Tan y Grisiau Boulders

Hippocampus 8A/+New Noise 8A/+

Flick of the Wrist 7C/+New Noise RH 7CNodder’s Arete 7B+

Jordan’s Crispy Crunch 7B!Cashmere 7BThe Gout Club 7A+Geoff’s Roof 7A+Big Red Button 7A Tempest 7A

Flying Arete 6C+Chris’s Kashmir Curry 6C+Ryan’s Groove 6C Hollt Fono 6B+! Lee Cooper 6B+Y Chwydd 6B+The May Queen 6B+White Arete 6B Punch and Judy 6B Crib Fawr 6A! Sam’s Problem 6A

Hollt Coffin 5+!Hanging Slab 5! Llech Mawr 5! White Central 5

Blaenau’s premier bouldering venue with a small but impressive collection of problems found by the side of the dam road below Craig yr Wrysgan and Clogwyn yr Oen. There is a good spread of grades here, plus plenty of different styles of problem on offer, from highball arêtes to powerful roofs. The

landings are generally quite good, nonetheless pads and spotters will be appreciated by most visitors.

Neil Dyer going for the top on the ultra classic Tempest 7A photo: Si Panton

Area: Blaenau FfestiniogAspect: South

Rock type: Rhyolitic TuffApproach: 10 – 15 minutes

Altitude: 400mOS grid ref: 679 454

Tan y Grisiau

Tempest Area

Chris’ Kashmir Curry

Boulder

CwmOrthin

Craig yr Wrysgan

A496

Blaenau Ffestiniog

Clogwyn yr Oen

LlynTanygrisiau

Clogwyn y Bustach

300m

Lower Boulder

Field

UpperBoulder

Field

4 5Tan y Grisiau BouldersTan y Grisiau Boulders • Introduction

Conditions: The boulders get plenty of sunshine and are mostly quick drying; the excep-tion being the New Noise roof and the Chris’ Kashmir Curry block which are at their best during dry periods. Providing it is not raining (or snowing) climbing is possible throughout the year.

Approach: On the A496 road from/to Blaenau Ffestiniog, turn off for the small village of Tan y Grisiau. Follow the road up to a tight crossroads then follow the narrow and very steep lane up the hill, underneath the narrow gauge railway. Continue up the road until it changes into a track at a small parking area (for Cwm Orthin) beneath a quarry tip. An alternative route avoids the steep hill: just after turning off the A496, take the left turn towards the power station; follow the road around past the head of the lake and back right to reach a locked gate blocking access to the stwlan Dam service road. Just before this point turn right, then left onto the road running up to the Cwm Orthin parking spot.

Follow a path breaking off left from the Cwm Orthin track, cross the footbridge over the stream and continue over to join the private service road for Llyn Stwlan which runs across the hill side beneath Craig yr Wrysgan and Clogwyn yr Oen. Follow the road until it crosses a prominent incline.

The first area lies down below the road. To reach it drop down the incline for 30m and turn back left beneath a high slab with a distinctive thin crack line (which has been lead). A little further round an attractive wall swings into view.

Ryan McConnell travelling fast on Big Red Button 7A photo: Si Panton >

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6 7Tan y Grisiau BouldersTan y Grisiau Boulders

1. Crib Fawr 6A! ** The big arête at the right side of the face is a bit of a frightener.

2. Hollt Fono 6B+! ** The thin highball crack is a compelling line, but unless you are climbing well within your grade, approach it with care! A dis-tinctive forefinger mono move proves to be the key to success.

3. Hollt Coffin 5+! ** Another scary highball, but this time at a more amenable grade.

4. Tempest 7A *** The attractive blunt arête gives brilliant, technical climbing and an engaging finish.[Ryan McConnell 27.04.02]

4a. Big Red Button 7A ** Dyno for the top just left of the arête, us-ing an obvious sidepull on the arête for the right hand. This can be done static by taking a slightly higher sidepull. [Gruff Owen 23.05.02]

5. Y Chwydd 6B+ * Start matched in the big break and make a difficult transition to the upper slab; various methods exist, some harder than others.

6. Flying Arete 6C+ * Start matched in the big break and make some tenuous moves to get established on the hanging arête, swinging round to the left to finish. [Pete Robins 28.01.12]

In the first cluster of boulders by the dam road, there are a few hard problems:

7. Flick of the Wrist 7C/+ ** A powerful and much tried line. The ob-vious steep wall in a recess that can be seen 20m from the road. Start standing matched on the good sidepull. Four moves to the top, simple as that; the slabby left sidewall is out of bounds. The obvious sds on the undercut is a very hard project.[Jordan Buys 20.03.09]

8. Nodder’s Arete 7B+ * This is the arete in a hole about 6m to the left of Flick of the Wrist. Start: right hand on arete and left hand on a sidepull on a steep wall. Match the arete and top out.[Dave Noden 2009]

9. The Gout Club 7A+ * An energetic little number! 25m left of Flick of the Wrist a 50cm high stone wall runs away from the road. The wall leads to a boulder with an overhanging face in a pit. The problem starts on a pair crimps, and is possible via two distinct methods, suiting either the tall or short climber.[Chris Davies 10.07]

500m further up the dam road and past a bend a large block lies opposite a layby and below Clogwyn yr Oen.

10. The May Queen 6B+ * Traverse right-to-left across the slabby roadside face, then around the arête to gain and follow the juggy shelf across the steep face. [Danny Cattell 13.03.02]

11. Cashmere 7B * Start sitting 2m left of the arête with right hand on a low sidepull and left on a crimp. Snatch the distinctive finger hold with your left and power upwards to the jugs on the shelf. Continue boldly up the high crack to finish. [Danny Cattell 13.03.02]

12. Chris’s Kashmir Curry 6C+ ** From a sds/crouching start on opposi-tion side pulls move up to the jug and the

shelf; finish boldly up the high crack as per Cashmere. [Chris Davies 2001]

13. Hippocampus 8A/+ * This heinous traverse line is one of the hardest problems in the Blaenau area. Start sitting at the left side of the face on opposition side pulls by the obvious block. The difficulty kicks in straight away with two fierce moves: a cross to a dirty crimp, and then a dynamic lunge to a horizontal slot. Another few moves rightwards leads into Chris’ Kashmir Curry. The problem then continues rightwards to finish on jugs at the right arête. [Adam Hocking 10.07]

14. Jordan’s Crispy Crunch 7B! * A slightly highball line left of Hippocam-pus. Start by pulling off a boulder (right hand: undercut fin, left hand: pinch under the adjoining boulder). Snatch up the wall to a high-ish finish. [Jordan Buys 20.03.09]

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9Tan y Grisiau Boulders

A further 100m up the road in a dip behind a fallen down wall more worthwhile prob-lems can be found.

15. Geoff’s Roof 7A+ ** From a sds on a flake at the left side of the roof, move out across the lip right-wards to gain and top out via the finger flake and boss. [Geoff Turner 90s]

16. New Noise 8A/+ ** A superb test piece. Climb the roof di-rect into the finish of Geoff’s Roof from a crouching start on a pair of small under-cuts. Power through to the lip, match and ‘power-glide’ up the face via a crimp/flake to hit the top. [Chris Davies 10.07]

16a. New Noise RH 7C * A couple of easier variants have been done. Pull on from a crouching start with the better and slightly hidden undercut a little further out, or with your right hand on the open pinch.

17. Sam’s Problem 6A * Start sitting 3m left of the hanging nose; traverse diagonally rightwards and gain the top of the nose. [Sam Davis 28.01.12]

18. Punch and Judy 6B * From a match on the horizontal ramp slap the slopey lip and mantel over. [Ryan McConnell 11.03.02]

19. Ryan’s Groove 6C ** Climb the attractive groove feature from a sds. Harder than it looks. [Ryan McConnell 28.01.12]

20. Lee Cooper 6B+ * The hanging prow taken from a sds on a large undercut. [Danny Cattell 03.03.02]

21. Hanging Slab 5! * Gain the hanging slab and teeter up on small holds. A good problem with an un-forgiving landing. [Danny Cattell 11.03.02]

Pete Robins grinding out the mantel on Y Chwydd 6B+ photo: Si Panton

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25White Arete

Hanging Slab Ryan’sGroove

Llech Mawr

Clogwyn Yr Oen

Punch and Judy

Geoff’s Roof

10 11Tan y Grisiau Boulders

22. Llech Mawr 5! * The central line on the big slab. Other variants are possible to the left and right. [Danny Cattell 03.03.02]

23. White Arete 6B * Sds up the left arête of the white face.

24. White Central 5 * The central line on the white wall.

25. White Right 4 The right hand line on the white wall.

26. 6A Sds line on wall opposite White Arete.

Further up the road there are more possibilities for the intrepid explorer.

Ryan McConnell on White Central 5 Adam Radcliff balancing up onto Hanging Slab 5! photos: Si Panton

Tan y Grisiau Boulders

Pete Robins on the first move of the powerful test piece, Flick of the Wrist 7C/+ Sam Davis hanging lip holds on Sam’s Problem 6A photos: Si Panton

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Guide Disclaimer Boulder problems can change unpredictably; holds can break and landings can change. All boulderers must rely on their own ability and experience to gauge the difficulty and seriousness of any boulder problem. Bouldering is an inherently dangerous activity.Neither the author, editor or publisher of this guide accept any liability whatsoever for injury or damage caused to (or by) climbers, third parties, or property, arising from its use. Whilst the content of the guide is believed to be accurate, no responsibility is accepted for any error, omission or mis-statement. Users must rely on their own judgement and are recommended to insure against injury to person or property and third party risks.

AcknowledgementsBig thanks go to Dafydd Davis for being such an enthusiastic cheer leader for bouldering on the Blaenau crags and for providing guided tours of the area.

Vital information and feedback has also been drawn from a large pool of climbers; the following have been especially helpful: Ryan McConnell, Danny Cattell, Gruff Owen, Chris Doyle, Dave Noden, Chris Davies, Pete Robins, Neil Dyer, Elfyn Jones, Owen Davies, Adam Radcliff, Sam Davis, Rich Sharpe, Jordan Buys, Adam Hocking, Dan Knight and Rich Betts.

Simon Panton is the author, photographer and editor, while design and layout was han-dled by Al Williams. The translation work was carried out by Iwan Arfon Jones.

March 2012

© Ground Up Productions Ltd

Tan y Grisiau Boulders Tan y Grisiau Boulders

Finance for the project came from local community group, Antur ‘Stiniog. You can read more about their aims below.

Statement of Intent

Develop the potential of the “Outdoor Activities Sector” in the Ffestiniog area in a sustainable and innovative way for the benefit of the local residents and economy.

The Aims of Antur ‘Stiniog:

· Develop the Ffestiniog and Snowdonia areas as a focus for outdoor activities.

· Develop firm pathways to working to enable the local community to benefit economically and to ensure the sustainability of the project, such as offering specialist training to enable people to work within the industry.

· Prepare local businesses for the development of the project.

· Work with local schools, including giving local primary school children the opportunity to experience taster sessions in relation to outdoor activities, heritage and local history.

· Work with the secondary school to provide pathways to working within the field.

· Entrepreneurship will be a vital part of our work with local children and young people.

· Ensuring that skills, training and work placements are integrated within Antur ‘Stiniog’s business plan in order to ensure the sustainability of the project and offer value to the local community.

· Bending work programmes of other agencies such as Snowdonia National Park, Gwynedd’s Outdoor Partnership, the Welsh Language Board and Tourist Partnership Mid Wales in order to fulfil training needs, Welsh language needs, businesses, conservational and educational elements of the project and develop pathways to working.

· Ensuring that the Welsh language is prominent and thrives as a result of the development.

· Continue to support the groups that already exist as a result of Antur Stiniog’s efforts, and help establish new groups which are connected to the outdoor sector locally.

· Develop the Ffestiniog area’s status as a cultural tourism centre and a venture economy.

· Develop green and healthy tourism within the scheme by securing local economic benefit, but also offering visitors an alternative tourist experience by giving them the opportunity to learn about our local heritage, the Welsh language and the town’s history and current events.

· Provide employment of a high standard and training opportunities for local people.

· Invest any profit made to further develop the business and to support other local community enterprises.

· The developments of Antur ’Stiniog will be environmentally sustainable, conforming to the ethos of the Green Town Project.

< Sam Davis on Lee Cooper 6B+ photo: Si Panton