UKC

..that I would walk away from climbing at Idwal Slabs and almost hope I wouldn't climb there again.

Endless queues of climbers (yes, we should have been there earlier), watching (yet again) "experienced" leaders with little real experience try to kill themselves and their novice charges, and routes so polished and unpleasant it's hard to give them a grade. With a down climb scarier than the actual routes ?

Why is this the place people traditionally bring novice climbers? To put them off?!

In reply to JonC:

Hey, apart from the scary down climb, it sounds just like any Sunday at the Roaches

In reply to Dark Peak Paul:

Roaches isn't too polished I dont think, and even those that have a bit are still pleasant

In reply to JonC:

Because, when it isn't like that (apart from maybe 10' of polish at the bottom), it is a brilliant place. Long uncomplicated and unstrenuous routes on sound rock with good belays for novices, beautiful surroundings. My wife's first ever climbing experience.

In reply to JonC:


Because when it isn't crowded it's a fine setting, with non-strenuous routes on a remarkable piece of rock. The belay ledges are good so there's no difficulty at the end of each pitch and protection on routes is adequate. Plus - and this is one of the most important reasons that lots of beginners are taken there - there are very few places where the second is out of sight of the leader when climbing, so communication isn't a problem and guidance and encouragement can be passed on.

The descent just adds to the experience for some; the bad step can be abseiled if needed.

All that said, it's many years since I last went there and I don't crave a return at a weekend.

T.

In reply to JonC:

Aesthetically a beautiful piece of rock architecture although I wouldn't take a novice there because of the crowds.

In reply to JonC:

It always was known as 'Bumbly Hill'.

In reply to JonC:

Just go on a weekday or avoid it, there are plenty of good quality un-crowded places in wales if you avoid the pass, idwal, the quarries and tremadog....

In reply to JonC:

Did you go there on a dry day? That was your first mistake!

On a serious note though, I would think that it is fairly obvious why the place is so popular with novices. There are a choice of several quality VDiff routes, with nice belays, a gentle angle, in a lovely setting not too far from the road.

And I have to disagree that the routes are so polished it is hard to give them a grade. I have only clilmbed there in the wet, so the routes can't be that polished or difficult. I have to admit that I once bailed off a route whilst in big boots as it was a waterfall with not enough good foot holds though. With rock shoes it is easy.

In reply to JonC:

There was no-one apart from us on Craig y Clipiau - and only 1 other party on the Moelwyn crags?

Climbers seem to be getting more and more predictable.

In reply to JonC:
there's generally fewer people on it on a wet february weekend... more fun then as well and the polish is less of an issue.

Do it in the pouring rain when the polish doesn't matter, no one else is there and it's alot more fun!

Agreed with others, idwals are great in the rain. No climber should be without that experience.

In reply to JonC:
I don't find the down-climb at the end of the walk-off to be too bad as long as you pick the right line. The temptation when you start to descend into the main gully is to go down the first groove you get to - this is horrible and people often prefer to abseil this bit. Better is to traverse over the top of the groove (heading towards the back of the main gully), around a rib and then down-climb.

In reply to JonC:

It sounds like the usual case of choosing a nice day and turning up at an easily accessible venue which has a good spread of lower grade classics, then being surprised to find there are (lots) of other climbers there too!

Chris

In reply to JonC:

You pays your money, you takes your choice...

In reply to JonC:

I absolutely agree with you about the descent; hideous, horrible, terrible. The routes themselves - yeah, a bit of polish is to be expected - but the downclimb, in my opinion, absolutely wrecks it. Very dangerous and especially after a long day on the Slabs, however non-strenuous, made more so by a potential lack of attention.

In reply to sarah79:

Put a rope on if your bricking it so bad. Either that or stick to cragging and leave the mountain environment alone.

This topic could quickly descend into why there aren't bolts on the abseil or some other such nonsense. As descents go, its fairly standard, just not a 'walk'.

In reply to sarah79: It is no more hazardous than coming off Milestone, one of the scrambles on gribin facet, one of the gullies on the East Face of Trfyan, off Dinas Mot, ravens in langdale, some parts of Dow Crag, it's just all part of being on a mountain.

In reply to JonC:
With a down climb scarier than the actual routes ?

The fact that the decent does require care can add to the mountain day and help instil in novices that the day is not over until you are off the mountain, not the top of the climb.

In reply to summo:

If people do a search, this has been discussed several times, and the awkward descent can be avoided by climbing up for another 200ft or so then walking off to the left.

In reply to All:

My OP was a bit tongue in cheek (particularly the downclimb). I have climbed on good solid Ogwen rock in p*ssing rain and thoroughly enjoyed it in a rather masochistic way. Coming down from the slabs this time i was recalling having soloed up the snowed up gulley into the nameless Cwm to do some winter routes and, yes, the whole place is far better "out of season". It wasn't my 1st choice on Sunday but events dictated it seemed the most sensible at the time.

A long time back it was where I spent my 1st day climbing ever. I suppose it didn't put me off. And I have been there a fair bit over the years and have fond memories of it. The last couple of times I have visited (separated by quite a few years, maybe six) I have had similar experiences, however, and this was just once too often. I suppose what I really meant was that perhaps, other than for relative novices, it is a pretty poor experience in the summer.

Aa Chris (?) said, wrong crag, wrong time or similar.

In reply to Dark Peak Paul:

ps: I hate the Roaches too, and most popular Peak gritstone crags in the summer.

In reply to summo:

I know what it's about - I just don't like it. And I think that for a beginner, whilst the climbs are okay, the descent is a little disproportionate in its demands.

In reply to JonC:

Peversely, I kind of like the place. Hoped if I put LOADS of people off, I wouldn't have to take time off work to enjoy being there

In reply to sarah79:

Mountain crags not convenient or sanitised enough ? shock horror !

In reply to summo:

um... wasn't it only a couple of years ago that an experienced climber died descending from Raven?

As for the descent from Idwal, I've only climbed there once (I prefer quieter venues) and didn't enjoy the descent, but in future I'd carry on further up the crag as mentioned above.