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Martin Crook on Ung 7A+ Photo: Si Panton


Terry Taylor on Edge of Ecstacy 7A photo: Martin Crook

Martin Crook and Terry Taylor have developed a mini area above the back road in Betws y Coed. The main event is a brilliant crack feature in the apex of a cave formed by two leaning boulders. After a bit of work from Martin this became Ung 7A+. The line starts sitting holding the lip of the uphill boulder and climbs up left into the crack feature before continuing along the slopey lip extension to top out on the far left. A shorter, slightly easier version exits upwards (still difficult) after the crack section.

Up on the right side of the cluster there is another cave, this time closed at the back. Terry became enamoured with the obvious slopey lip traverse on its outer edge and after a few sessions managed to succeed. Edge of Ecstacy 7A starts sitting on the left (obvious left heel hook and foothold for right under the roof) and traverses right, topping out up the hanging arête on the edge of the cave.

The cave itself has a very enticing project line slicing across its innards. From undercuts gain the crack and follow it round the lip into the small finishing groove. This saw some attention from Dave Noden around the time that he climbed the nearby Roof of a Baby Buddha. Dave reckoned it is probably worth 8A. Anybody who is strong and has a reasonable wing span should get on it.

The boulder just up to the right has a number of easier warm up lines climbed by Martin.

Approach: from the Rock Bottom shop in Betws y Coed, follow the minor road through the woods for approximately 1300m, until an obvious layby is reached. If you get to the bridge under the railway you have gone too far. Above the road there is a depression in the wooded hillside. A vague path leads up past an obvious boulder, which has seen some attention from various visitors (Craig Davies, Martin Crook). The main action lies up above; keep wandering up, trending slightly right until a cluster of stacked blocks is reached. 10-15 minutes.

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