UKC

Dave Evans recounts two days at Cloggy in 2013 with climbing partner Emma Twyford, the epics that ensued and the ascents of a rather famous E9.

Absolutely amazing Dave, please write for us more often!

Troach is unbelievable for E2 isn't it, what was Hugh Banner thinking?!? It's still bold today! Then there's The Boldest, which is also unbelievable, and - as you rightly say - still an undertaking today. In fact, if someone soloed it in present day - let alone the 1970 - I'd still look at them as if they were mad. What was Al Rouse thinking?!? I

On that note, what were any of them thinking: Caff, Calum and George?!? They're all crazy...

(potentially us included)

Great article. As it makes clear, these are very special routes indeed, ones you'll always remember.

Re The Boldest, I believe that Will Perrin soloed it on a dreich day, with the mist swirling round, when he was the only person on the crag.

Mick

I haven't done The Troach (E2 5b) sadly, but agree that was a good lead for the time - can you believe the first ascent was more than 60 years ago, in October 1959

A day of days! I was up there that day as well watching George on Indian Face from Longlands with two very nervous seconds. It was their first time on Cloggy and were suitably intimidated on the walk in, particularly as we crossed under the Great Wall and saw the ropes in place. 
The scramble to the start of our route unnerved one of the guys enough to admit, after, that if could have walked off at that point he would have!

I think we paused on the 2nd or 3rd belay to watch George climb the Indian Face before continuing on with our own adventure.

Still one of the best days I’ve had in the mountains, climbing an old fashioned classic on a big cliff with two friends, whilst having a ringside seat to witness ‘history’!

Great write up from Dave, took me right back to that day.

It really doesn't really matter what route or grade you climb on Cloggy, it will always be a memorable experience to be savored. My absolute all time favourite crag. If only it had the weather, but then again that is part of the attraction. In some ways similar to winter climbing on the Ben. You go there whatever for the full mountain trad experience. Bolted routes on the Costas don't even come close!

Good read David.

I bivied up at Cloggy the day I handed in my dissertation. Remember the sun setting over the Great Wall/Indian Face and the enormous sense of relief that I'd finally made it through three years of university. The following morning I woke up and soloed Great Slab, which I remember being a whole lot more exciting than I'd anticipated, and topped out to my very first brocken spectre. Unforgettable...

Nicely written Dave, Cloggy is home to some of my finest days, it's the creator of dreams and smasher of egos. We were camped up there for a week two summers ago when Caff did Masters Wall (?), we however didn't even do much climbing, but loved climbing on the far west following my great grandads endeavours (George Lister). Here's dreaming of the next Clogfest x

Actually looking closely again at the photo at the beginning of this thread it's.... Boris!!!

Great article! Really enjoyed that. There has been some good content on UKC lately. 

Enjoyed that a lot. I still find it amazing though when people say the nests of gear at the bottom of the axe are good. When I was there I was pretty well convinced that a fall would pull off the whole precariously balanced jumble of hollow sounding flakes on top of me. Wasn't sure if I was better or worse off with the gear in! Incredible route all the same though, what a position.

Edit: just re-read and I see the nests of good gear comment was referring to higher up. The lower section is indeed boomy and hollow

I walked down with Dave and Emma. Dave is quite an enthusiastic person isn't he! He was really buzzing and great company so interesting to hear about the day again seven years later.

Is that the gear under the roof or over it Ben?

I remember the former needing to be extended so far that if you did come off it felt like you'd go back to your belayer. On the flipside, if you didn't extend it you might be alright for the fall, but would likely suffer monumental rope drag on the upper arete.

When it comes to the gear above the roof, I remember that being no way near as good as I'd been hoping it would be. Thankfully I remember the flakes of doom being relatively straightforward, assuming you managed to keep your sense of imagination quite limited (i.e. they're clearly completely solid and in no way completely hollow + detached).

On the bright side, going through these trials does make the upper arete feel like a walk in the park...

His psyche is visible from space...

One of the first stories I heard of Dave was when an instructor was on a belay going through the basics of setting one up, when they looked over to the adjacent route and Dave was doing a full photoshoot, getting his client to pose with one arm whilst dangling over an overhang...

The gear above the roof moving left towards the arete, in the hollow booming flakes. The climbing was fine in that section, its just that really snappy feeling rock and the flakes where you put the gear in are pretty slim... who knows how solid they really are. 

Great read - thanks Dave!

I met Dave when he was instructing my ML training in 2015 and his enthusiasm and passion for mountains and climbing is incredible. Would love to read more from him. 

Very nice article, and wise too, I dare say.

The Boldest seems to be getting a reputation again after being regarded as a perfectly reasonable E3 when I did it, in 2000 or so. Troach isn't a Hard Rock tick, surely? (although why not I don't know; in retrospect it would have been a very reasonable choice). Perhaps I misunderstood that section.

jcm

It is a wise article. I'd heard about the 'quick belay' for Indian Face. (Pass the smelling salts, Norah!)

Re The Boldest, we did it in the early '80s. I lost out on the lead (grr!) to super-Scouser, Ian Jones, who wandered up it with footwork to die for. However I believe that some of the wire placements have since blown (don't like to think how that may have happened!) Back then, it did seem E3, but more like a Lakes E3 if you see what I mean. But it wouldn't have taken much to bang it up to scary E4. I can't imagine doing these routes now - my bottle's gone!

Also agree, Troach would fit well into Hard Rock. What a great pair of Cloggy routes - Troach and the Hand Traverse! Kudos to Hugh Banner. Imho both were inspirational for their time. Have been doing an article about that generation. To go from Troach to Great Wall in only three years and then the first ground-up attempt on Indian Face in just another five(!!) years, was truly radical.

It's great to see that the boldness on Cloggy then has gone forward to the boldness on Cloggy now, even if I'm reduced to watching from a safe distance. Respect to all who venture on these walls.

Mick

Clogwyn Du'r Arddu (Cloggy)

Did both Troach and the Boldest when camped up there one weekend in the 1990's.I led the top direct finish to the Boldest a lot better protection than on the ist pitch.Troach was way out also we managed it free which was great.Both routes must have been virtual solos in the those days no micro cams or rp's for  Hughie and Pete.How the hell did he place the bolt with a hand drill on the lead and where was it??

I thought/think the Axe gets way over hyped. Always interested how many people say it's one of the best routes on Clog or even North Wales. I agree that it is a fantastic line and the positon is spectacular. However, the rock isn't great. It's that slightly slatey mountain rock that when dirty with lichen just feels extra slippy and greasy and I just remember that crux through the bottom roof and then those series of diagonal cracks for gear which just all seemed to be boomy loose layers of the mountain stacked up precariously. I came away feeling a bit let down by the rock quality and climbing. 

Personally, I was totally blown away by the rock quality and climbing on Womb Bits. Thought that was mega. Not as a good a line though. 

And great read Dave

When I did the  boldest in 77, there was a horizontal spike/block/ flake that took a bomber looking moac in the crack  behind it. Also a good no hands rest when standing on it. The stump of the old bolt was just visible.

This was about three quarters of the way up the first pitch.

This block has now gone, must have been a scary time for leader and belayer.

I'm inclined to agree, Great Wall is much better imo. Totally agree about Womb Bits too, the rock and friction are pretty much perfect.

What I like about each of the routes is that they give you a good idea about what the next one is going to feel like. Great Wall gives you an insight into Womb Bits, Womb Bits gives you an insight into Midsummer, Midsummer gives you an insight into the Indian Face.

Presuming you've done Midsummers Ed (just checked, you did P1). Had a vague feeling you might have had a look at Indian Face too. Ever curious for a return trip, or are you worried you might actually want to do it?!

The Spire Direct and Mordor are two other underrated E4 Cloggy classics, which tends not to get done all that often. The same could not be said of Orphan/Organ Flagellator, which is neither a classic nor particularly good, so don't be lured in by that single star!!

Reply to my own reply, only because I remembered another random E4 that came highly recommended - Feeding Schmae (E4 6a). From Alex Mason's logbook: Insanely good. A total Cloggy must-do. The best rock on the crag.

Quite a statement from a man who'd know!

The moac placement on Boldest was there when I did it in 1985. I thought it was bomber too, just as well I never tested it. I remember a guy on Longlands shouting down to his mate "look at the run out on the Boldest" and feeling dead 'ard, I don't remember much more gear before the belay.

It was XS 5b in the Alec Sharp guide but I must have found a list of E grades from somewhere because I'd put it as E2, Great Wall is down as E3. I did them both on the same day and thought Great Wall was by far harder - Boldest was just steady if you turned your imagination off.

You'd like Hazy Days too...Hazy Days (E4 6a)

I remeber finding that incredibly scary - vague line, spaced gear, flaky rock. Just glad to be still alive at the end of it!

Not keen for Indian Face i dont think. Always used to be obsessed and have checked it a couple of times and top roped the top part clean but too risky at this stage in my life You know the score Keen to top rope it again though sometime if you're up for it.

I have done Mordor which i thought was pokey and top end E4. Not done Spire direct.

When you say The Spire Direct do you mean The Purr-Spire Direct? Cos on UKC that's down at E6 6b so I've always ruled that out.

There are a lot of underrated classics on Cloggy. Mordor has to be one of the best single pitch climbs in the UK, Bywynog Chimney is fantastic if only for a short while but Easyrider, Gargoyle, Spillikin, The Shadow, Gecko Groove and The West Buttress Girdle are also all unfairly neglected. There are also some really disappointing routes too!

You'll be glad to hear I'm not that mean, I don't want to kill anyone!! I was actually talking about The Spire Direct (E4 5c). Given that we can now attach pics I've included one with and another without the line drawn on. It isn't overly obvious from this angle, but if you're standing front on then it's one of the lines of the crag.

That's an impressively esoteric ticklist, I'm inspired!!