UKC

4 pitches.

Rockfax Description
A route of great character. It is unusual in that most of the climbing takes place inside the cliff! It is traditional to climb it on a wet day with a large team for added entertainment. Start by scrambling up to the base of the crag, to the right of a streaked wall, by a prominent rock arch.
1) 20m. Move up and right to a short wall and find a crack. Climb this to a ledge and move right to a tree at the base of the chimney.
2) 8m. Back-and-foot frantically to gain the ledge/path in the chimney on the right.
3) 20m. Walk along the base of the chimney to where the pathway ends. Climb up the chimney again to exit back into the daylight at a large ledge.
4) 15m. An exposed and polished final slab leads to a belay on the top of the crag. © Rockfax

UKC Logbook Description
A historic route, somewhere between caving and climbing. The tradition states that it should be done at night in terrible conditions by a large party...
1.From the marble arch descend right to wall with an obvious crack. climb this and scramble up to another crack.
2. climb the crack exiting left onto ledges. Walk right to giant flake, belay at tree
3. Enter the darkness, in front of you is a tight chimney crack leading deep into the rock. Climb up to the chockstone and scramble deeper into the cliff over several short boulders. Emerge after 120ft into the light again by large flake.
4. Save the walk by abseiling off the flake (old rope around flake) or climb straight up to metal spike. Descend to left by large gulley.

A Lockwood 1908.

Ticklists

The troglodyte squeeze specials , North Wales Rock Graded List , Through Routes! , Unusual and Interesting Routes You Must Do VS- E2 , ROCKFAX - Top 50 North Wales Climbs , AMC Uni Ticklist , Enigmatic Affection: The Dark Art of Chimneying , Thrutch and Clutch , Type 2 Fun , The best the UK has to offer for mere mortals (apart from the lakes cos its always wet) , The Great Gumclub Ticklist , The Ultimate SUMC Ticklist , Memorable Climbs , Hard Very Silly - wet troglodytes , George's Ultimate Easy to Mid-Grade North Wales Trad Ticklist , Thank god I don't have to do that again , Easy peasy Northy Weesy , The (easy) Welsh Top50 Round , Hard Rock & Other Classics , Weird and Wonderful , Snowdonia Mountain Walks and Scrambles - Mark Reeves , ROCKFAX TOP 50s upto e3

Feedback

User Date Notes
CicelyG 9 Oct, 2023 Show βeta
βeta: Approach - walk from the road down turning left through the campsite, then across the pretty bridge to the other side of the river. Then right along a muddy path until the ladder style followed by a gate leading into a more open field. Walk through the field past a huge boulder, continue onwards until the woods on your left just end, at the end of the woods there is a gate on your left. You can either go through this gate and walk along the fence upwards towards the rockface through the woods, sticking to the fence which will be on your right. Or you can do the same walk but in the field the other side of the fence, crossing into the woods via a style at the top of the field. Then follow a well trodden slightly gravely path left then right to reach the stone arch. The start of the route is just through the stone arch on the right and the abseil comes down on its left side. Any thing we've missed out/got wrong pls let us know, we were rather lost!
βeta?
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βeta: Approach - walk from the road down turning left through the campsite, then across the pretty bridge to the other side of the river. Then right along a muddy path until the ladder style followed by a gate leading into a more open field. Walk through the field past a huge boulder, continue onwards until the woods on your left just end, at the end of the woods there is a gate on your left. You can either go through this gate and walk along the fence upwards towards the rockface through the woods, sticking to the fence which will be on your right. Or you can do the same walk but in the field the other side of the fence, crossing into the woods via a style at the top of the field. Then follow a well trodden slightly gravely path left then right to reach the stone arch. The start of the route is just through the stone arch on the right and the abseil comes down on its left side. Any thing we've missed out/got wrong pls let us know, we were rather lost!
SophieW 29 Aug, 2023 Show βeta
βeta: If coming from the right use the walk in for gallop step and trend left near the bottom of the crag. The ab can be completed in two halves from the very obvious flake at the top of the route, and a tree below the overhang (maybe 15-20m each), it takes you to the base of the route.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: If coming from the right use the walk in for gallop step and trend left near the bottom of the crag. The ab can be completed in two halves from the very obvious flake at the top of the route, and a tree below the overhang (maybe 15-20m each), it takes you to the base of the route.
Guy Ludford 4 Jul, 2023 Show βeta
βeta: Route starts further past the arch than described by rockfax, keep going to the layback crack and up this and round the tree.
Show beta
βeta: Route starts further past the arch than described by rockfax, keep going to the layback crack and up this and round the tree.
dylbertl 20 Nov, 2021 Show βeta
βeta: Got to the chimney, loads of rain lately and the chimney was absolutely soaking after a ridiculous amount of rain lately. Would work on some rainy days but was unclimbable at the chimney that day, definitely be wary of you plan this as a wet day activity.
βeta?
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βeta: Got to the chimney, loads of rain lately and the chimney was absolutely soaking after a ridiculous amount of rain lately. Would work on some rainy days but was unclimbable at the chimney that day, definitely be wary of you plan this as a wet day activity.
gtaylor997 4 May, 2021 Show βeta
βeta: Go about 8 metres beyond the obvious arch on a grass ledge to the start of the route. You should be on a fairly indistinct corner with handle-like roots leading to a huge muddy ledge with massive spike belay and crack above.
Show beta
βeta: Go about 8 metres beyond the obvious arch on a grass ledge to the start of the route. You should be on a fairly indistinct corner with handle-like roots leading to a huge muddy ledge with massive spike belay and crack above.
Marc Rodrigo 2 Aug, 2020 Show βeta
βeta: Overgrown and bramble approach. We found it difficult to interpret the directions in the guide, went through the Marble Arch to the right and climbed straight up, then rising left and up to belay at a chockstone then along cleft, out onto the face along to base of a tree. Saw another chockstone down in the chimney (so not sure if we should have come up through there?). Then easy climb up to the top. Really interesting route!
Show beta
βeta: Overgrown and bramble approach. We found it difficult to interpret the directions in the guide, went through the Marble Arch to the right and climbed straight up, then rising left and up to belay at a chockstone then along cleft, out onto the face along to base of a tree. Saw another chockstone down in the chimney (so not sure if we should have come up through there?). Then easy climb up to the top. Really interesting route!
Nick Nitro 10 Feb, 2020 Show βeta
βeta: More polish than on your Grandma\'s knobs.
βeta?
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βeta: More polish than on your Grandma's knobs.
ClimbyMcClimbface 26 Aug, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: Adventure, in a word. Funny when it's wet. If using Rockfax, don't read the approach.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: Adventure, in a word. Funny when it's wet. If using Rockfax, don't read the approach.
benclimbing 13 Aug, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: To get to the base of the route go through the arch and walk about 5 metres. There will be a wall with a crack in it and very polished footholds
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: To get to the base of the route go through the arch and walk about 5 metres. There will be a wall with a crack in it and very polished footholds
tdobson 28 Jul, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: Belay stake available above final scramble if you don't fancy the ab. The ascent path starts from just after the huge boulder, by the gate on the left, and sticks to the left of the field before going over the style and meadering around. Go *through* the arch to start the climb. nice thread above first bit of chimney if you have hesitant seconds. Descent path pops out near the big boulder.
Show beta
βeta: Belay stake available above final scramble if you don't fancy the ab. The ascent path starts from just after the huge boulder, by the gate on the left, and sticks to the left of the field before going over the style and meadering around. Go *through* the arch to start the climb. nice thread above first bit of chimney if you have hesitant seconds. Descent path pops out near the big boulder.
iainJ 27 May, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: Unless you want an added adventure, go through the arch before starting - not under the chockstone on its left.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: Unless you want an added adventure, go through the arch before starting - not under the chockstone on its left.
KatOstrich 14 May, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: Hard to find the start of the route, it's right of the arch. Otherwise great route, I think ropes would be a hindrance
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: Hard to find the start of the route, it's right of the arch. Otherwise great route, I think ropes would be a hindrance

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Voting
High HVD
Mid HVD
Low HVD
High VD
Mid VD
Low VD
High HD
Mid HD
Low HD
High D
Mid D
Low D
Votes cast 88
Votes cast 97
Style of Ascent
Alt Leads
Lead
Followed
Soloed
Toproped
DWS
Bouldered
Not Set
Onsighted
Repeated
DNF
Dogged
Flashed (β)
Redpoint
Ground Up
Not Set
Route of Interest
Flying Buttress

Grade: VD ***
(Dinas Cromlech)

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