Castle Inn/Marian Bach climbing

Crag: Castle Inn
Routes: Wilderness Wall (f5a:led), Butterfly Blue (f4:led), Birthday Boy (f5a:sec), School Mam (f6a:led), Comeback Kid (f4:sec), Indian Summer (f6a+:sec)
Crag: Marian Bach
Routes: Route 1 (f4c:led), Route 3 (f5:led), Route 9 (f5c:led), Route 7 (f6a:led), Route 10 (f5c:sec), Route 13 (f5c:led), Route 14 (f6a:sec), Route 12 (f6a+:led*)
Marian Bach is a newly bolted crag, and as is the way with these things in the UK, not exactly a classic venue. However, it was better than I'd expected it to be: good rock in places and a handful of decent climbs. We started on the small crags at Castle Inn though, as it was only Hayley's second time climbing outside. The three routes on Wilderness Wall, slabby and relaxing, were ideal starting points and she completed her first ever lead with no problems. I then led the slightly overgraded School Mam on the main face: done many times before, a good route with technical climbing up to a steep section which is far easier than it looks. After a bite, we bushwhacked around to the hidden and secretive Marian Bach, a much quieter venue. The routes are a little vegetated and look a little loose, but seemed to be fairly sound. Route 3 is a bolted steep corner, rather naughty by UK standards, although it's not as if anyone else would ever have come here without the bolts. Good bridging, big holds. To the right is a bigger and much cleaner steep face: quite good limestone, with the best routes here. Route 9 was a surprisingly tricky wall between two cracks, while Route 7 is perhaps the best route here. It traverses left on blocky rock to a well-positioned arete and nice finish, a touch overgraded at f6a. Hayley was climbing very well, a natural, and having no problems: so I suggested she lead Route 10, another nice route on the vegetated slabby face to the right, with a tricky and delicate crux at the top. Finally, at the far right of the crag was a cleaned wall with an overhang. I led the enjoyable steep wall on good holds direct (Route 13), then did another decent route (14) to its right: a delicate traverse to a crucial foothold which allows the overhang to be passed to the upper wall, rather like a miniature version of Tremadog's Fang! Finished with a steep and tricky f6a+, then went back to Castle Inn in glorious sunshine, where Hayley led the arete and we both did the excellent Indian Summer (led before) on rough rock at a mildly technical f6a+. Then it was a quick drive for coffee in Mold before joining the run up Moel Famau.