UKC

Can anyone fuel my daydreams by telling me about good mountain days out in Snowdonia that you have enjoyed? Preferably sub-VS (to keep my dreams vaguely in the realms of possibility haha) but hey if your best days have been harder, share 'em anyway! I want to get to Snowdonia more this year, hardly got there at all last year due to location but now am conveniently located again, hurrah! Am after trad routes rather than bolted stuff, nice long routes

In reply to Flicka: Idwal enchainments make for loverly days.

In reply to Flicka:

Sitting in Pete's kidding myself that the Dervish slab is 'drying'

Sorry, hope you get some useful suggestions. All the mountainous stuff I've done there has been the poor weather option. I'd go to the quarries or drive to Porth Ysgo but I'm guessing thet's not what you're after
jk

In reply to Flicka:

Reaver and I had our first proper multi-pitch together on Grooved Arete (HVD, but polished in places, just up your street) last month. Had the whole place to ourselves and 8 'ish' pitches of lovely, straightforward but interesting climbing. Tops out near one of the summits, very satisfying.

Can really recommend it, but probably pick your day. Not sure I would fancy it in a long queue.

Mike

PS how was Spain?

In reply to Flicka:

http://77jenn.blogspot.com/2008/03/trad-alternative-perspective-by-peter_08...

In reply to Flicka:

One day that will stay with me until I'm dribbling in a care home, probably the hardest day I've ever had in the hills. Soloed Amphitheatre Butress, walked ran into Cwm Idwal, soloed Tennis Shoe/Lazarus/The Arete/Central Arete Direct, walked ran over the tops to Nant Peris into Lliwedd, soloed Red Wall, then over the tops back to Llanberis, finished on my knees but what a day, perfect weather all the way.

In reply to Flicka:
Sub-Cneifon Rib, Cneifon Arete which leads onto Y Gribin then the Glyders. Great day out.

In reply to Flicka:

The best day out I've ever had in the mighty Snowdonia was last actually a night. Myself and my mate Tom screeched to a halt in the lay by at the bottom of Tryfan at about 7PM on Good Friday. We racked up, legged it up Milestone Buttress Direct in an hour and then swatted midges all the way back to some Uncle Ben's Express Rice and tea cooked alfrescoby the car.

Then we packed bivi bags and walked around to the Heather Terrace in the gathering gloom. We spent an hour searching for the bottom of Grooved Arete by headtorch before launching up the route at 10.30PM.

We landed on the Great Ledge at 2.00AM, ate some more rice and lamented the fact that I forgot to pack any teabags - and Joe Simpson thought his broken leg was a disaster!

The sun came up at 5.00AM, the skylarks and choughs woke us soon after and (tea less) we were soon dancing up the Knight's Moves and onto the summit.

We were back at the car by 9.30AM - t'was 'eck of an adventure and something I'd recommend to anyone. Take bivi bags, kip mats, stove etc. - forget light and fast, this is supposed to be fun - fat and slow all the way.

But don't forget the tea bags.

Joyce

In reply to Joyce:


sounds great

must do something like that this year

In reply to Flicka:

The best mountain day I've had in Snowdonia was a scramble. Up the Idwal Staircase then up the Cneifon Arete. We had ropes for the one pitch of slightly tricky climbing because it was the first time I'd climbed on real rock but aside from that it was just lovely easy soloing.

In reply to Flicka: Hello, not Snowdonia but Central Wales I know. Cwm Cau on Cadair Idris provides good sport, Pencoed Pillar is the best wet weather mountaineering VDiff I've done and the 'Kevin Arete' on the other side of the hill one of the best scrambles. Keep it in mind for Bank holidays. Snowdonia and especially Llanberis is too busy for me but Nea is an excellent route and Main Wall is certainly ***.
If you're fealing adventurous wait for a bit of dry weather and head for Lliwedd, the routes have the big mountain feel. If you are feeling particularly bold and want to test your grade then Cloggy's Great Slab/Bow wall is a tremondous expedition with only one hard (4c) section.
Most of the Llanberis and Ogwen rock is superb and the grades and gear are generally fair at the VS grade, so just pick a crag with a three star route on it and have fun. Note: If you pick a classic (Classic or Hard rock route) you will have company.

In reply to jkarran:

Porth Ysgo, now you're talking! Only discovered it last year, but I recon it justifies the drive over without going anywhere else. Hope it never gets busy though, so this reply is probably counterproductive.

In reply to Flicka:

Knocked a Friday off work and went to Cloggy, after a late start we did Silhouette, Shrike and The Mostest, then meandered up to the top of Snowdon and watched the stream of Friday-nighter's rolling up the A5.
Saturday it rained so we headed for Stanage!


Chris

In reply to Flicka: Most routes on Cloggy, and The Horeshoe, plus the big enchainments that Snowdonia (and Scotland) seems to lend itself to much better than The Lakes.

Hi, I can recommend Tennis Shoe followed by Lazarus then The Arete, and finish on Grey Arete (or Grey Slab). If you start early then you'll keep ahead of the crowds.

In reply to Flicka: Ridge Route on Lliwedd and then round the horseshoe.

In reply to Flicka:

Another vote for Tryfan. It's my favourate place for long easy multipitch stuff. Spectacular views, great rock, fun scambling, with a proper mountain feel missing in some of the other local peaks. Idwal slabs is also pretty good.

hailtryan

In reply to Flicka:

Lots of days:

Grooved Arete (overrated) to Tryfan summit; redeemed by nipping down to The Chasm (great fun) on the Glyders.

An Alps training day - Milestone Buttress, North Ridge Tryfan, some other scramble up the Glyders, down Devil's Kitchen, up Idwal Slabs via the Ordinary Route & back down to Milestone, all solo in big boots.

One summer's day in Nat Peris, we got up at sparrow-fart & climbed on Carreg Wasted for a couple of hours before the hoards arrived. Then down to Pete's for breakfast, and a round of the Snowdon Horseshoe to set us up for a night in the Vaynol.

In reply to Flicka:

PS - Atlantic Slabs. That's all I'm saying.

In reply to Flicka: Too many to mention!

Scrambles on Tryfan East Face are always good, exploration in the Rhinogs, a round of the Carnedau via Criag yr Ysfa Amphitheatre and then back over Cefn Tal-llyn-Eigiau for a spot of evening bouldering, the Snowdon horseshoe after slimy ghyll scrambles below the North Ridge...

Loads!

In reply to Flicka: hmm, sub VS ? Amphitheatre Buttress- good fun. String routes together from Idwal to the top of the Glyders as others have said. Summat on the E.Face of Tryfan, then over Bristly Ridge and the Glyders and then back down for a tinny from the shack at the bottom. All good.

In reply to Flicka:

Outside Edge/Original Route then the Nantelle Ridge is a cracking day out.