Idwal enchainement

Crag: East Wall, Cwm Idwal
Routes: East Wall Girdle (VS 4a,4b,4b,4b:led p.1,3)
Crag: Holly Tree Wall, Cwm Idwal
Routes: Original Route (VS 5a:sec)
Crag: Continuation Wall, Cwm Idwal
Routes: Groove Above (S 4b:led)
Crag: Upper Cliff, Glyder Fawr
Routes: Grey Arete (HVS 4c,4c,5a:led p.1,2)
A magnificent day, with precisely 1,010ft of high quality climbing. East Wall Girdle has long been a target of mine, an intriguing long rising traverse which starts up the first pitch of Tennis Shoe and gradually weaves its way across this complex wall. I've led this pitch before and it's an enjoyable, though polished, romp up a subsidiary slab which I merged with the second pitch of the Girdle. Immediately, the polish is gone - replaced by the superbly rough bubbly rock of the East Wall. An easy quartz slab leads to a stance, after which Vic merged another pitch (conventional p.3+4) to the stance on Rake End Chimney. This was excellent, up another slab to a steepening, with a tricky move round a bulge to gain the Heather Wall slab. Some drizzle but it didn't matter, and it soon stopped. Great climbing on bubbly rock led left across the slab to a delicate move round an arete to gain the stance. I then led another long merged pitch, across an undulating line of weakness on perfect rock to gain the Ash Tree Wall, followed by the easy gangway that leads to the 'Meadow'. Vic finished up the final pitch, shared with Grooved Wall, up a steep wall in a good position before moving left and finishing up a splendid final groove. A terrific route, a Welsh classic, never technical but superbly sustained at a gentle standard and long enough to really satisfy. We were carrying a sac, by necessity on such a day, and scrambled across and down to enjoy lunch below Holly Tree Wall. Sunshine started to peep through as Vic led Original Route in one pitch. This is another cracking route, with a famously awkward start to gain a short groove. This didn't seem too hard, solved by a little side-pull, and gives access to the delightful Crescent Slab, which leads easily to a chimney. This was almost impossible to get up with my sac, so I moved out onto the left wall for a hard move on small positive holds (much harder than the supposed crux at the start). Easy climbing leads to a big ledge directly below Groove Above, which I led immediately. Again, this has a notorious awkward start, which again is only a few inches above the ground. Solved this fairly comfortably, to give nice climbing up a positive groove before the route quickly peters out on ledges which lead out to a rib and the top. Dehydration was now inevitably kicking in, as we finished our small bottle of water, but I managed to locate a stream as we continued up the scrambling terrain diagonally rightwards to the Grey Group. I remember doing a similar combination of linked routes here years ago, finishing with Grey Slab and thinking what a magnificent place this upper cliff is. This time, it had to be Grey Arete, which looks absolutely compelling from every angle. I led up the initial groove, which requires a semi-layback up a positive flake edge which eventually allows for a skip right to the arete itself. Easy climbing up this, on perfect rock, gains the belay: intricate, immaculate climbing, a great pitch. The position of the belay makes it impossible to merge, so I bought Vic up before continuing up the second pitch. This follows big pockets to a delicate and committing move on small holds. Tendrils of mist swept down the crag as I started up the wall - superbly atmospheric and memorable. Vic then led the final pitch up a steep flake which leads after one tricky move to a wide positive crack and easy shelves: the mist peeled away as I followed to reveal Llyn Idwal shimmering far below. A marvellous, classic climb in a truly wonderful position above it all and finishing near the top of Glyder Fawr. Three short cruxes, one on each pitch, but the route is generally straitforward enough to allow the position and line to be fully savoured. After an interesting scramble upwards, we traversed across to the top of Senior's Ridge and descended this to the East Wall Gully scramble - which gave more rock work back to the other sac where we'd started seven hours ago. As we descended further, all the mist and cloud gradually cleared with some wonderful effects, to leave an evening of unusual light clarity.