Craig Ddu climbing

Crag: Craig Ddu, Nant Peris
Routes: Zig Zag (VS 4b:sec), Rift Wall (VS 4c,5a,4a:led p.1)
Always satisfying to grab some routes at this notoriously slimy, slow-drying crag, but it was particularly so today as it started to rain as we finished Rift Wall. Even better, both routes were new to me. In the past, I've done a few routes here on a few different visits to the crag, which looks so unappealing and black (as its name suggests) from the road. The left-side of the crag is particularly bad - the routes feel a tad disconcerting although the climbing is often fairly easy and the pocketed, juggy rock is actually excellent. Still, I had no great desire to lead Zig Zag, which Vic did in a single pitch. Sadly, he didn't reach the top so I had to climb to the first ledge to allow him to belay - all on instinct, we couldn't hear each other. Good juggy rock leads to a short groove and steep move to gain a vague diagonal ramp which leads to a wet and insecure section even after a long dry period. Easy climbing throughout and a worthwhile outing. Rift Wall is a better route, which nudges classic status and has three unusually varied pitches with interesting climbing throughout. I led the first, up a pocketed wall to a ledge, then a steep move up a shorter wall to gain a big flake and a traverse line leading back right. This is harder than it looks, but gives good, steady climbing - steep in places with the wall impending above - to gain a pinnacle and then a hidden slab further up on the right. The crux comes immediately afterwards, and Vic took this second pitch. A steep corner crack is tackled by tricky bridging moves to a high side pull, then better holds and fun, juggy climbing. It ends abruptly at a slab, after which the entire route eases (fortunately, as it was now raining - the end of the dry spell). The route ends with an exposed traverse left round an arete on huge flakey holds. The rain became steadier as we descended, so we called it a day, happy to tick off two rarely-in-condition minor Snowdonian classics.