New Routes - North Wales Limestone

Additional info:
(F.A. Nick Taylor on-sight 25.7.98)

Pitch description:
A direct line up the right hand side of the wall.

Additional info:
On-sight

Pitch description:
The left hand side of the wall, following a crack-line.

Additional info:
On-sight

Submitted by : Nick Taylor
Area : N Wales Limestone
Crag : Pen Trywn, Wonder Wall
Date of ascent : 05/09/98
Route Name : Mr Vampire
Length/grade/stars : E2 5c *
Climbers : Nick Taylor, Tim Parkinson
Start location:
A line left of "A Fine Time To Die". Start left of the green crack at a hole

Pitch description:
Climb leftwards then directly up a hanging slab. At the break step right then climb
a shallow groove above directly. Easier ground leads to steep grassy finish at the abseil point.

Additional info:
On-sight

Submitted by : Nick Bullock
Area : North Wales Limestone.
Crag : The Gallery
Date of ascent : 8.8. 10
Route name : The Road (amongst the ruin)
Length/grade/stars : 35m E5 6b
Climbers : Nick Bullock, Graham Desroy
Start location:
As described in the A55 sport climbs guide book

Pitch descriptions:
One 35 metre pitch starting up the climb Violets Leap on the far right hand side of the crag. Climb Violets Leap until reaching the fault-lineoverhang which is a rising line that runs the length of half the crag. Start the long road left, and left, and more left. Some easy ground is passed and some not so easy ground as the road hits 1 in 6. Keep on trucking along the thin break after the jamming crux until a rest down and left of a worrying nose of rock. Climb up for a few moves (the crux of The Evil That Men Do 7b) and then motor out of the corner following the break until beneath the final moves of Finnegans Wake. Climb Finnegans Wake to finish at a lower off.

Additional info:
The gear is quite a lot of cams of all sizes, (several number 1's and purple dragons (1.5s) will come in handy) and the bolts when you can reach them from the other routes.

Above: Graham Desroy seconding the 1st ascent © Nick Bullock

Submitted by : Harold Walmsley
Area : North Wales Limestone
Crag : Penmaen Head, Trench Wall, Sector Greybeard
Date of ascent : 26/08/2010
Route name : No Fool Like an Old Fool
Length/grade/stars : F6a+, 1 or 2
Climbers : Harold Walmsley, Colin Struthers
Start location:
Trench Wall is the long wall that faces the A55 and is prominently seen from it when travelling between Old Colwyn and Llandulas. It lies below and roughly at right angles to the previously-developed crags on Penmaen Head. It is considerably taller than is apparent from the road because of a shrub-filled trench that runs along the base of the crag. The routes offer good climbing (much better than the apppearance from the road would suggest) and are all equipped with stainless steel bolts and double ring lower offs. The grassy area between the wall and the A55 is approached from the usual Penmaen Head parking by descending past the other sectors, continuing down via some steps and then bearing R past an area of rock covered in wire mesh. From the grassy area, the routes described are accessed by two paths through the shrubbery in the trench. Each path defines a sector. Sector Greybeard is the broad area of mainly grey rock between 70 and 100 m L of the wire mesh. The approach path is close to a small but prominent boulder in the grass field. The left hand part forms a broad convex pillar seamed with shallow grooves. A prominent crackgroove (Trench Warfare) splitting the right hand side of the pillar provides an obvious reference point. The right hand part is a concave wall with a wide brown streak near its top R hand corner. The vegetation below the crag is mostly flattened along the foot of this sector. The route takes the system of grooves that bounds the broad convex pillar on its L starting about 6 m L of Trench Warfare. Good climbing although there are some fragile holds near the top of the lower groove.

Pitch descriptions:
1) 25 m Gain a groove via a short wall and climb it to an awkward exit on somewhat fragile holds. Gain a ledge on the R. From the ledge, make a difficult move into the upper groove then climb it more easily.

Submitted by : Harold Walmsley
Area : North Wales Limestone
Crag : Penmaen Head, Trench Wall, Sector Greybeard
Date of ascent : 27/07/2010
Route name : Grey Pride
Length/grade/stars : 20 m, F6b, 2
Climbers : Harold Walmsley, Colin Struthers
Start location:
See No Fool Like an Old Fool. Start at a square-cut L facing groove below the hanging flake about 4 m L of Trench Warfare.

Pitch descriptions:
A good route up a series of shallow grooves just L of the nose of the broad convex pillar. The rock is very solid apart from a Damoclean hanging flake about 6 m up. This seemed solidly wedged when thumped but treat it carefully. 1) 20 m, F6b. Climb the groove using holds round the R arete if necessary. Skirt the flake via the scoop on its L and move up L into the upper groove. Continue up this with interest on smooth rock.

Additional info:
7 bolts It is probably possible to avoid the hanging flake completely but most will bridge gently against it when exiting the scoop.

Submitted by : Harold Walmsley
Area : North Wales Limestone
Crag : Penmaen Head, Trench Wall, Sector Greybeard
Date of ascent : 12/08/2010
Route name : White Magic
Length/grade/stars : 25 m, F6c+, 3
Climbers : Harold Walmsley
Start location:
See No Fool Like an Old Fool. Start below a shallow groove just L of a borehole in the steep wall immediately R of Grey Pride and about 3 m L of Trench Warfare.

Pitch descriptions:
A series of even shallower grooves in the nose of the pillar R of Grey Pride. 1) 25 m, F6c+. Gain the faint groove L of the borehole and climb it to big flat holds. Avoid the groove directly above (which contains loose-looking blocks) by traversing into the solid scoop on the R. Exit the scoop just L of the obvious brown niche and continue up a tiny pillar. Where this fades, move first diagonally L to a good handhold then horizontally L to a big foothold. Gain the shallow groove above and exit L with difficulty on small holds to a good hold below a continuation groove. Climb the R wall of this with further difficulty on smooth rock and exit L to the Grey Pride lower off.

Additional info:
8 bolts. A superb and complex set of moves. Given but the smooth rock may not be to everybody's taste, if this puts you off. Although the route navigates around a small area of loose rock in its lower half, all the climbed rock is very solid. Key holds are small and hard to spot and some moves are devious. The suggested (on sight) grade allows for this. It feels much easier once the moves are known and might also feel easier if well-chalked.

Submitted by : Harold Walmsley
Area : North Wales Limestone
Crag : Penmaen Head, Trench Wall, Sector Greybeard
Date of ascent : 21/08/2010
Route name : Thin on Top
Length/grade/stars : 20 m, F6a+, 1
Climbers : Harold Walmsley, Colin Struthers
Start location:
See No Fool Like an Old Fool. Start as for Trench Warfare, the obvious crackgroove in the R side of the broad convex pillar and break out L to climb the R facing groove in the upper wall just R of White Magic.

Pitch descriptions:
1) 20 m, F6a+. Climb the groove of Trench Warfare to a large flat hold at 6 m. Move L round the arete into the scoop of White Magic (1 bolt on White Magic used). Exit the scoop via the obvious brown niche (where a large block used to reside) and follow the upper groove to a smooth finish.

Additional info:
7 bolts

Submitted by : Harold Walmsley
Area : North Wales Limestone
Crag : Penmaen Head, Trench Wall, Sector Greybeard
Date of ascent : 09/09/2010
Route name : Trench Warfare
Length/grade/stars : 22 m, F6a+, 0 (maybe 1?)
Climbers : Harold Walmsley, Colin Struthers
Start location:
See No Fool Like an Old Fool. Takes the prominent crackgroove that runs up the right hand part of the convex pillar. Start at the foot of the groove.

Pitch descriptions:
Start as for Thin on Top to the flat hold at 6 m (or use the pillar just to the R) but continue with interest up the groove above instead of moving L.

Additional info:
7 bolts (1st two shared with Thin on Top). Relatively easy for the grade but some unobvious moves. Many large poised blocks were battled with and removed. After they had gone the rock that remained at the bulge at first seemed dubious both in the back of the groove and on the R. Therefore the bolts were placed out on the L arete to keep the rope and leader out of the line of fire if they should let go. As a consequence, some clips are awkward. On climbing the route, the rock actually felt reasonably sound so maybe this was over-cautious.

Submitted by : Harold Walmsley
Area : North Wales Limestone
Crag : Penmaen Head, Trench Wall, Sector Greybeard
Date of ascent : 31/08/2010
Route name : The Shield
Length/grade/stars : 22 m , F6b, 2
Climbers : Harold Walmsley, Colin Struthers
Start location:
See No Fool Like an Old Fool. Immediately R of Trench Warfare there is a fine rectangular shield of grey rock in the upper part of the wall with two overlaps beneath. This good route climbs the shield after gaining its bottom R hand corner. Start at a shallow groove about 2 m R of Trench Warfare.

Pitch descriptions:
1) 22 m, F6b. Climb the R wall of the groove to a slabby area. Move up past the R edge of the first overlaps to a ledge. Climb the R side of the next small overlap to good handholds at the bottom R corner of the shield. Move up L onto the shield using crimps to gain a series of horizontal holds that stretch L across the shield from its R edge. From the highest horizontal move L and up to the finishing jugs (crux). Variation: From the good hold at the base of the shield move R and climb a shallow R facing groove for a couple of moves before moving L onto the shield at one of the horizontal holds (you will miss a bolt if you go up too far before moving onto the shield). This is slightly easier than the equivalent section of the main route but it is not as good and you still have to do the final crux move up the shield.

Submitted by : Harold Walmsley
Area : North Wales Limestone
Crag : Penmaen Head, Trench Wall, Sector Aretes
Date of ascent : 27/07/2010
Route name : Ugly Duckling
Length/grade/stars : 20 m, F6b+, 1
Climbers : Colin Struthers
Start location:
Sector Aretes lies just R of Sector Greybeard and is approached by another path from the same grass area. See No Fool like an Old Fool for the approach to the grassy area. Immediately R of Sector Greybeard is a set of broken grassy grooves and corners. R of these and lying between 50 m and 70 m L of the wire mesh is a series of aretes. Two are paticularly distinctive. The left hand of these starts about half way up the crag and has a borehole right up its nose (so to speak). The right hand one has a R-leaning crack in its right hand side that is probaby the most striking feature on the entire crag. A blunt, slightly retiring buttress lies between the two aretes. Ugly Duckling starts on the R arete of the groove below and R of the arete with the borehole and climbs the open groove R of the arete with the borehole.

Pitch descriptions:
1) 20 m, F6b+. Move up towards the next corner on the R then veer back L round the arete to gain the main groove via a flake crack. Climb the groove until forced R via difficult moves past a prominent flat hold. Move back L to finish.

Additional info:
6 bolts. Turned out better than expected. There are good moves in the upper half.

Submitted by : Harold Walmsley
Area : North Wales Limestone
Crag : Penmaen Head, Trench Wall, Sector Aretes
Date of ascent : 12/08/2010
Route name : Riot
Length/grade/stars : 20 m, F6c+, 2
Climbers : Colin Struthers
Start location:
See Ugly Duckling for the Sector approach. Takes the very prominent crack in the right hand side of the R arête of the Sector. Start below the crack.

Pitch descriptions:
1) 20 m, F6c+. Climb the crack to an excellent, difficult and bold finish.

Additional info:
7 bolts. Rocks were thrown prior to the 1st ascent.