Cyfrwy Arete, 3rd July 2010

Today saw Rich S and Tim attempting the Cyfrwy Arete by The Table Direct, a 194m VDiff.
Across the road from the car park and weather permitting, you get your first look at the climb. Even from this distance it looks like a challenging proposition.

The walk in follows the Pony Track which is a well made, but steep route to the summit of Cadar Idris. After the last intake wall is passed we followed a less frequented path to Llyn y Gadar which is at the bottom of the climb. From a distance it looked as though this path would take us through a scree field but as we got closer it was apparent that our scale was somewhat out. The scree was in fact boulders ranging in size from house bricks to small cars and made progress slow.

We could see a couple of climbers just starting the route so we decided to pause and have a sandwich while we watched their progress.

After our refreshments we set off up the steep and very loose boulder field to reach the start of the climb.

As we arrived the party we had been watching had reached the start of the second pitch and were just setting off.

The first pitch of 9m is a grassy scramble so we didn’t bother getting the ropes out until the start of pitch 2. It took 5 pitches to cover the 90m or so to reach The Table, the large broken slab that is a prominent feature of the climb. The climbers in front of us were still tackling the next pitch so we stopped here to admire the views and take on some more fuel by way of crisps and sandwiches.

To continue from The Table you have to down climb into a gully and then climb back up a short pitch before reaching a pinnacle. I lowered Tim into the gully and kept him on belay until he was safe at the pinnacle, he then kept me on belay from the other side while I did the same route. With Tim suitably positioned I carried on passed him and led the next, most exposed and least protected pitch. Another 2 pitches and a long roped scramble along the ridge and we made the top! 194m in total!

The views over the coast were excellent and the walk down in late afternoon sun was fantastic.
Climbing in boots with all your gear on your back is a rewarding and excellent adventure.