Craig y Forwyn climbing

Crag: Craig y Forwyn, Llysfaen
Routes: Route 66 (VS 4c:sec), Duchess (HVS 5a:sec), Heart Attack (HS 4b:led), Plas Newydd Groove (VS 4b:led)
Back again to the 'banned crag', our third visit spread over nine years, since limited access was supposedly granted (the crag has famously been banned since I started climbing in the late 80s). We kept it strictly 'legal', parking in the correct place and heading down to the right-hand side where Vic led the easy VS of Route 66 which is a nice route up a corner to a traverse which gains an obvious open (and vegetated) corner to the top. We did this in 2009, but were then shouted down from a neighbouring route despite the fact that this section has free access. No such problems this time, so we did the excellent Duchess. This gives straightforward low-end HVS climbing up the slabby face left of Route 66. The initial crack gives great moves on big holds to an airy traverse right, which gains a superb pocketed wall diagonally left to an easy finish up a broken groove. Good climb, particularly by the standards of UK trad limestone. We then moved across to the left-hand, shorter and less impressive. We visited here a few years ago and ticked the best routes. This time, I filled in two gaps at around the same grade, both following corner/groove lines. The HS involves a thrutchy back-and-foot corner to an easy pull round a bulge. The groove, further right, is a tad harder, up a corner to another bulge and continuation groove. Both routes nicely sustained at a gentle standard, although both required some excavation to find the best placements: they really do need more traffic.