Nant Ffrancon climbing

Crag: Craig Braich Ty Ddu, Carneddau
Routes: Decameron Rib (VS 4a,4b,4a:led p.1,2), Cuckoo Groove Direct (VS 4c,4a:led p.2), Route 2 (S:led p.1)
This collection of crags has never been popular, even though they are not far above the A5. I did a few routes here with Tim in 2002, and did the scramble up the broken face above a few times as a teenager. As so often, the routes are good but it's a downward spiral: they get left out of selective guides, nobody goes there, the paths fall into obscurity and the routes get vegetated. Meanwhile the polish on the classics gets worse. I always like doing something different, so persuaded Vic to join me for the awkward traverse over multiple shallow heathery gullies to get to Decameron Rib, probably the most obvious and eye-catching line here (although the vast majority of visits to this crag are for Pinnacle Ridge). Rather cold, cloudy and windy as I started the first pitch, up an awkward crack splitting the rib left of the deep groove that marks the route out from below. There are actually numerous options for this first pitch, but I enjoyed this way, which seemed the cleanest and most frequently travelled (all relatively speaking, however) - up to a pinnacle, then a tricky move up to a long flat hold and a couple of saplings to a small stance below the roof. Vic led off up pitch two but didn't fancy the move below the roof. So we swapped leads and I edged along good footholds to a committing move round the bulge below the roof. A perfect little sidepull and a skip right allows for another sideways move to gain a little ledge in the bottomless groove. Good gear here, but the continuation crack was sadly vegetated and dirty: very likely the first ascent this year. Straightforward climbing, bridging to avoid the plantlife, led to a dodgy pinnacle, then more interesting climbing to a small stance (too low, but I was keen to avoid drag). Above, the third pitch takes a very pleasant slab up to a huge sculpted flake and a finish up a pinnacle - in the sunshine now, warm and welcome. A nice VS, deserves far more traffic than it gets. We abbed off down the gully to the right for a sunny lunch, enjoying superb views over Nant Ffrancon to Y Garn and Foel Goch. A slog up another gully, wet and unpleasant, led to the next buttress up. I'd been here before, for Route 2, but we went for the eye-catching line of Cuckoo Groove. As it happens, a cuckoo was calling (and flying around) as Vic led the first pitch. The crux comes immediately: a good 5a move, awkwardly stepping off a flake on to a very steep, slightly impending wall. Small holds and smaller footholds until a finger crack can be grabbed. Then good climbing to a stance in the groove. My pitch was supposedly 4b: it led down and right on excellent rock, but the gear was sparse. I made two committing moves up to a footledge, got some small wires in behind a thin flake, then made another move into the groove above. It looked very committing indeed: reasonable climbing but all the cracks are hopelessly shallow seams. Basically no gear, and the arête above looked similarly committing. Reminded me of the second pitch of Grey Arete: far too early in the season having led virtually no trad pitches all year! So after a rather harrowing downclimb, I continued up the direct version of the route. This isn't in the old guidebook, presumably because it makes the route too disjointed (indeed, the HVS line is a bit contrived as it seeks difficulty by moving away from the main groove line). But the continuation groove still gave a nice pitch of about 4a, up quartz holds and good flakes. I assume this direct line up the groove was not a first ascent! We finished with the excellent Route 2, which I did with Tim in 2002. It's one of the best Severe pitches in Eryri, but completely unheralded. I led a short pitch one over blocks and pinnacles, then (tired after what had gone before) followed Vic up an awkward crux, which involves a very steep thrutch to stand on a pinnacle, then an off-balance reach to exit a wide crack. Above, the delightful upper wall runs to superb jugs and flakes on immaculate rough rock.