Llanberis Slate is a unique medium. It's telling that within the various International Meets that I've hosted in North Wales, it's one of, if not the rock type that foreigners are most keen to climb on*. There are a variety of reasons for this and the first is that there's not really anywhere or anything quite like it. The low/no friction style of climbing, combined with the frequently slabby nature of the rock, present a highly idiosyncratic medium.
*the other request was usually to climb on a sea cliff because that's something else particularly special to UK climbing.
It's not just about the climbing though. The slate quarries themselves have a very distinct atmosphere. There's a sense of silence within them, albeit one that is - in certain areas - interrupted by the hum of the hydroelectric pump that runs within the mountain. Perhaps the most austere aspect of the area is its history. It's estimated that over 1,500 quarrymen died whilst working in the slate quarries of North West Wales. In order to pay respect to these people, and gain a greater understanding of the area's social history, I would highly recommend visiting the National Slate Museum in Llanberis. It's free, incredibly informative, and will forever change your view of the landscape within which you climb. The only catch is that it's currently being refurbished, and temporarily closed until 2026, but do remember to visit once it opens again.
On the topic of cultural history, in recent times there's been great efforts to document the original Welsh placenames within the slate quarries. It won't come as too much of a surprise that names like Dali's Hole, Serengeti, Never Never Land and Mordor (to name a few) were not the original names given by the quarrymen. These adopted names, given by climbers, have become commonplace in much the same way Snowdonia/Snowdon has, but as with the shift to Eryri/Yr Wyddfa - it is likely that we will be seeing the original placenames alongside the climbers' moniker as/when the next guidebook is eventually released (e.g. Dali's Hole/Sinc Harriet, Serengeti/Ponc Morgan, Never Never Land/Ponc Dyffryn, Mordor/Sinc Bach Braich). These names are an important part of the local area's identity, which is proudly Welsh - and Welsh-speaking. Hopefully learning these placenames, and how to pronounce them, will become an enriching part of the experience of climbing in Wales.
When it comes to the climbing, there are a lot of hard routes within the slate quarries, but perhaps that is what makes Seamstress stand out, because it's one of the few high-quality routes that sits at the more achievable end of the rock climbing spectrum. It's also one that's able to give you a good glimpse of what the harder routes will feel like. It's certainly not conventional as far as gear is concerned, with the rack required looking much more marginal than something you'd take up a VS in the Llanberis Pass. Whilst the opinions on the Logbooks might vary, I would say that microwires are essential. For many operating at this grade it likely be the first time you've placed a piece of equipment this small, so take your time, and remember to place plenty of them too!!
Seamstress (VS 4c) was first climbed in 1983, at the very beginning of the 'golden age' of the slate quarries climbing development. Stevie Haston, the first ascensionist, was at the forefront of development, putting up routes such as Comes the Dervish (E3 5c), Seamstress (VS 4c) and Seams the Same (E1 5b) - just to name a few. Stevie's impact on climbing development is hard to encompass within the space of a single paragraph, as he's done so much - and in so many different disciplines. Outside of the slate quarries, he was instrumental in developing adventurous new routes at Gogarth and the Llŷn, then proceeded to revolutionise modern mixed climbing, climbing the world's first M10 and M11 - X-Files and The Empire Strikes Back. He had a futuristic eye for a line, making attempts on what would eventually become Century Crack, which was eventually climbed by 'Wideboyz' Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall. As if that weren't enough he went on to climb 9a aged 52…
A full guide to North Wales Slate covering the amazing quarries near Llanberis famous for their technical run-out slabs and, more recently, for the wealth of sport climbing. It is also famous for the bizarre and spectacular rock formations that give a unique climbing environment. More info
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Comments
Am I missing something? There seems to be nothing about the route itself, no description, no account of the experience of climbing the route.
Eh? There’s a whole 8-minute movie on it, which tells and shows you a lot about it, and about the experience of climbing it. Then, in the accompanying text, there’s a bit on the history. Perhaps there’s something wrong with your computer.
Seams the same, to me!
:-}
Looked fine to me as well Gordon.
There's even a topo
I like Rob's technique of grabbing a decent flake hold with one hand and the removing his lower hand from another hold and smacking said flake with the now free hand to check whether it will snap or not. 😆
Lovely film chaps. I've done it, but like Valkyrie from the last vid, it's so long ago I remember very little about it. Must go back and do it again whilst I'm still getting up VSs in reasonable order (most of the time).