Ffestiniog climbing

Crag: Carreg y Foel Gron (Ffestiniog)
Routes: Elephant's Crawl (VD:sol), Cracked Slab (VD:solbr), Tiger Feet (VS 4b:sh)
Woke up at 6am after a pleasant night at Llyn Dubach and, after a cuppa and some porridge headed up to Carreg y Foel Gron which looms above the lake and is very obvious from the Ffestiniog road. Despite that, I've never actually climbed here before. It is used by outdoor centres, I think, but is surprisingly unpolished and reminiscent of the main Moelwyn crags to the west. That means that it is riddled with lovely incut holds and pockets, with gentle slabs ideal for solo entertainment. I nipped up the inset slab to the right of the main crag to begin: easy but enjoyable out towards the arete on the right. After a downclimb, I took the precaution of setting up a backrope on the main slab before abbing off and nipping up Cracked Slab. This is a nice varied 30m pitch at the grade: up a steepish but juggy crack to a trickier move over an overlap. I popped a clove hitch on the backrope for the final few moves up the finishing slab: with the early morning sunshine just beginning to warm the face. I used the shunt for the harder line of Tiger Feet which goes directly up the slab further right - delicate to start - then finishes more steeply over a bulge with one tricky move right at the top. I then jogged round to the hidden upper tier with fantastic early morning views over Llyn Morwynion and Cwm Cynfal to the Rhinogydd and Llyn peninsula. Some of the arete lines looked great but there are no belays at all above most of the routes, so with regret I jogged back to the car for a wonderful drive down the minor road to Cwm Penmachno then Betws. Wonderful views in more perfect weather, and a delightful riverside breakfast at Pont y Pair while I waited for the second part of the day.