UKC

Hi All!

Myself and a couple of friends are going down to Wales just for the day this weekend (Saturday).  I've looked at the weather report and there rain reported for much of the day, albeit only light rain (which could then means it's actually dry).  Based on the lack of snow round most of Wales at the moment we are planning to do either some higher grade scrambles (G3 or 3s) or lower level rock climbing and probably certainly nothing higher than a Severe.

Based on our intended choices does anyone have any recommendations of areas which would be good based on the expected weather?

I suggested the East face of Tryfan as it's got everything from G1 scrambles through to Severe and higher climbing if we fancied. *thoughts*?  I have noted that the wind would be blowing right towards us though so it could make it a pretty cold and uncomfortable day.

Cheers guys

Si

Tryfan Fach (Little Tryfan) might get some shelter from the westerlies forecast and it's less committing when you decide you're super soggy and want a coffee and pasty from Ogwen Cottage. 

Alternatively, places like Holyhead Mountain are avoiding the rain til late afternoon, which is great but there's very few multipitch routes there if that's what you're after. Then again, depending on where you're travelling from, you might be better off in the Peak? 

Strangely I've found Tryfan quite greasy in damp condition, however still climbable with care. But you would probably have to climb with a sack. Tremadoc or North Coast limestone might be a better bet, or else go for a route that is always wet (Lockwoods).

The Moelwyns ( Clogwyn Yr Oen )  may suit. South facing, dry pretty quick, lots of multi pitch V Diff / Severes. The rock is very rough and even goes in the rain. 

Another vote for Clogwyn Yr Oen. Grippy rock and lots of 3-4 pitch routes VDiff/Severe. And a decent Caffi at the bottom. 

Always Tremadoc is the best bet. Often dry when it’s raining in the mountains. And if it is raining at Tremadoc, apart from anything else, when the rain stops the rock dries spectacularly fast. The drive out to Holyhead Mountain is a long and tedious drive by comparison.

If it's wet everywhere and you have the usual south-westerly winds, Cwm Idwal is usually the most sheltered place to scramble. The direct start to seniors ridge or Idwal Buttress are both fine in the wet. The east face of Tryfan can be sheltered from westerlies, but it is a high mountain and can be rough on the top/descent depending on the wind. 

Tryfan Bach is reasonable in the damp, but stick to the crack lines rather than the slabs, these aren't fun in the wet.

Tremadoc can be dry when the mountains are wet, but if it's at all damp I find it unpleasant to climb on. Holyhead mountain catches the sun and dries quickly, but with westerlies again it will be unpleasantly windy and cold at this time of year. 

I've heard this said so many times, and so many times I've taken a diversion to pass it on the way home in the hope that there would be something climbable when the mountains are not and found that it was as wet or wetter. 

This used to mean we'd sit in Eric's for a while and not be too bothered but now the cafe is not Eric's it's not the same.

Thanks all, this is brilliant info! 

My climbing buddy is thinking Tryfan East Face as well and nothing more than a G3 scramble due to the forecast winds.  We were discussing getting it to it via a quick scramble up Tryfan Bach then going across to the Heather Terrace so @LucaC suggestion of Tryfan Bach (and we would stick to the easy crack lines for sure) confirms our thoughts.

I'm pretty risk averse and my partner probably even moreso (which is definitely no bad thing.  I don't want to die on a mountain!) so the Moelwayns will have to wait until a drier and less windy day but having checked them out on Rockfax it looks like a brillian area for easier grades.

Tremadog also sounds great for those days when bouts of inclement weather are due.

Cheers

There is a reason why Tryfan features so often in the recent Extreme Rescue on BBC2. Take care, pack torches, climb well within your grade, and make sure you know how to get off.

If it all proves too much for some of the party, continue along the Heather Terrace  with an easy scramble at the end. Then it should be reasonably straightforward to get down to Bwlch Tryfan and join the path back to the cars. You can go on either path, left or right to return. Check the map to see what I mean.

Yeah, I've done the north ridge of Tryfan a few times, plus some G2 and 3 scrambles on the West face, but only a single G1 on the east face with the missus (Little & North Gullies) so I'll fairly happy getting up and down it.

In fact, the weather forecast seems to be deteriorating so it's looking more and more like a day at The Boardroom. 

Well, I did it many times over a period of 40 years, and 9 times out of 10 Tremadoc would prove climbable, while the Pass or Ogwen were not.

Tryfan North Ridge is a fun enough scramble in the rain, though not very difficult. However, I agree with the poster who said the East Face routes get greasy. I climbed Grooved Arete in the pissing rain and found it very insecure and a bit necky.

A good wet day out is to climb the Idwal Slabs, Holly Tree Wall and Continuation Wall, more or less anywhere, then traverse off left into Cwm Cneifion and climb the Cneifion Arete (Diff/Grade 3). All very doable in the wet. Then walk off past the tops of the Gribin and Glyder Fawr, and down past the Devil's Kitchen. Cracking day out.

A good poster of the area here: https://ogwen-rescue.org.uk/product/poster-print-rhiwiau-caws-idwal-slabs/