Bro Dysynni climbing

Crag: Craig yr Aderyn/Bird Rock, Bro Dysynni
Routes: The Diagonal (S:led p.1)
Bird Rock was the perfect place to break the long journey down to Pembrokeshire for tomorrow's Preseli Beast race. I have climbed here once before, way back in 1994 when I lived in a portakabin on a hillside above Penrhyncoch. Although it is remote, it has the distinct advantage of being next to the road, and we certainly did not want to expend unnecessary energy before tomorrow's likely physical battering. It is a strange crag, however, a tad intimidating with little to offer in the lower grades. I'd done the Buttress before, so we kicked off with the most obvious line of the crag, The Diagonal, which takes the deep break splitting the cliff from left to right. Despite its lowly grade and short length, the route had a slightly serious feel: loose, insecure, untravelled and compounded by the diagonal nature of the line which requires a bit of thought. I led the first pitch, which stays slightly right of the break on good holds until reaching the crack proper. Some questionable threads and loose material, but quite interesting. Above, a tricky move past a tree gains a platform and steep, clean finishing groove. I then led a long third pitch up scrambling terrain to the top of the crag: a ridiculously long descent for such a small crag! The time and effort taken sadly precluded any other routes, given the distance left to travel. The weather continues to be absolutely perfect, and the rest of the drive to Pembrokeshire was stunning in the late afternoon sunshine. Fish and chips in Penparcau were a nice accompaniment to the scenery.