UKC

Anyone know of a topo for Craig y Llyn? Was hoping to head there tommorrow for some routes.

Cheers, Al

In reply to alex pickard:

Sorry, because presumably everyone but me already knows, but which crag is this? Surely not the one where Wailing Wall is?

jcm

In reply to alex pickard: Drove past today
and road is closed. Moved bollards and carried on. Road was slushy on top but fine. It was closed because it had not been gritted. Routes in great nic. Virgin falls is almost to the floor in blaencwm. More ice about since Saturday. Plan for coal, ivor the engine, Morgan moutain and crystal chandelier still along way off being fully formed.

In reply to alex pickard:

Hi Alex,

The only topo drawn so far is in the very old S. Wales Winter Climbs guide by Haydn Griffiths & Gary Lewis; now a very rare commodity and not very accurate.

It is best to approach from the top of the crag and descend carefully down one of the gullies, or safer, abseil using extra ropes taken for the purpose. Approach from the bottom of the crag is not recommended as the vegitation is extremely hard going.

As has already been said the crag is in good condition.

I, along with many others climbed there on Saturday. Yesterday was much quieter so Haydn & I managed 6 routes and found the conditions to be as good as any we have seen in 20 years.

Just ignore the road closed signs and make your own judgement of road conditions but quit in good time if the weather deteriorates.
Have a good time,

Phill Thomas - British Mountain Guide

In reply to PT: Myself and 2 mates struggled finding the descent gully on Friday night, not having been there before and each gully we dropped down seemed to have a minimum 10m steeper step and we didn't have enough rope to get down from any 'reasonable' ab anchors.

We ended up going to the change in direction of the escarpment and came back along the bottom and did the first gully we came to. A pleasant mixed III with interest 'heather hooking' in places.

For future reference, has anyone got a grid ref for where the gully is or are there any features on it?


Ben

In reply to PT: hi phil worked on ab with you at ynys hywel and taught Morris in Whitchurch. Hope Greenland went well. Climbed central ice fall andeverything to the left. What's the quickest access for Douglas gap and iron claws. Walk in from reservoir or battle across heather to top and ab in?

In reply to alex pickard: Conditions up there tonight were not fun!

www.southwaleswinter.blogspot.com

In reply to BenTiffin:

Hi Ben,

Sorry I can't oblige with a grid reference and it does prove difficult even for those who should know the crag. The answer is to take plenty of abseil rope and belay well back from the edge to ensure a safe descent or simply be very cautious.

Phill

In reply to PT: Or approach from the bottom. There is a small parking spot opposite the forestry track by the sharp bend on the Hirwaun side - the walk in isn't much longer

Mark/All, we are new to the crag and may take a look tommorrow weather permitting are the routes basically above the Llyn Fawr. Would you say its best to park on the first hair pin bend coming from Hirwaun and walk from there. Incidently we were at the Darren Sunday--good climbing--.

In reply to paul greenhow:

Park at the obvious car park just after the hair pin bend (if coming from the heads of the valleys road). Walk along the road for a bit before following the signed path along the fence. From where fence turns 90 degrees left, I then jump the fence and carry on for about 500m (a bit of a guess I'm afraid) before turning right and looking for the decent gully. This should bring you out in the moiddle of the crag, and hopefully they'll still be an obvious path along the bottom! The routes at the left hand of the crag top out at/near this corner of fence.

In reply to paul greenhow:

Paul - do you mean Cwmyoy Darren? What's the road in like at the moment? Did you come from Abergavenny end?

Cheers,

Rob

In reply to RobE: Yes from Abergaveny end the roads were fine Sunday last , think the farmers are salting it

In reply to DaveR:
You've got no chance of Driving anywhere near it on Wednesday fellas. I live down the road (Rhondda side) and we've has a boat load of snow Tuesday pm and the forecast for it to keep going through the night. its drifting and blowing like hell through the valley. That Crag would be on the Lee side so there's a possibility of cornices I suppose. Wear Salopettes if you're determined to go as the snow will be pretty deep if this keeps up.

In reply to Jones:

Thanks. I was going to ask what the road was like as I was planning on trying to get there early thursday morning. Is it still closed do you know? I assume they're not gritting it then?!

In reply to DaveR:
It's still closed. As Phil says, you can drive around the barriers BUT there was black ice on the road Tuesday morning and a number of cars crashed. (It hasn't been gritted for a few days).

It's been snowed on for a good few hours since and is unlikley to be passable without 4 wheel drive, and then you will need to concentrate!!

N

In reply to Nigel R Lewis:

Thanks. I'd already given up hope of getting there! Any idea what the A470 is like up as far as RAC corner?

In reply to DaveR:

It said on the news this morning 470 was closed between Ponty and Merthyr.

In reply to RobE: A470 now open. anyone been near Pen Y Fan?