By Kip

Journey and first night

The journey started with Joel directing us to Derby via the M1. Unfortunately this is not on the way to North Wales and an hour or so was added to the Journey as we backtracked from Junction 3 of the M1. We arrived at the hut at 2:30AM under somewhat unsure if it had been booked or not, finding no one at the hut we went to sleep…

Only to be awoken at 5:30AM by the group that had booked the hut who had some difficulties getting to Wales from London. We decamped downstairs for the night and set up our tents in the Garden the next morning to get out of their way. We are grateful that they let us use the kitchen/toilets and apologies for any disruption that we may have caused.

First day

Despite the short and eventful sleep we set off for Ogwen early the next morning, only to come across a motorbike crash on the way. Fortunately there was a doctor and the mountain rescue team there and the best thing to do was to get out the way and resume our day of climbing.

The group divided in two with one part going to do multi pitch and the other to sheep pen for bouldering. Will was an enforced boulder due to turning up at North Wales with only formal shoes.

Tristan and Caroline had a fun day out on Cneifion Arete (Caroline’s first multi pitch). Joel and Kip simul climbed Hope on Idwal Slabs overtaking many groups of people and moving quickly through the 4 pitches for an early lunch on the large ledge at the top of the slabs. After that the two pitch original route on Holy tree wall was climbed from the top of the slabs. Joel lead the first VS pitch in wet and slimy conditions (on the single half rope that was used for the simul climbing) well and the trivial 2nd pitch was dispatched by kip with only one hairy moment of hand traversing far above gear to find a dry hold. Above holy tree wall lays continuation wall where Kip lead a very hairy 40m pitch of (apparently) Vdiff, Joel noted that Kip had managed to miss all the pockets and instead climbed on micro features.

Kip noted that the last (crap) gear was very far away near the top. The walk off from continuation wall is to walk left and down to meet the top of the normal Idwall slabs walk off. On the walk off a minor confrontation erupted between some people that were belaying on the path (after the short scramble to get off the slabs themselves) and Kip who managed to put his foot in it by asking why they were belaying on the path.

Meanwhile Ben, Tom and the sole fresher on the trip Jo climbed the classic route Tennis shoe on Idwall Slabs. Despite been frequently held up by slower climbers they had a fun day of slab climbing. Everyone was impressed that Johan had soloed this route a few years before during the summer.

In bouldering news David did little groove, David and will did dog shooter. Cheehan destroyed all he touched and flashed the pinch. Jordan grabbed the 2nd assent of the pinch from our party. All the really hard problems were wet.

2nd day

The 2nd day we arose early and went to roadside boulders in the pass. Kip and Tom set out with the ambition of climbing Cenotaph Corner however after a very hairy scramble it was found to be wet. Therefore instead a pleasant two pitch VS was climbed up the corner to the left which had an interesting top lacking in protection that Tom lead. Joel and Milkins lead a HS that went a different way up the same buttress. Meanwhile and after many boulder problems were climbed by all at roadside and the other surrounding boulders. Lots of hand damage was suffered trying to hold too small holds. Cheehan retro flashed a V12 thus proving that he is just too strong.

We headed off back to London stopping in Llangollen for takeaway, quite uneventful journey back.