Barmouth Slabs Climbing

With only a two minute walk to the beach, we decided that we should take a stroll before breakfast on the deserted expanse of sand and sky.

A magic way to start the day, even if the wind was icy cold.

After getting our stuff together, we set off up to the slabs above the town. It's often a busy place to climb, but today, there was just us.

The wind was howling over the top of the crags, but we stayed sheltered and warm, while watching big clouds, with squalls of snow pass by and occasionally engulf the nearby peak of Cader Idris.

Bizarrely, every now and then, snow flakes would start falling, having been blown over to us from the passing clouds.

The view from the belay at the top of the crag is first class - one of the best in Wales perhaps, with the winding estuary of the Mawdach below and the peaks of Cader as the backdrop.

We climbed pretty much every route on the cliff, stopping only when the sun moved across and the face became shaded and instantly cold.

With the rock in the shade, we returned to Barmouth in time for ice creams on the harbour (eaten in the sun and sheltered from the wind!) under a palm tree. 

Climbs on Barmouth Slabs:

- Crack 1, Severe (4a)**

- Xebec, E1 (5a)*

- Crack 2, Diff*

- Zig-Zag, V.Diff**

- Main Slab, Severe (4a)**

- Crack 3, Diff**