Idwal Slabs (3rd - 4th May)

I've been out climbing almost every weekend but I've not really been getting much done recently. As it happened it was only me and Toaf heading out for a couple of days in wales, pretty stoked to get on some harder trad routes and a day sport climbing in the quarries. As we drove over we also realised that we'd completly left the tent behind, but had rememeber the bivi bags so settled for the cromlech boulders as a place to say.

It was raining on the drive over, so while nursing a pint in the Vaynol we discussed options for the saturday if the weather was bad in the mountains. I wanted to head up to Idwal and check out a route called Javelin Airglider (E2 5c). It was only put up last year, so had a little "unconfirmed grade" symbols next to it in the guide book. I was thinking it could be 5b/5c or maybe 6a and maybe E2/E3, either way I planned to find out. As the weather did look bad Toaf actually volunteered the idea of going to Wen Zawn and doing something like QuartzIcicle or similar. I thought he was joking as Gogarth is not his favourite place... I guess he was just well stoked to go climbing!

As it happened we woke to an excellent days weather and dutifully scampered out from under our boulder and nipped round to Idwal (we've not found a boulder in the Ogwen Valley to bivi under yet, but I'm always on the look out). We actually breakfasted at ogwen, on some seriously expensive marple syrup cornflakes (Toaf is a sucker for anything that labelled up nice) and off we set.

On every walk in to Idwal slabs I'm reminded of my first trip, where climbing up Idwal slabs was a big deal for me and how that is diminishing each time. It's still an excellent day out, but it's getting closer to the road with every trip and my objectives are getting harder and higher up the cliff. This walk in was no different as we watched the skies and discussed the lack of waterproof trousers in our sacks, or any spare clothing for that matter.

We nipped up Charity (severe), quite literally. I actually just soloed up the route with rucksack on our backs to get to the ledge below Holly Tree Wall, where Javelin Airglider starts. We actually over took quite a few parties doing so form of alps training (all of which seemed to be moving a little slow). With the ledge pretty much to ourselves, we geared up properly and set about climbing the Airglider.

It takes the start of Javelin Direct (a VS) then breaks out towards Javelin Blade but when you arrive at the thread you go straight up the slab, leaving your gear behind. I backed up the thread with 2 slings fearing I might fall on it a couple of times, and found some more gear in the form of a HB brass offset and my largest RP (size 2!) slightly higher up before I commmited to standing on this flake above. It was all so simple in my head, just boldly head up the slab above, but it turned out that this slab was pretty steep and the moves unobvious, I'll happily admit that I paniced a little.

I started arguing with myself about whether I could actually make the next few moves. It looked so thin! in the end for settled for a series of little moves each on bad holds but good enough to make the next one, eventually I got a decent hold (1cm deep crimp/sidepull) which I could really move up on to reach the ledge I was aiming for. It's a pretty magical experience being on rhyolite thats got more friction than grit, so as I slapped for this sloper ledge and palm stuck I was stoked (especially because I didn't fall off!). This was mantled and I could move off on (phew) easy terrain as I ran it out to finish. At the belay I realised I was shaking.

I think the fact that it was an unconfirmed grade is what got me scared. It was just harder than any 5c I've done, but in my heart I know it wasn't 6a. I recon that in reality it's not actually that harder either because I was just over-psyched on the lead. Toaf managed the crux by different way, making a tenuous balancy move. I guess having a top-rope is a benefit.

We chilled on some bread & cheese and tesco's finest chocolate brownie, before startung up our second route Rampart Corner (E1 5c). The team next to us said they'd done the route a week before and thought it was excellent. I found the hardest more not in the actual corners (where the crux was suposed to be) but actually on the slab getting up to the corners. It went pretty eaisly though and didn't feel 5c.

More bread, cheese and socialising with people topping out off the slabs. Gobagape (E2 5c) was finally free, not that there was anyone actually on it, but it crosses the Original Route and I didn't really want to end up in a tangle of ropes. Either way it was now free so we could jump on it. It's a pretty wicked route, that has an awesome move to gain a pocketed area of rhyolite. The gear however was not to be desired, namely a couple of RP's and my smallest ones at that. Still the moves after this were awesome, proper slabby where you could get a hand off rest on every move. Definatly one to do if you like runout slabs.

We'd done 4 routes so far today and our rat's where almost full but Toaf had his eye on The Scone Run (E2 5c). I didn't know it but this would be our final route of the day (don't worry nothing happened!). It was another long route (40 metres) with a crux at half height which we'd seen another team become a little unstuck on earlier. The route was pretty sustained and definatly the hardest of the day. It was interetsing from the word go and the crux was excellent. You climbed up a rib with bad foothold and just as bad hand holds (like a massive pinch grip) Then you had to actually pull on a pinch grip to get your feet up over the top. What a move, made all the more interesting by having to place gear at the crux! I loved it as it was right out there for me. The party who we'd seen before us congratulated us on the our quick ascent of it too.

I was pretty made up now have done 5 routes, E grades, one "unconfirmed grade" and not falled off on any of it. Time to head off down we thought! We took a pretty lazy walk back round the other side of Llyn Idwal and scoped out some more routes on the massive cliffs dominating our view. After a day of hard work we nipped into Llanberis for some fast-food (bad bad climbers) but it supported local industry (good climbers). As we wondered what to do with the rest of our afternoon (it was too early to hit the pub) I suggested haveing a wander into the slate quarries and seeing if we could find our way into Twll Mawr via the tunnel through the front.

To cut a long walk short, we found it, quite easily and the walk in isn't all that bad. There is only 1 section of slate seracs that all seem to threaten to collapse at any moment. We'd made it through into the ledge opposite the north wall of Twll Mawr. This story actually starts the night before in the pub (where all good climbing stories should start) and for some unknown reason we'd planned to have a go at one of the big routes in Twll Mawr, well planned at least. I figured we could use this trip as a recon of what the north wall looked like. Gaining access is pretty easy, and the tunnels again are pretty easy to get into (though some new tat for the abseil would be a good idea), then you nip across the floor of the quarry... and then stare in horror at the north wall as it rises up in front of you. I'm not sure what part of me expected it to be small, but it sure as hell isn't and added to this that fact that it is loose, the grades are changable, there are not many repeat ascents... it looks like an awesome place to climb!

I guess we'll get on it sometime later this summer, so watch this space!

After scaring ourselves with the prospect of the hardest and scariest routes we've ever considered, we needed that beer so settled for a couple at the vaynol before a retreat to the boulders. The morning was wet, as in driving rain wet so all we could do was bug out and head home thus ending a quick, but very productive trip in wales!