Cloggy climbing

Crag: Clogwyn du'r Arddu, Yr Wyddfa
Routes: Great Slab (VS 4c,4a,4b,4a,4a:led p.2,4)
A sustained spell of extraordinary hot, dry weather. Indeed, the first time the high crags had come into condition since April, so it was worth making a special effort to get out. Moreover, it was particularly satisfying to tick this historic route, which I've been wanting to do for 20 years, right at the end of the feasible 'season'. Vic and I treated the walk-in as training, and managed it in just over an hour from Llanberis (pleasant memories of the Snowdon race in July, the only other occasion I would ever dream of using this path). Leaving the tourist path below Allt Moses to move into the shadow of this unique crag is always special, but particularly so today as the temperature dropped dramatically as we skirted the east buttress. The first pitch of Great Slab is excellent, a delicate traverse on small positive holds before a superb groove soars up to the belay. The exposure starts to bite on the next pitch, which I led, which traverses right to climb an easy rib and another traverse to a spike. I belayed in the broken ground further right, giving Vic the soaking wet '40ft corner'. This was slimy, despite the weather, but went easily enough by using holds on the right wall then moving onto the slab. Indeed, this pitch and the slab itself were both far more enjoyable than they look from below. I led a long 4th pitch, moving diagonally left across the Great Slab itself: easy climbing but tremendously atmospheric and enjoyable. The final pitch up the left edge of the slab is even better, giving superbly positioned climbing. All very memorable, with a real mountaineering flavour, as was the descent down the now infrequently used (for good reason) Western Terrace. This takes a series of shelves, with lots of debris, down to some wet grooves and honeycombed, mossy rock below the overhangs. We retired early, in order to enjoy a beer and bara brith on the sunny patio of the excellent restored cottage at the bottom of the tourist path.