Eldir Fawr – the Severe climber

Me in Coire na Ciste on my first day of the course.

Me in a bucket seat that I had dug and attached to a buried axe.

Walking through Worthy Wood.

Climbing the absolutely brilliant Gargoyle Flake (VS, 4c) at Bamford Edge.

Climbing the boulder problem Big Slab Right (V0+, 5a) on a wonderfully sunny day at Higgar Tor.

Me on the top of the pinnacle on Pinnacle Buttress at Dewerstone (thanks to Peter for the photo).

Climbing Monkey Crack (VDiff) at Stanage.

Bouldering on the Marsh Boulder at the RAC Boulders.

Me on the summit ridge of Eldir Fawr.

Leading Wall Corner (HVD, 4a) at Burbage.

Me leading Hollybush Gully Right Direct (Severe, 4a) at Stanage.

Bouldering above the beach of Lon Isallt Bay.

Me learning how to do a hoist

Me climbing on The Cube boulder at Bonehill.

Me climbing The Runnel problem at Hound Tor.

Walking on The Black Mountain.

I really enjoy exploring new climbing venues. They’re not new in the sense that they are untouched (I don’t climb that far off the beaten track). They’re just new to me and that makes them intriguing. That is part of why I enjoyed bouldering at the RAC Boulders in Snowdonia for the first time last weekend. It really felt like a discovery because I’d driven past the RAC Boulders fifty or more times before and never realised they were there.

The Marsh Boulder and the Frontside Boulder at the RAC Boulders.

Me bouldering on the Marsh Boulder at the RAC Boulders.

Bouldering on the Marsh Boulder at the RAC Boulders.

Me on the problem named Scoops (F4) on the Marsh Boulder at the RAC Boulders.

What I found was that the RAC Boulders are brilliant fun. There’s interesting and varied climbing on a couple of boulders with a good selection of lower to middle grade routes (which suits me). It’s also, conveniently, only a few minutes from the road while being surprisingly quiet and tranquil. Read more →