Gwynant climbs

Crag: Clogwyn y Wenallt, Nant Gwynant
Routes: Oxo (VS 4b,4c:led p.1)
Crag: Craig Penmaen Brith, Nant Gwynant
Routes: Excalibur (VD:led)
Another perfect spring day, with Nant Gwynant at its tranquil best. I've wanted to visit Clogwyn y Wenallt for some time, as it is such an eye-catching crag from the road. We walked in around the lake, delightful, and I began the slightly wet first pitch of Oxo. Large holds on wet, black rock lead rightwards to a flake. A delicate move up a short wall gives access to a slightly precarious gangway, which continues the traverse rightwards to another short wall. A steepish move up this gains a good finishing hold and the obvious ledge: a nice 30m pitch. After the easy slab middle pitch, Vic led an awkward top pitch up a steep crack with a surprisingly hard final move to a ledge, then a short traverse right on lichenous rock. We then took the direct finish, rightly given 5a in the old Williams guide, up a steep reachy crack to better finishing holds. A good route, quite sustained and certainly not the soft touch I'd half expected. Took us a while, so after lunch we ambled along the lakeside in stunning weather conditions: perfect clarity of light, barely a ripple on the lake, hardly anyone around. We emerged at Penmaen brith, a mossy crag of slatey rock hidden in a copse and probably the least suitable choice for a day like today. Particularly as the only clean line was the deep cleft taken by Excalibur. This is really a thrutch for a wet day, as it goes up an awkward chimney to a ledge with jammed boulders. It then climbs a huge oak tree to gain a pleasant rib which leads to the top. Beautiful views of the lake, as this crag is located near the water's edge. However, it was not the most successful climbing day I've ever had, so we continued the circuit of the lake before enjoying the sunshine outside the Bryn Tyrch.