Oberon, Craig Bwlch y Moch, Tremadog
Severe
The crags referred to as Tremadog in North Wales offer some very
convenient (and sunny) climbing which are often in condition when rain has
stopped play in the mountains. Whilst many people will only go there when
the mountains are not in condition, others make Tremadog their first port of call.
The rock is good honest dolerite which is a pleasure to climb and tends to
offer a wide variety of protection opportunities. One of the finest crags
in the lower part of the valley is Craig Bwlch y Moch which also happens
to be close to Eric's cafe. For those paying their first visit to the crag
and the cafe it's worth being aware that Eric Jones, the white-haired chap
who cooks your bacon sandwiches and wants 50p for car parking has done
abit. 1981 was a particularly good year when he soloed the North
Face of the Eiger.
Tremadog tends to keep its secrets hidden and finding your route is
often a mission in itself. The bottom couple of pitches of each route are
hidden in the trees and it's often difficult to distinguish between the
different areas. However, if you walk away from the cafe you will soon
come to a board kindly provided by the BMC which helps to identify the
different buttresses. The main buttress is Vector buttress which has the
classic Joe Brown route - Vector (E2) and a great VS - One Step in the
Clouds. Walking along the road away from the cafe the Merlin buttress is
soon reached. This buttress, hidden away up in the trees hosts a couple of
great VS, HVS routes in steep grooves. To the right is a large slab which
tapers at the top to a point. One of the finest Severe climbs in the area
is here - Oberon.
From a start in the middle of the slab a series of horizontal and
vertical crags coax you right onto the right arete of the slab. From here
it's worth arranging some gear and having a breather. The next part of the
climbing is superb with a wide variety of holds; always positive but
making you think continuously. Much of this bottom pitch is heavily
polished so it's a good idea to pay particularly close attention to your
feet. Soon the slab finishes on a large ledge where you can arrange a
belay. There's a corner behind and the next pitch starts up this. There's
a few loose blocks in here so it's worth being super-careful to make sure
you don't pull anything down on your belayer. This short pitch brings you
up to a good tree belay. After this the route follows a gently-angled
corner for some way before steepening up slightly in a corner to the top.
The whole route has lovely climbing and although polished, never feels
hard for the grade. A good option when rain stops play in the mountains.
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