This Area includes the popular crags of Tremadog and also the nearby Porthmadog crags, plus the opportunities in Aberglaslyn and the nearby perma-dry Carreg Hyll-Drem. Tremadog is the comfort zone of Welsh trad crags. For a relaxing day out on routes well within your ability, or to test yourself on something harder, you can’t beat this roadside crag with integral café. The sun is always shining, and the routes are always very pleasant. Climbing heaven. UK Climbing says of Bwlch y Moch, ‘One of the best crags in Wales, with multi-pitch routes up to 250ft. Many classic including Christmas Curry (S), One Step In The Clouds (VS 4c), The Plum (E1 5b), the unbeatable Vector (E2 5c), Void (E3 6a), Zukator (E4 6a) and of course Strawberries (E7 6b). Often busy with people exiled by the weather in the Pass.’ But don’t forget Pant Ifan, with Poor Man’s Peuterey (S), Scratch (VS 4c), Itch (E2 6a) and the immaculate Silly Arete (E3 5c), and Creag y Castell, ‘Some great classics in the lower grades on perfect rock; tends also to be quiet. Single- and multi-pitch routes up to 220ft such as the wonderful Creagh Dhu Wall (HS 4b), One Step in the Crowds (E1 5b), The Wasp (E2 5c), Mensor (VS 4c) and Pellegra (E3 6a).’
I led the first pitch (25m 4a) and took my first ever leader fall(!) on the third pitch due to a route finding error about 4metres from the top out. I fell on my second-down climb from the left of the short grove at the summit, which I should have been taking to the right. Aware I was reading the route wrong I set up a belay on the lesge about 9metres below the top out and my partner completed the pitch, which I then seconded, feeling some personal annoyance.
