Another busy month in North Wales. Firstly there are two more repeats of Trauma, Leo Houlding’s Dinas Mot test piece. Following on from James’ Pearson’s recent second ascent top Scottish climber, Dave MacLeod, swept into town and did the deed. Dave also had a quick look at Indian Face E9 6c on Clogwyn Du’r Arddu, but decided against a headpoint. Dave explained his entirely justified decision on his blog (see the entries on June 10th and 13th):

www.davemacleod.blogspot.com

Last night the Pass was busy with local climbers meeting up for a bouldering session after work. All eyes were drawn across the way to Dinas Mot where James McHaffie was getting ready to go for a further repeat of Trauma. A hush descended upon the valley as he set off and a gallery of climbers spread around the boulders gazed on in silence. Caff climbed quickly up the lower wall, but paused for a painfully long time at the crux, but much to everyone’s relief continued on to the top in a final smooth push.

In the pub afterwards Caff explained what he thought of the route: “I was struggling with the key wire placement – I reckon I only had ten seconds to place it and clip it before I would fall. But then I sussed a more comfortable body position and knew it was on. As for the grade, well, I think with the pecker hook it doesn’t warrant E9. E8 7a seems a more accurate appraisal.”

Both repeats were filmed, Dave’s ascent by the Hotaches team, and Caff’s ascent by Gareth Aston from V12 Outdoor. Gareth is working towards a North Wales film featuring numerous hard ascents from recent times.

Across on the other side of the Pass on the small, but striking white wall below and right of Dinas Cromlech, Caff blasted his way through a brutal crimpy sequence to produce Swing with the Groove E6 7a. This starts up Drury's Drama HVS 5b, before making a crux traverse out left to finish boldly up the obvious groove. Caff rated the crux move as being harder than anything on Trauma, and warned of potential rope drag if the runners are not properly extended. The E6 grade seems a little harsh; only time and a repeat ascent will tell if this is a sandbag.

In the nearby Dinorwig slate quarries, the renaissance continues with a pair of cracking sport routes in Bus Stop quarry from Adam Wainwright. Firstly he climbed the obvious gap between Scare City E6 and Forsinain Motspur F7c. Raisin Frumpsnoot F7b shares the lower off and hard finishing moves of Forsinain Motspur. The name is a random anagram of Forsinain Motspur. I guess it saves flicking through the music collection for inspiration. Inspired by the quality of this line Adam moved on to equip and climb the wall right of Forsinain Motspur. Beltane F7a+ is similar in style, with a hard crux pull at the top. A few minor lines were also added to the small wall on the opposite side of the quarry by Ian Lloyd Jones and Phil Targett. Mini Bus Stop F5+ takes the obvious line right of My Hovercraft is Full of Eels, whilst Freezer F6b+ is situated right of Fridge.

Down on The Kennels level Pete Robins established another fierce clip-up. Doggy Style F7c lies about 20m right of Pete’s own route Rowan (another F7c). A smooth lay-back corner precedes a desperate V7/8 boulder problem finish on the small headwall.

Up in Australia, Mark Dicken and Gruff Owen added My Secret Garden F7a+ to the pyramid boulder situated beyond the Dekophobia block. This steps off Rodin's podium onto the initial slab, then turns the roof, and pads tenuously up the centre of the upper slab to the top.

In Dali’s Hole, North Wales veteran climbing star, Colin Goodey and friends have equipped and climbed a series of lower grade sport routes on the previously neglected slab right of Cost of a Rope. For full details of these, check the Dali’s Hole page on the Slate wiki:

http://slate.wetpaint.com/page/Dali's Hole

These routes have proved an instant success with numerous ascents and much praise for the efforts of Colin.

Out on the coast, Twid Turner and Louise Thomas added a new top pitch to a previously climbed line on Yellow Wall at Gogarth. Book of Ages (E5 6b,6a) starts below the groove of The Savage and takes the undercut arete between that route and Perygl, climbing straight over the roof above to reach a slab and belay. The top pitch steps left into the bottomless groove and climbs direct to the obvious crack above, then finishes as for Savage Direct. An excellent well protected route apparently.

At a more graspable standard, Dafydd Davis reports a selection of routes that he climbed on Careg y Foel Gron last spring with Andy Hall. Semi Detached HVS 5a takes the front face of the large detached pinnacle well right of the main slab. There is also an alternative start at E1 5c, which moves directly through the overhang five metres to the right. Snifter E1 5a climbs the wall six metres left of the dogleg crack and slab above, whilst Mwyalchen y Mynydd E1 5b can be found to the left of the main slab. Here lies a semi hidden recessed wall with obvious parallel diagonal cracks, this route follows the middle two cracks to a niche and then finishes direct. Lastly, Tiger - Bang! VS 4c fires up the jamming crack to the right.

Lastly, do check out and contribute to the recently launched North Wales Limestone wiki, which is now on line:

northwaleslimestone.wetpaint.com

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