Snowdonia, 2nd - 5th May 2007

Rob Lillywhite. Tel: 01926 499882 or email: trips@warwickclimbingclub.co.uk

Bryn Tyrch Farm Camp Site, Capel Curig, Gwynedd, LL24 0EL, Tel: 01690 720414

The campsite is set on a working farm and is fairly small and very basic. However, it is beautifully situated at the foot of Clogwyn Mawr in the Snowdonia national park and conveniently situated in between a caff (at the petrol station) and the Bryn Tyrch Hotel - breakfast and dinner within a two minute walk! If camping isn't really your thing, then book yourself into the hotel! Since the campsite is also a working farm, no dogs are allowed. Cost is about £4.00 per person per night.

Follow the M6 north-west and leave at junction 10a on the M54. Continue west on the M54 and then A5 until Shrewsbury. Stay on the A5 until you reach Capel Curig. The campsite is set back from the A5 in the middle of the village between the aforementioned hotel and cafe. Distance from Warwick is 145 miles. See Map.

Snowdonia has a vast range of climbing, most of which is multi-pitch rhyolite. If you want high mountain crags, you should try heading up onto Tryfan and the Glyders. Slighly lower but in the same direction try Milestone Buttress, Clogwyn Bochlwyd or Tryfan Fach

Snowdon itself has two main climbing areas,the crags contained within Llanberis pass, which include Cyrn Las with the wonderfull Main Wall. Dinas Cromlech with three-star classic routes at every grade from VDiff (Spiral Stairs) to E8 (Nightmayer) with the superclassics of Cenotaph Corner (E1 5c), Left Wall (E2 5c), Right Wall (E5 6a), Lord of the Flies (E6 6a). Dinas Mot is one of the few crags in Britain with every grade - and something good at each of them. Multi-pitch routes up to 580ft. Best include Direct Route (VS 5b), Diagonal (HVS 5a), Superdirect (E1 5b), Ten Degrees North (E2 5b), Stairway To Heaven (E3 5c).. it's a long list.

Alternatively, if you're feeling brave, head up to Clogwyn D'ur Arddu (Cloggy)!, Called "the best crag in the world" by Leo Houlding, Clogwyn Du'r Arddu (Cloggy) deserves a special place in the history of Welsh climbing. It has all-time classics in just about every grade, and home to famed routes such as "Indian Face" and "Master's Wall". Very long (upto 300m+), mostly serious, routes in an alpine setting. Some loose rock - an integral part in the Cloggy climbing experience.

Heading south west from Capel brings to some lovely out of the way climbing in the Ledr valley at Carreg Alltrem which is one of the most beautifully-placed crags in the area, with good rock and exposed, quick-drying routes - single- and multi-pitch up to 180ft. Lavaredo (VS 4b***), Fratricide Wall (HVS 5a) and Pin Up (E1 5b). Still heading south west brings to the Moelwyns, with crags such as Craig yr Wrysgan which has single- and multi-pitch routes up to 335ft, worth visiting for White Streak and Honeysuckle Corner (HS), Space Below My Feet (HVS) and Green Wall (E3 5c).

If it's pouring with rain, absolutely miserable but you still want to climb, try Tremadog, where it's always dry and the sun always shines! Great climbing at Craig y Castell, Craig Pant Ifan and Craig Bwlch y Moch which is one of the best crags in Wales, with multi-pitch routes up to 250ft. Many classic including Christmas Curry (S), One Step In The Clouds (VS 4c), The Plum (E1 5b), the unbeatable Vector (E2 5c), Void (E3 6a), Zukator (E4 6a) and of course Strawberries (E7 6b) and Dream Topping (E7 6c). Crag Bwlch y Moch also has the advantage of Eric's cafe just about under the crag.

If you're using this trip as Skye practice, you're spoilt for choice. Circuits like the Snowdon and Glyder horseshoes involve both walking and scrambling and are a good measure of how fit you are. If you're after more scrambling than walking, try Lliwedd. It's big and mean, and you're probably go off route many times, but it's the biggest test of your scrambling skills south of the Scottish highlands.

This is the best area in the UK for mountain biking. Both Coed y Brenin and the Gwydyr forest above Betws-y-coed offer great mountain biking. Bikes can be hired from Beics Betws in Betws-y-Coed. Snowdonia also offers some of the finest hiking in the UK including the classic Snowdon horseshoe.

Ogwen & Carneddau - Climbers Club (1993)
Llanberis - Climbers Club (2004)
Tremadog - Climbers Club (2000)
Meiryonnydd - Climbers Club (2002)
Rock Climbing in Snowdonia - Paul Willams (Constable 1990)
Scrambles in Snowdonia - Steve Ashton (Cicerone)

OS Landranger 115 - Snowdon & Caernarfon
OS Landranger 124 - Dolgellau & Porthmadog
OS Explorer 17 - Snowdon & Conwy Valley
Harvey superwalker - Snowdonia The Glyderau and the Carneddau
Harvey superwalker - Snowdonia South

I suppose these days there has to be a disclaimer, so: Warwick Climbing Club recognises that climbing, mountaineering, mountain biking and the like are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.