Llanymynech climbing

Crag: Llanymynech, Shropshire/Powys
Routes: Bah Bah Black Sheep (f6a+:led), Up the Spout (f6b:sec), Coming of Age (f6a:led), Culture Cryptic (f5b:led), Culture Vulture (f5b:sec)
One of those venues that you drive past hundreds of times without ever investigating further. The new guidebook inspired me to take a closer look, so myself and Steve headed over for a brief reccie session as the typical unreliable August weather continues. I knew the quarried walls were big, but didn't appreciate quite how big - some massive bolted pitches, reminiscent of the huge single pitches in Gorbio or other Provencal venues. We kicked off with the popular 6a+ taking the vague arete on the right-hand side of the excellent and impressive Grid Iron Wall. This was a fine route - one of the best sports routes of its grade locally - interesting throughout, well bolted, with crux moves over the obvious small overhang at half height. Good rests in places, and rarely overtly strenuous. The final moves took a short wall on small holds. I found the route quite straitforward, and did it quickly and cleanly onsight. The f6b to its left is similar, although I did not take on the continuation on the upper wall. Further right, I led the left-hand 6a up a much scrappier and more broken area of rock. Another very long route, at least 30m from the bottom, only just possible on the stretch of the rope. It was slightly loose in places, but very reasonable technically, just one awkward mantel at half height. Much further left, we walked along the path (crossing into Wales) for two routes on the Cult Wall. This is much shorter, so we did the two longest and cleanest-looking routes on the right: both were worthwhile. Cryptic had one crux move over an overlap which was much harder than the rest of the route, but both were on dark and relatively solid limestone. An early finish gave us time for the Collie run up Moel Famau later.