Direct Route, Milestone Buttress, Snowdonia
Very Difficult
Report by...hazel (off of the forum)
Climbing for me, is all about multi-pitch mountain routes. A day
buzzing up and down at Stanage Edge is all well and good but it doesn't
compare with just climbing up, up and eventually topping out to stand
with the world falling away from your feet and panoramic views of
mountains rising in the distance. The Milestone Buttress crouches at the
feet of Tryfan in the Ogwen Valley and although it's somewhat smaller and
less imposing it offers some great multi-pitch routes from diff to E5 with
a walk in that's substantially shorter than walking up to the heather
terrace on Tryfan's east face. Direct route is probably the most popular
route on Milestone Buttress and as such, one of the most popular in the
whole valley. A short walk from the car park takes you to the foot of the
buttress and a nice little area where you can have a brew, start munching
sarnies that should be lasting the whole afternoon and sort out your rack
with little danger of losing it down the hill.
The guidebook describes Direct Route in five pitches but the top
pitches are short and unless you're using a short rope it can easily be
done in four by climbing the third and fourth together. The first pitch
offers two variations: the obvious crack up the slab is slightly easier
than the "traditional" start from the far left of the buttress
and from there it's just a few moves to the first belay stance. Just watch
your knees don't get stuck down behind the block! Pitches two, three and
four are easy to follow. Cosy nooks for belay stances and some nice moves
which include a waaaayy out there hand traverse followed by a
step/bridging move across a gap that's probably easier for the tall.
Scramble up a few feet and you'll be at the foot of the final pitch.
Purists will thrutch their way up the polished chimney on the left but a
small gully on the right offers an equally good climb and avoids the
waterfall that appears when it's rained the previous day.
Direct Route is a pleasant climb and a good choice for people starting
out with multi-pitch climbing. The belay stances are large and
straightforward and the inevitable polish doesn't detract from the quality
of the climbing. There are plenty of protection opportunities on the route
and positive holds when you need them. Whist the climbing's relatively
easy there are a few moves that feel abit bold when out on lead. It's a
great route but if all that still fails to inspire, you can still enjoy
the brilliant views down the Nant Ffrancon towards the coast.
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