Feature: Lleyn climbing guide review
19/12/2002

The new Lleyn guide is now on sale, with over sixty new routes added since the last guide was published. Dave Ferguson, Iwan Arfon Jones and Pat Littlejohn have produced an extremely well researched and easily utilized climbing guide. Many will be glad to hear that the guide is still in pocket book size; a must for this area, especially on some of the bigger crags.

As you would expect from a Climbers' Club guide, it is well laid out, following the usual trend: Introduction, Access, Nature Conservation, Historical and of course, route descriptions; although there is no star system. The new guide has good location introductions and the new area maps make arriving at your chosen venue a doddle. Also, with the addition of the superb new cliff topo drawings, the routes are far easier to find (albeit, just as difficult to climb).

According to the December issue of Climber magazine:

“the whole production is lifted by a superb set of action photos”

Which is true. The cover shot is enough to make any climber to wish to go there, as are most of the others. Unfortunately the bouldering shot of Porth Ysgo is very poor. Not only does it manage to make Pete Robins look fat (which he is not), but it also makes one of North Wales premier bouldering venues look crap.

Every climber should at some time make a pilgrimage to this backwater Welsh climbing area. The coastline of the Lleyn is one of variety and the climber will revel in some of the finest coastal scenery Wales has to offer. The climbing isn’t bad either.

How could any climber forget the pleasantries of Guillemots' Groove (VS) on Pen y Cil? Here also lies my own nemesis, Manx Groove (E3), one of the Lleyn's original test pieces. A route, which in keeping with local ethics, will be done on-sight!

Or how about the sun-traps that are the Ty'n Tywyn Quarries with its awesome friction, routes from VS to E6 and superb beaches nearby to chill out on. Seeking out the outrageous Samurai (E2), an old Joe Brown route from 1967 is a must. The first pitch goes through seven overhangs alone!!

According to numerous local activists a visit to Vatican zawn on Trwyn Cilan to climb The Path to Rome (E3) is a worthy day out (Yes, it is a truly great route. – Editor's note) This area also hides Cilan Main where another of my dream routes lies: Vulture (E4). Mind you, flicking through the history section I did notice the following cautionary tale:

"Cliff Philips and party later abseiled down into Cilan Main to repeat the route (Lime Street). They were so utterly in awe of the cliff that they prusiked straight out again."

Priced at £10 this guide is a bargain. It has got me psyched for the Lleyn again and I suppose that is what a guide should do. Buy it, go scare yourself stupid.

Llion Morris

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