New Routes – Clogwyn Du’r Arddu

The Far East Buttress > Lower

Seated Start

67m E5 6b,6a
Jul-1985, Dai Lampard, Geoff Hibbert
Start: The route takes the much eyed snaking “S” groove between Gormod and Land of Hope and Glory and offers climbing as good as anything on the cliff. Very sustained and fairly serious – exceptionally so if the large hold snaps off before you clip the peg!

1. 9m Climb easily up to a luxurious belay directly below the curving groove.
2. 37m 6b Climb up the crack behind the belay and go boldly up the steep wall to below the roof. Awkward runner placement in a crack. Grasp the large (movable) hold above and using it and a hand jam on the left clip a peg runner high above. Invert the hand jam and layback carefully onto the large hold to attain a standing position in the base of the groove. Peg runner. Prospects now take a turn for the worse as you contemplate the back and footing necessary to reach the enticing slot 4.5m above. Eventually it does arrive and once gained the climbing eases somewhat. A move or two leftwards under some small roofs at the top of the groove gains the belay below the next big groove.
3. 21m. 6a. Gain the innocuous crack on the left and climb it with great difficulty to a good hold. Arrange gear and move up and across
   rightwards into the main groove. A series of difficult and committing moves lead to a final steep wall and a superbly positioned grassy
   belay.

Abseil off ( 60m ropes)

Additional info:
Take 7 rock/tat to abseil from unless you want to descend the walls of the gulley – not nice.

The Far East Buttress > Lower

Gormod

67m E5 Unclassified and 6b
Jul-1985, Paul Jenkinson, Dai Lampard
Start: The anathematous aid points have been dispensed with. The first pitch description in the new guide is wrong – absolute utter tottering death on a stick. Best to approach from the left and head up the shorter groove to the overhang.

Traverse left across the smooth gangway to short groove – very poor peg runner (probably useless as it seems to have shattered the rock) Poor protection/micro wires provide the only comfort. A very difficult and committing series of irreversible moves gains easier ground and a good big peg. Much more amenable climbing follows up the groove until the final difficult move.

Additional info:
Take 7 rock/tat to abseil from unless you want to descend the walls of the gully – not nice.

The Pinnacle

Pinnacle Arête

-free ascent 46 metres E2 5c ☆☆
18-Aug-2023, Eric Jones and John Harwood (AL)
Climbed free on 09/06/67 which precedes Jim Perrin’s ascent in 1968 (as noted in the guidebook). But I don’t know if our’s was the first free ascent?

The Far West Buttress p 106

Far Far West Slab

45m VD
25-Jun-2010, BJ Clarke (solo)
Start: 60 metres right of Trick of the Light across a loose grassy rake and just left of the descent gully; are a series of overlapping slabs. Start at the foot of the rib forming the toe of the uppermost slab and immediately left of the descent gully; cairn.

25m Climb the slab just right of the rib; pull over the steepening on the right and continue up the slab to a large ledge and block belays.

1. 20m Move leftwards and follow the slab on the left, keeping just right of the left edge. A few steeper moves lead to an upstanding belay at the top.

The Far West Buttress p 106

Gorllewin

23m VD
25-Jun-2010, BJ Clarke (solo)
Start 9 metres left of Far Far West Slab. Descent: traverse leftwards (looking in) across tricky broken ground, then down easy-angled slabs.

Follow the attractive, grey, left-trending slab; keeping right of the edge.

Additional info:
The name means “West”!

The Far West Buttress p 106

Gone West

10m D
25-Jun-2010, BJ Clarke (solo)
Start 10 metres down and left of Gorllewin; at the toe of a shorter slab.

Climb the crack in the rib of the short slab to good spike belays.