Leaving The Cottage in the pouring rain and driving though a cloud filled Ogwen valley seemed a little on the optimistic side for a days rock climbing, but we kept the faith (or rather, Clare did), and hey-presto, we arrived at a warm, dry Craig Dinas, near Betws-y-Coed.
I'd been reliably informed that there were now some abseil stations at the top of the crag, as last time we were here, we had to endure some gorse bashing to escape from the top on foot. Thankfully not the case today.
Incredibly, not only was it dry, but the sun came out and we climbed in T-Shirts! What a bonus. Behind us in the mountains, we could see the rain, but it was roasting hot where we were.
The in-situ belay at two thirds of the crag height, did little to inspire confidence, so we chose to climb both of our routes in one single push, to avoid having to hang around on some dubious placements. The climbing is fantastic and the rock generally solid, but the gear needs a bit of hunting to find and you need to be okay with running it out a little.
The way down is very convenient though! Straight back to our bags. As we returned to the ground after two routes, the rain caught us up. We walked back to the car as spots were falling, but it didn't get going until we were driving away. Phew! A lucky escape!
Craig Dinas Climbs:
- Groove Slab, VS (4c)*
- Desire, VS (4c)*
(probably both 4b though!)
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