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Venue: Wales
Date: 23rd Mar 2002
Who: Tony Saunders , Clare Holdich , Steve Marshall , Andy Longyear, Kieron Salt

Description: A single day visit to the Ogwen Valley to do some easy early season climbing on the Idwal Slabs.
It turned out to be a warm if somewhat hazy day, and very pleasant on the crags. Routes around the 450 foot mark - and broken into 3 pitches with a 50m rope. Good feeling of openness and arguably quite a tricky route off - a grade 2 possible grade 3 scramble down meant that some people abseiled off down onto the gully to the left of the slabs. Crag is not in the sun until later in the day. You can extend you climb by tackling one of the many climbs at the head of the slabs - Lazarus being the notable easier one. All are greded (S)evere upwards.
Thanks to Andy Longyear for driving (as usual)

(BELOW)
Clare starting out on the second pitch. Three of us climbed this route with two ropes. tedious for the last person who spends a long time at each belay - and who doesn't even have to take protection out. Try to climb in even numbered parties if possible.

Idwal Slabs
Hope Route - (VD) TS / CH / KS
Charity Route - (VD) AL / SM

(RIGHT)
The 20 minute walk in from Ogwen cottage
Kieron at the top of the slabs in the Devil's Kitchen, looking down on Llyn Idwal
(Above) ROUTES - Click to enlarge
(Above) Clare looking pensive.
Click to enlarge the image
The Slabs have great character, and are less intimidating than vertical VDiff routes so are perfect for the novice climber, or climbers descending from Glyder Fawr at the end of a day wanting to get in a last easy climb.
We had an odd number of people (5) - whch is not ideal. We arrived at around 9:45am and he crag was starting to fill up. By the time we had reached the first belay there were people queuing at the base of the crag - and unfortunately, three people climb slower than two so we were causing a bit of a logjam at one point.
Unlike Little Tryfan (Tryfan Fach) - the way off the slabs is a bit more tricky and probably as difficult and exposed as the climb you just did - except that you tend to do it sans gear and protection. Take care - a friend that Andy knows fell down the slabs (and survived luckily! - mainly due to her wearing a helmet). It is easy to do and you should perhaps consider abseiling off or having someone belay you down the first bit off the back of the slabs. We chose to abseil as another group was there and we pooled some tat to leave behind.
Remember to to take some shoes to walk off in - climbing shoes would be a bit of a pain. Don't forget water in the summer and of course waterproof and grub.
Clare Abseiling off
(Above) Kieron with Idwal Slabs in the background.
Kieron and Clare reaching
the top of the climb.
(Above) Andy and Steve on "Charity"
We didn't get many pics of them.
(LEFT)
The Yellow Route was HOPE
The Orange route was CHARITY

Red circles were the belay points.

 

Kieron on the second pitch.
(Above) Route off - Click to Enlarge
Here the top of the slabs - zoom shot taken from y Gribin Arete.