UKC

140m, 4 pitches.

Rockfax Description
The easiest route up the impressive Idwal Slabs is very popular with experienced scramblers and climbers alike. It requires good rope skills and multi-pitch techniques and is often busy, but it does give a great way up this incredible bit of rock. Start below the long and wide cracks on the left of the slabs.
1) 45m. Follow the well-worn boot-crack to a massive wedged block. Climb over this to a good ledge on the left and a belay.
2) 45m. Take the left-hand groove for a few metres until a delicate traverse leads back right to a rightwards-trending line of weakness. Follow this until it cuts back left and belay on one of the numerous small ledges.
3) 25m. Follow the polished crack to the large ledge and various belays below a tower on the right.
4) 30m. Head left for 8m then back right to the terrace below the upper walls. You can climb direct here which is slightly harder.
4a) 30m. Head up to the tower, move up and right across it via a polished traverse, then climb the groove to join the top of Charity. © Rockfax

Ticklists

Heather's Multipitch Climbs , North Wales 100 Classic Climbs , CUMC Ticklist , The Ogwen 1000 , Welcome to CUMC , Big Ogwen Day Out , George's Ultimate Easy to Mid-Grade North Wales Trad Ticklist , York University Students path to greatness , Mountain Rock , Snowdonia Mountain Walks and Scrambles - Mark Reeves , Summertime Travels 2022 , No you're a punter , UKC Top 20 Climbs (Not Grit) , Gwen Moffat: Space Below My Feet , Martin’s 1980’s Ticklist , 2024

Feedback

User Date Notes
Tradman 21 May, 2023 Show βeta
βeta: Leave at least a few warmer days prior to climbing to dry rock and grassy areas towards the top of the route.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: Leave at least a few warmer days prior to climbing to dry rock and grassy areas towards the top of the route.
Queen of the Traverse 20 Mar, 2023 Show βeta
βeta: Personally glad I didn't do this in boots. Would have been useful in a few places (but I opted to thrutch my thigh up instead - may be harder with a bigger leg but my second did more delicate moves outside the crack at that point). But very glad of shoes at other points, especially going up the scary slime on P3 when wet, and for the scramble up after, some of whose moves felt as hard as the climb, but had unroped! After abbing (nb there wasn't much tat - I left some on the boulder, not realising it may be less reliable than the spike below it now - do check) we ended up accidentally going down a sketchy downclimb right by the left wall, which my partner managed but I had to ab in one section. Must have missed the path from the ab, which I'd followed fine before. Take care - generally the descent is perhaps sketchier than the climb!
Show beta
βeta: Personally glad I didn't do this in boots. Would have been useful in a few places (but I opted to thrutch my thigh up instead - may be harder with a bigger leg but my second did more delicate moves outside the crack at that point). But very glad of shoes at other points, especially going up the scary slime on P3 when wet, and for the scramble up after, some of whose moves felt as hard as the climb, but had unroped! After abbing (nb there wasn't much tat - I left some on the boulder, not realising it may be less reliable than the spike below it now - do check) we ended up accidentally going down a sketchy downclimb right by the left wall, which my partner managed but I had to ab in one section. Must have missed the path from the ab, which I'd followed fine before. Take care - generally the descent is perhaps sketchier than the climb!
Moi_taiga 27 Jul, 2022 Show βeta
βeta: I prefer to abb off the rockspike, as the gound under the main block is becoming increasingly unstable, a 1m^3 rock came off last time I inspected the main abseil block. I've lost a load of tat to the abseil off, don't understand why someone keeps nicking it.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: I prefer to abb off the rockspike, as the gound under the main block is becoming increasingly unstable, a 1m^3 rock came off last time I inspected the main abseil block. I've lost a load of tat to the abseil off, don't understand why someone keeps nicking it.
bubaldo 22 Jul, 2022 Show βeta
βeta: Was up here last week and abseiled off on fresh tat & a pristine maillon so was surprised to find it missing today. Set up an anchor to belay my second down the scramble to the right instead.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: Was up here last week and abseiled off on fresh tat & a pristine maillon so was surprised to find it missing today. Set up an anchor to belay my second down the scramble to the right instead.
Stuck to a Rock 29 Apr, 2021 Show βeta
βeta: Fun and juggy but the polish adds some spice. Rope recommended.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: Fun and juggy but the polish adds some spice. Rope recommended.
Dom Roe 13 Nov, 2020 Show βeta
βeta: Stop stealing the tat!
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: Stop stealing the tat!
Bilbo 29 Oct, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: It certainly does go in the wet (when the trench can become a flowing stream) but after periods of persistent rain, it can become green and slimy lower down, limiting confident upward progressive to positive holds only. Generally improves further up.
βeta?
Show beta
βeta: It certainly does go in the wet (when the trench can become a flowing stream) but after periods of persistent rain, it can become green and slimy lower down, limiting confident upward progressive to positive holds only. Generally improves further up.
liensiwel 22 Aug, 2019 Show βeta
βeta: Pitch 4 info and rockfax guidebook topo is confusing to say the least. Every other guidebook suggests either trend right to avoid the steepening bulge or take it head on. Going left takes you towards a line of constant seepage. Thankfully my wife remonstrated with me to stay on clean dry rock (it was her first multi-pitch route). I went straight up the steepening bulge / nose. Yes, it's a bit harder but the holds are there. Seriously, don't go left from the ledge on the left. Go straight up.
Show beta
βeta: Pitch 4 info and rockfax guidebook topo is confusing to say the least. Every other guidebook suggests either trend right to avoid the steepening bulge or take it head on. Going left takes you towards a line of constant seepage. Thankfully my wife remonstrated with me to stay on clean dry rock (it was her first multi-pitch route). I went straight up the steepening bulge / nose. Yes, it's a bit harder but the holds are there. Seriously, don't go left from the ledge on the left. Go straight up.

Logged Ascents

3520 users have logged this

Guidebooks for Idwal Slabs (aka Cwm Idwal)

Not all climbs appear in all guidebooks 267 users have this on their wishlist

Please Login to view more details on the logged ascents

Voting
High HD
Mid HD
Low HD
High D
Mid D
Low D
High M
Mid M
Low M
Votes cast 190
Votes cast 178
Style of Ascent
Alt Leads
Lead
Followed
Soloed
Toproped
Not Set
Onsighted
Repeated
Flashed (β)
DNF
Ground Up
Dogged
Redpoint
Not Set
Route of Interest
Pillar Chimney

Grade: D ***
(Clogwyn Du Ymhen Y Glyder)

Loading Notifications...