Craig Y Castell

Craig Y Castell is found at the left end of the Tremadog Escarpment, just above the Tremadog Village school and a new local hospital. The climbing here is excellent, although not as extensive as other areas.

Avoid the temptation to go in a straight line from the style and approach as for the Main area of Craig Y Castell and from the bottom of the scree then head up the left side until you find a feint path lead up left towards the crag. Follow this past Pert, Lonely Edge and on to Creigiau Cra’r Neidr.

Creigiau Cra’r Neidr – Snake’s Garlic Crag

A great hidden gem with really good friction. A place to allow you to see what tremadog was like before it was popular.

Gestiana E1 5b ** – Start below the hanging arete, Climb the slab heading right below the overlap to gain a corner groove. Follow this to another overlap and move over this on a delicate spike. Carry on to a roof and move right to the top of a block. Another overlap is passed with the assistance of some undercuts which leads to a jug. Climb the crack to easier ground and the top.

Jill the Thrill HVS 5a ** – Start below the central groove and climb up to a ledge just below where it starts. Not too vegetated. Move up and left to a stepped groove and climb this in a sustain fashion to reach a good kedge below a steep headwall. Make confident moves through this to gain the salty finish and traverse over right to the abseil/belay

Brass HVS 5a * – The central groove is rather overgrown and the gear is not great. Could be easily cleaned on abseil from one of the other routes.

Cheap Trick E3 5b * – Start below a tree and a large roof. Move ups rock to the tree and pass over the vegetation to gain rock again below the roof. Hard to arrange gear here and a stiff pull gains the wall above. Continue up more or less direct past a overlap and then trend slight right to finish up just left of Cawod.

Cawod HVS 5a ** – A great route, start by heading up the obvious V-Groove to a ledge. Move over the bulge to a wall, shimmy left and make a long balance reach for a slot. Head up the blunt rib and continue more or less directly up the slab. Keeping the obvious deep corner of Blas Y Cynfyd to your right. At a quartz band near the top either move right or left into a groove. Moving left leads straight to the abseil point.

Blas Y Cynfyd HVS 5a ** – Another fine outing, start just right of Cawod at a short wall that is left of a blunt white rib. Climb the wall more or less direct. A bold pull out right over a small overlap provides entertainment. At a break move left to gain the start of a slab ramp that in turn becomes the fine corner at the top. Follow this to the top.

Lonely Egde Buttress

About 20 metre to the right of Creigiau Cra’r Neidr in a smaller buttress. A good feature to head for is the tree trunk growing out horizontally at its base.

Lonely Edge E2 5c ** – A fine outing starting from the lowest point on the arete and then more or less following the broken edge to the top.  Start up the arete to a spike and peg on right. A tricky move past here leads to easier climbing up to a roof. Pass this on the right before heading back left to ledges. Move up to where there is a heart in your mouth move to regain the right arete. The Arete provides further excitement all the way to the top.

Pert Buttress

Pert E3 5a, 5c **
A mind-blowing top pitch makes this route worthwhile hunting out.

 

 

Rock Climbing Information for North Wales