, but there's no sign of it now as it's been totally grassed over and what used to be a well-worn zig-zag trench of a descent path (Llwybr Llywelyn) has also long been reclaimed by the vegetation.

In reply to Dave Williams:
Hi Dave,
Thanks very much for the info, was thinking about joining the starts myself but will certainly get the nut removed.