UKC

Hello , I've mostly been on indoor walls and haven't done much outdoor stuff. I've been climbing to around 6A+ 6B French Sport. I am just wondering if anyone could recommend some good crags in snowdonia for some single pitch practice. Thank you 

Dinorwic Slate is the obvious one (usual slate warnings..). It's not a great area for single pitch climbing in general. I'd go to the grit.

Have you got a trad rack? If so  Craig Y Tonnau, Barmouth Slabs,  Carreg yr Ogof,  Craig y Merched

Also Tremadog upper tier and  Clogwyn Cyrau

Of the recommendations you've had so far I'd suggest none of them are that good. The slate is a bit friable with access issues, and needs a slightly experienced hand (even if that's going with someone who has been before). IMO not the best place for beginners. Trad is well... not what you asked for, as good as the crags listed are for beginner trad. 

I'd suggest  Castle Inn Quarry,  Penmaenbach Quarry (although again with the caveat that this is an old quarry, potentially with loose bits) or  Penmaen Head. Just keep in mind that if you've not climbed outside, route reading will be a lot harder to start with, and not every hold is a jug...

On the new bolted stuff in dinorwic? It's all closely bolted with good simple anchors?obviously still slate. There was loads in the 5-6 range.

Are there still access issues with the main areas? I climbed there quite a bit and never had an issue.

There’s never been a “proper” access agreement and lots of the fences/gates you need to hop for the more popular areas are a state, entirely because people hop them in inappropriate places. More pertinently, lots of the easy climbs are halfway up Australia - where’s the quite a lot of loose rock around which gets knocked off from levels above. If it’s your first time outside it’s better to negate these issue in my opinion. It’s a good place for 5-6s, just not for your first ever time out. 

Edit to add: don’t know how this fits in with the timeline of you going, but all the hangers got taken off in Dali’s hole about a decade back because of excessive group use and issues related to that.

Are you looking for bolted or not ? On your profile you list Idwal slabs as your favourite crag.

Could well be, I left there winter 2012/2013 so maybe it's not as good. There was issues around the film set but as long as you were careful I never found it that bad. I'm sure I climbed a lot there in the summer of 2012 though, maybe it was the summer before.

It’s not especially bad, I’m just a little paranoid first hydro will realise how busy the quarries are and clamp down on turning a blind eye. Mainly because I love the quarries.

Moreso the issue for beginners there for me is the loose stuff - it’s easy to kick chippings down the levels in Australia, and it’s nice to not have to worry about it on your first ever day outside when you’ve got enough learning to focus on anyway.

To be fair, a good chunk of castle inn fell down last year too...

What ianstevens said

If you want to get outside and keep developing your climbing, you've got to realise sooner or later the sport is not really the discipline of the UK and you'll be more satisfied if you get into bouldering and trad. Lockdown is a good time to hit the books: Rockfax's Trad+ and Libby Peter's Rock Climbing: Essential Skills and Techniques, plus the BMC youtube channel and perhaps JB Mountain Skills youtube channel should get you up to speed if you take studying seriously. Practise your knots and building belays in your house and understand the principles behind techniques. Then, partner up with someone a bit more experienced come spring and take things slowly. Ogwen is the classic beginners area, and you can't go wrong so long as you don't try to run before you can walk, e.g. practise placing gear whilst on the ground, bouncing testing it or - better - having someone experienced checking it. And don't climb anything even vaguely challenging to start with, so you can concentrate on rope/gear work. Of course, it's worth keeping in mind that you could die if you f-up, but the same goes for sport climbing and judgement only develops through experience.

I don't know why you've had a couple of downvotes because you're absolutely right. North Wales has a small amount of sport climbing but most of it is fairly esoteric and/or more adventurous than the norm elsewhere in the world. Someone heading outdoors for the first time would be well advised to give it a miss and start getting into trad from the beginning.

I'm not disagreeing. I think Snowdonia is generally pretty poor for single pitch stuff. I liked the quarries for a social climb with friends as much as the climbing itself, generally the lower grade sport just isn't that good. I still enjoyed my time out and there were better lower grade climbs towards the end of my time there.

However, trad also has a cost issue. It's not that much but for some it is prohibitive. I grew up on the edge of the peak so was climbing there as a teenager. We couldn't afford any cams, between us we bought a few rocks and other pieces and then we used aluminum tubing drilled for tie offs, basically circular hexes as my mates Dad had a tubing company. We had all sorts of creative ways to make our gear last enough to get to the top.. 

Did the OP (who hasn't replied, BTW), say that they were looking for bolts ? They list their favourite crag as Idwal Slabs.

Recommendations of grotty crowded slate holes on this thread may be a bit premature !

An alternative to the single pitch approach

I would go to somewhere good and easy - even Little Tryfan / Tryfan bach practice getting protection in and building anchors and generally learning the ropes. I would then consider moving down the valley, perhaps doing something on Milestone buttress and when a bit more confident the slabs. I won't worry too much about grade the first few times outside and really get your rope work sorted. If you are going any time soon it is likely to be quite green in places and working out guide book descriptions can be an art in itself. Sorry if this is far too basic and you are being too modest in your post.

C Witter makes some excellent points. This was where I 'grew up climbing' in the 70s and early 80s. I could get a lift up easily and would camp in the valley. The midges can be a bit grim!

Ssshhhh

I think there are several reasons for the downvotes:

1) some people take it as a slight against sport climbing, despite the obvious truth that sport climbing in the UK is not as extensive or generally of as good quality as in Europe. (I mean... who would bother to bolt Castle Inn if it were in Spain or France? Maybe someone keen if it were in the garden...)

2) Some people don't like the idea that people can learn trad without an instructor, presumably because they are a dentist from Surrey who is quite happy to fork out £140/day every time they want to climb.

3) Then there are the bumblies who got scared witless descending from the Idwal slabs after their 4-hour ascent of Hope, who think it is deeply irresponsible to send a novice anywhere near such a dangerous place.

There may also be a couple of lurkers who just don't like me

2) is particularly pertinent, because if you then go on and suggest sport venues instead then there's an unstated assumption that sport is somehow safer. Advising someone with little experience to go somewhere with lots of objective danger (eg abandoned quarries) just because there are bolts there is pretty irresponsible.