DHFF-mag 6

6.

#

hon ian

1.

“Without a rope there is no fear because to fall is unthinkable.”

Catherine Destivelle

Nodyn Note

C

roeso i Rifyn 6 cylchgrawn DHFF, rhifyn arbennig sydd wedi ei greu gan Griw HONGIAN i roi rhagflas ar Foldro a dringo ym Mlaenau.

Nodyn - Nid yw hwn yn ymgais i greu Llawlyfr dringo, ond yn hytrach i godi ymwybyddiaeth i bobol ifanc y Fro am Antur a her sydd ar gael ar eu stepan drws yma yn yn y Dref Gadarn.

“Blaenau yw un o’r llefydd fwya Creigiog yng Nghymru - yn wir, dylid ei ailenwi yn Dref y Graig! Ble bynnag yr ydych yn edrych mae creigiau a chlogfeini. Gyda’r holl graig sydd ar gael nid yw’n syndod fod yna gymaint o fowldro a dringo da i’w gael!”

Simon Panton

W

elcome to Issue 6 DHFF magazine a special issue that has been created by the Hongian gang to give a taster on Bouldering and climbing in Bro Ffestiniog.

Note - this is by no means an attempt to create a guide but rather an attempt to raise awareness amongst the Youth of the Town about the adventures that awaits them on their door steps.

“Blaenau is one of the rockiest places in Wales - in fact it should be renamed the Rock Town! Wherever you look there are crags and boulders. With all that rock on offer it’s no wonder there’s so much good bouldering and climbing to be had!”

Simon Panton “Remember when sex was safe, and rock climbing was dangerous?”

Chuck Pratt

3.

MOELWYNION TANYGRISIAU Y SIDINGS TREFEINI CWM HONGIAN CRAIG GWYN MANOD CRAIG PENIAL FOEL GRON TRAWS 5.

BOLDRO BOULDERING Boldro yn syml yw dringo a hongian heb raff.

Bouldering is the art of free-climbing; there are no ropes involved.

V

DRINGO CLIMBING Dringo - Crefft o ddringo creigiau gyda raff a chĂŽt.

Climbing - The art of Mountain Climbing with Ropes & Kit.

7.

MYNYDD

MECCA MOUNTAIN

b

e Catrin Roberts

laenau Ffestiniog, y dref a’i hadeiladwyd

Dwi am rhoi gweddill yr erthygl yma drosodd i ddringwyr

yng nghesail y graig, a’r gweithwyr

ein creigiau, achos tra fod bod a chyfleusterau gwych mor

a

agos i’r creigiau yn adnodd sydd o fantais i’r fro, da iw cael

greithiodd

y

mynyddoedd

gyda

milltiroedd o inclens’ yn arwain o ymylon

barn bobl lleol, ac o ffwrdd o’n creigiau ynde!

eu tref a’u ffyrdd i’r mynyddoedd a’u creigiau er cyrraedd y trysor o lechi ar

“Mae’r

creigiau

uwchben

Tanygrisiau

wedi

bod

yn

gael iddynt. A diolch i’r drefn am hynny! Na, na, dydw i ddim

boblogaidd a dringwyr dros sawl blwyddyn. Dringwyd un

am ddechrau rhamantu am yr oes a fu, dim ond am nodi fod

o’r dringfeydd gora yno yn 1928 gan yr epilgar Colin Kirkus,

Blaenau a Thanygrisiau yn lefydd delfrydol i fynd i ddringo

un o ddrignwyr gorau Prydain ac arloeswr dringo creigiau

gan iddynt a’u hadnoddau gael eu sefydlu mor agos i’r creigiau

ledled Eryri. Mae’r gan y 3 clogwyn - Clogwyn yr Oen, Craig yr

dringo, gyda sawl inclen yn gwneud eu cyrraedd llawer haws.

Wrysgan a Chraig y Clipiau llawer iw gynnig o ran dringfeydd ar gyfer pob gallu. Yn gwynebu’r de maen’t yn derbyn llawer o’r

Angen bod yn agos i’r creigiau a’r mynyddoedd oedd y

haul ac yn rhannu golygfa gwych gorwelion de Eryryi. Mae’r

chwarelwyr oherwydd eu gwaith, ond fe grewyd drwy hyn

graig folcanig yn lan, cadarn ac yn cynnig digon o afael

‘demplate’ gwych ar gyfer y rhai sydd a pherthynas hamddenol

cadarn, golygai’i natur craff fod dringo pan yn wlyb yn bosib

a’r mynyddoedd y dyddiau hyn ..bo hynny i ddringo, scramblo,

hefyd. Y mwyaf poblogaidd o’r tri yw Clogwyn yr Oen. Mae’r

cerdded, ogofeu a sawl peth arall.

clogwyn ‘multi-pitch’ hyfryd ‘ma gyda sawl dringfa haws o safon dda, gyda’r mwyafrif a digon o ffyrdd i ymrafael y rhaff

Diolch i’r diwydiant a bu’n Fam i Flaenau Ffestiniog gawn ni

sy’n ddarnau technegol, hwylus ar greigiau glan. Mae’n saffle

ei phlant gammu allan o’n tai, neu o gaffi ( ddwedai ddim am

gwych i’r rhai sy’n dechrau ar ddringo ac i ddysgu sgiliau

o dafarn! ) a charlamu i fyny’r graig am ysbaid o’n bywyd dyddiol

dringo. Dyma’r lle mae llawer i un wedi cymeryd eu camau

a gwynebu her y creigiau ( a theimlo haeddu ein pryd o fwyd

dringo cyntaf. Mae’n fendith hefyd ei fod dim ond taith byr

a pheint da yn y bwytai neu thafarndai lleol wedyn).

iw gychwyn, a gyda ffordd hawdd i lawr o ben y dringfeydd.

Er fod y creigiau’n boblogaidd, mae’n llawer llai prysur ar y

“Mae’r teimlad o lefydd prin wedi eu cyffwrdd yn erfyn

“Safle gwych i ddechreuwyr, carreg cadarn dda i osod eich

Wrth gwrs, y dyddiau hyn nid dim ond bobl lleol ac ambell i

cyfan na chlogwynni Tremadog. Os nad yw dringo at eich

arnof.”

‘bomber gear’, cwmni y defiad hanner ffordd i fyny eich siwrne,

ddiethryn sydd yn gwerthfawrogi ein cyfoeth lleol, daw bobl

dant, neu fod chwant neud rhywbeth gwahanol cynnigai

R.Roberts (Bachgen Blaenau)

y golygeydd, cerdded drwy twnnel yr inclen, a fel a ddwedwyd

o bell bellach i fwynhau a gwerthfawrogi ein creigiau. A dim

mynyddoedd Moelwynion lwybrau cerdded ardderchog,

syndod, hawdd iawn iw dod yma gyda char neu feic, neu

ymhell oddiwrth torfeydd arferol yr Wyddfa a bannau

“Mae’r Moelwynion yn cynnig rhai o’r dringfeydd inogol

Paula Betts (Hogan Blaenau)

ar un o’r trenau rheolaidd o Landudno, Pwllheli a Bermo, neu

adnayddus eraill. Gallwch hefyd archwilio adfeilion eang

gorau o phob raddfa yn y Parc Genedlaethol, ac ar rai o’r

“Mae’r creigiau dringo uwchben Tan y Grisiau yn ardderchog,

gyda bws, ac yna camu i fyny inclen neu ddwy cyn cyrraedd

gweithfeydd y chwareli, neu hyd yn oed fynychu taith tywys

creigiau gorau y dewch chi ar eu traws ledled Cymru; gyda

dringfeydd braf, craig da a golygfeydd gwych. Mae’n le da i

ein Mecca Cymreig. Braf iawn i ymwelwyr hefyd iw’r ffaith

drwy’r nifer faith o dwnneli.”

golygfeydd penigamp.”

ddysgu dringo, a nid oes raid i chi gerdded ymhell.”

fod cyfleusterau fel bwytai, llety a thafarndai nid nepell o’u

Richard Bale, Snowdonia Walking and Climbing

Ian MacNeill

‘Rusty’ (Hogyn ‘Pesda)

safleodd dringo, a gyda siop gweithgareddau awyr agored

www.snowdoniawalkingandclimbing.co.uk

www.climb8.com

gwybodaeth lleol am y gweithgareddau awyr agored a’r

“Y golwgfeydd, y tywydd (dydy hi nyth yn bwrw ym

“Y gallu i anghofio popeth a canolbwyntio ar dim byd ond

a phobl gyda cyfleusterau bwyta, cymdeithasu a lleteua

arweinwyr ar gael hawdd iawn iw pigiad yno a phigo bren

Mlaenau!), mynediad haws at y mwyafrif o’r dringfeydd,

chdi a’r graig yn un o llefydd gora’r byd. A y siawns i bwsio

bendigedig nid nepell o gwbwl o’r dringfan. Dowch yn llu

neu ddau.

celfi dringo ar gael yn y siop os yr anghofiwch chi unrhyw

dy gorff i’r llefydd doeddat ddim yn ymwybodol o fod yn

i’n tref , dringwch ein inclens at ein Mecca Cymreig Creigiog

beth, digon o lety hyfryd i drigo ynddynt. Mae’na

bodoli.....i fi, o leia, dyna be mae on feddwl.”

....a MWYNHEWCH .xXXx

lety hyfryd, gwely a brecwast gyda lletywyr gwych, a

Gwydion Ap Wynn (Bachgen Croesor a Blaenau)

Catrin Roberts blaenauactive@live.com

a gwerth ei ddweud eto ...craig cwl.”

newydd agor yma os ydynt wedi anghofio rhywbeth neu angen

Felly dyna ni i chi, ardal ddringo gwych sydd heb ei boddi

digon o wersyllfeydd. Mae’n dibynnu be da chi isio!”

Helen MacAteer, Siop Antur Stiniog Shop www.anturstiniog.com

9.

INCLÊN lower quarry

b

laenau Ffestiniog, a town hugged by the mountains, who’s first workers lined the landscape with miles of inclines leading from their town to the treasure trove of slate at the other end. Don’t panick, I’m not about to wax lyrical or romance about our historical past, but these inclines are a perfect way of accessing the climbs that Blaenau and Tanygrisiau have to offer, with all ameneties available so close by.

The quarrymen needed to live close to their workplace, and took advantage of the inclines as a means of getting to work.

For us it means easy access to the climbing routes both from Blaenau or Tanygrisiau for those of us who enjoy the outdoor activities in wild areas ...be it climbing, scrambling, caving, walking or anything else. So their wonderful inclines give us all an easy route up to many a climb. Blessed be their woolen socks!

Thanks to the Mother industry of Blaenau Ffestiniog, we, her children, can step out over our own doorsteps, or from a local cafe, and stride up to the rockfaces for a break from every day life and face the climbing challenges presented, ending the day with some well deserved food or a pint nearby.

Of course these days many more people call by from afar to enjoy and appreciate our wonderful resources, be they rock faces or to use the skills and knowledge of our local guides.

It is also easy to get to Blaenau or Tanygrisiau, by road or rail, with trains from Porthmadog (Ffestiniog Steam Railway), Pwllheli, Barmouth and Llandudno. From the stations, it is a short way up the old quarry inclines to reach our largely under-exploited climbs. Of course it’s a plus for those who visit to be able to eat and sleep after a hard day in the mountains without having to travel far, with ameneties and public houses within easy walking distances from the climbs. Now Blaenau has an outdoor activities shop. Newly opened, so essential items, the need of some local knowledge or a guide, can be arranged or purchased in the town. So as we say around here ‘pick the staffs brains!’ if you need something.

I am handing the rest of this article over to those who climb our rock faces, for even though letting you know how easily accesible these climbing routes may be, ‘user feedback’ I feel is invaluable!

“The cliffs above the village of Tanygrisiau have been popular with climbers for many years. One of the finest climbs there was first climbed in 1928 by the prolific Colin Kirkus, one

of Britain’s greatest climbers and pioneer of rock climbs throughout Snowdonia. The 3 cliffs - Clogwyn yr Oen, Craig yr Wrysgan and Craig y Clipiau have a lot going for them and offer climbs for all abilities. Being South facing they get a lot of sun and give fine viewa across the Southern end of Snowdonia. The volcanic rock is clean, solid and furnished with plenty of positive holds, it’s grippy nature means the climbing is also ok in the wet. The most populr of the 3 crags is Clogwyn yr Oen. This delightful multi-pitch crag has many quality easier climbs, most of which have ample belay stances connected by fun, technical sections on clean rock. It is an ideal venue for novice climbers and for teaching climbing skills, many climbers will have taken their first climbing steps here. It also benefits from a short approach walk and easy descent from the top of the climbs.

Although the cliff is popular it is often much less busy than the crags at Tremadog. If rock climbing is not your thing or you fancy a break the surrounding Moelwynion mountains offer excellent walking routes, far away from the crowds of Snowdon and other more well known peaks. You can also explore the interesting ruins of the extensive slate workings and even go on a guided tour of the numerous tunnels.”

Richard Bale, Snowdonia Walking and Climbing www.snowdoniawalkingandclimbing.co.uk “The views, the weather (it never rains in Blaenau!), easy access to most routes, climbing gear available in the shop if you forget anything the people, plenty of lovely places to stay. There’s a lovely lodge, b&bs’ with great hosts, plenty of local camping. Depends what you’re looking for!”

Helen MacAteer, Siop Antur Stiniog Shop www.snowdoniawalkingandclimbing.co.uk “The relative untouched feel appeals to me.”

R.Roberts (Blaenau Lad) “The molewyns offer some of the best individual routes of each grade in national park on some of the best rock you’ll find in all of Wales; with fantastic views.”

Ian MacNeill www.climb8.com “To be able to forget everything and concentrate on nothing else but you and the rock in one of the best places in the world. As well as the opportunity to push your body to a place that it did’nt know exsisted......to me, at least, that’s what climbing here means.”

Gwydion Ap Wynn (Croesor / Blaenau Lad)

INCLÊN llechwedd

INCLÊN dinas

votty rhiwbach INCLÊN 1

dinas

Trefeini

A470

INCLÊN diphwys

Rhiwbryfdir

nyth y gigfran

i P

P

Glanypwll

diphwys

Oakeley Square

G/N

A496

P

A470

Fron Fawr groby granite quarry siding P

Maenofferen

Ysbyty Hospital

ffestiniog railway

Tanygrisiau Cwmorthin

Bethania

INCLÊN cwmorthin INCLÊN craig ddu P

Manod A496

manod granite quarry siding

A470

“A great venue for beginners, good solid rock to place bomber gear, the company of sheep half way up a route, the views, walking through the incline tunnel, and as mentioned and worth mentioning again cool rock.”

Paula Betts (Blaenau Lady)

P

“The rock climbing above Tan y Grisiau is excellent, nice routes, good rock and great views. It’s a good place to teach and learn climbing. And you don’t have to walk far” ‘Rusty’ (Pesda Lad) “The molewyns offer some of the best individual routes of each grade in national park on some of the best rock you’ll find in all of Wales; with fantastic views.”

So, there we have it, a fantastic climbing range that hasn’t, as yet, been swamped by people, with good eating, socializing and sleeping ameneties all close by. Come to Blaenau, get up those inclines to our very own Rocky Welsh Mecca ......and ENJOY .xXXx Catrin Roberts blaenauactive@live.com

11.

BEN BANC e Sam Dafis

c

raig a mynediad rhwydd iddi, gyda dros deg problem

o

ne of the most acessable Crags in the Rock Town with up to 10 various level problems. The landing under the Crag is pretty bad so make sure you’ve got a matt or mattress & a spotter.

amr y wiol y w Craig Pen Carreg y Defaid, neu fel y adnabyddir ar lafar: Ben Banc. Mae’r lanfa o dan y Graig yn hynod o ber yg felly mae mat neu fatres yn angenrheidiol.

13.

Y CILFFYRDD

THE SIDINGS

m

his is a long standing favourite with local climbers since it is so close to the centre of Blaenau, just a 15 minute walk from the Queens (no really?!) and even closer to Cell B. It is characterised by a series of old school technical problems on some cool quarried walls with brilliant landings, and some more modern offerings in a boulder field a few meters away.

The whole place is just quality with a real range of climbing styles including technical walls, steep burly roofs, fingery arêtes and even a couple of traverses.

However, you will need a bouldering mat for most of the problems in the boulder field and a spotter might even be a good idea too. But best of all there are plenty of things to work at and hopefully tick off as you get stronger.

e Sam Dafis

ae hon yn hen ffefryn, deg munud ar droed yn unig o ganol y dref (neu Cellb) i’r graig. Ceir golygfeydd gwych, a nifer o broblemau technegol gyda chymysgedd o ddringo a thoeau serth yn denu dringwyr o bob safon i fwynhau’r graig hon. Bydd

angen mat glanio arnoch yn ogystal â spotter, ond mae digon o amrywiaeth a sialens i bawb ddatblygu yma.

e Sam Dafis

t

15.

CRAIG TREFEINI CWM HONGIAN

t

u ol i’r Sidings y mae Cwm Trefeini neu Cwm Hongian fel yr ydym yn ei alw yma.

Ceir nifer o broblemau bowldro, ac mae’n graig berffaith i ddatblygu a dechrau dringo â rhaff.

b

ehind Y Sidings lies Cwm Hongian or Cwm Trefeini an amazing plateau like feature that looks like an ancient battlefield site from the Genghis Khan days! Trefeini is an excellent single pitch Climb for beginners.

17.

CRAIG GWYN e Sam Dafis

c

raig arall a golygfeydd gwych yw Craig Gwyn, sydd ychydig funudau’n unig o’r brif ffordd. Mae gafaelion ar y graig gwartsaidd yn bositif iawn, gyda ardal glanio da. Mae amrywiaeth eang o sialensiau bowldro yma, gyda rhai eithaf isel yn eu gradd a sialens o groesi o un pen i’r llall ar afeleion cadarn. Pen uchaf y graig ceir sialensiau gradd uwch lle gall rhaff fod yn ddefnyddiol.

t

his is the most accessible venue in Blaenau, being not more than a few minutes from the road, and it is in a stunning location. The rock is a slightly strange quartzy stuff, running to mostly good in-cut holds and the landings are mostly ok. However, the problems are quite high if you go all the way to the top (a rope would be a good idea) so the problems all go as far as a particular hold and then the prudent just jump off. A mat is therefore a really good idea here as is a spotter, but it is as actually quite a good place for low-grade climbers since most of the problems are not too difficult with nice big holds pretty much all over the place. There is also a really cool traverse of the crag from left to right which gets a real pump on and in its own right is pretty good training. In all then this is great little crag with plenty to go at and you never know you might even progress to using a rope here.

19.

CRAIG PENIAL

u

n o’r llefydd mwyaf cŵl i clogfaeni ym Mlaenau gyda chasgliad o broblemau o safon uchel ar garreg garw nodweddiadol Blaenau, mewn lleoliad sy’n wirioneddol nodedig. Wrth chwysu i fyny’r inclein o’r brif ffordd, mae’r golygfeydd yn gwella’r uchaf yr ewch tan gyrraedd y blociau, lle mae’na deimlad

ffantastig o undod, a dim ond 15 munud o’r stryd fawr! Mae rhan fwyaf o’r blociau ar dir uchel (plateau) felly mae’r rhan fwyaf o’r problemau yn dda o ran glanio. Mae glaniad yn gallu bod yn ‘punchy’, gyda theimlad eithaf serth a chorfforol. Y broblem groesgornel amlwg i’w drio yw; ‘This Way Inclined’, tra bod ochrau serth ac uchaf o ‘Inkerman’ sydd efo llwybr syth yn rhywbeth i ni anelu ni at. Mae’r lleoliad yn gweddu ar y gorau, ond mae dal werth cymryd taith fyny, gwnewch yn siŵr bo gennych chi fodiau cryfion a mwy na dim camera, wir i chi dyma ydi clogfaenu ar ei orau o le arbennig.

t

his is the coolest place to go bouldering in Blaenau with a collection of high quality problems on typically Blaenau rough rock, in a truly stunning location. As you sweat up the incline from the main road, the view just keeps on getting better and better the higher you go until you arrive at the blocks where you have a fantastic feeling of splendid isolation. This is all just a 15 minute walk from the high street! The main blocks are on a kind of plateau and so most of the problems have quite good landings. But they are pretty punchy, with a steep and physical feel. The must-do-problem is the massively obvious diagonal line of This Way Inclined whilst the awesome Inkerman, which goes straight up the highest and steepest part of the main block, is something to wonder at and maybe aspire to. This is not a place for beginners but rather it is best suited to middle or upper-grade climbers but it is still worth taking a stroll up there. Just make sure you take strong fingers and most of all a camera.

This really is bouldering at its best in a very special place.

21.

TANGRISH

S

afle gorau bowldro Blaenau gyda chasgliad trawiadol o broblemau i’w darganfod wrth ochr y ffordd i’r argae o dan Graig yr Wrysgan a Chlogwyn yr Oen. Ceir gwasgariad da o’r graddau yma, gyda sawl arddull gwahanol ar gael, o gribau uchelgeilliol i dechreuadau o’r eistedd pwerus. Ar y cy fan mae’r

glaniadau yn rhai da, er hynny fe f ydd rhan f w yaf o ymwelw yr yn gwerthfawrogi padiau a sbotwyr.

b

laenau’s premier bouldering venue with a small but impressive collection of problems found by the side of the dam road below Craig yr Wrysgan and Clogwyn yr Oen. There is a good spread of grades here, plus plenty of different styles of problem on offer, from highball arêtes to powerful roofs. The landings are generally quite good, nonetheless pads and spotters will be appreciated by most visitors.

23.

CAREG Y FOEL GRON

m

an gwych i glogfeini i rai ar y lefel isel neu ganolig, gyda phroblemau addas i wahanol arddulliau gyda chefndir syfrdanol o ganolbwynt y Migneint. Lle perffaith i gychwyn dysgu a lle da ar gyfer grwpiau a gwahanol allu.

Mae clogfeini eang ledled y lleoliad, a’r daith

gyntaf yw’r un i’w hymchwilio fel arfer, hefo clogfeini uchel brawychus, ond hefo glaniad da. Mae’n lleoliad gwych i ymweld ag yn aml gan fod hi’n bosib creu llwybrau a chylchdeithiau ar lefelau gwahanol.

Nid yw’n bosibl blino hefo lleoliad fel hyn. Mae’r creigiau yn rhai garw a gludiog hefo cryn dipyn o amrywiaeth math; gan gynnw ys waliau cynnil, gordo a hongw yr i gysgodi. ‘Ochr Dywyll y Tramwy’ (The Dark Side Traverse), ‘Clawdd yr Heulwen’ (Sunshine Wall), ‘Fuhrer Swmpus Pobl y Selsig’ (Mighty Fuhrer of the Sausage people), ‘Dialedd Nick’ (Nick Nemesis) a’r ‘Yr Epa Ffynclyd’ (Funky Gibbon) sy’n sefyll allan y mwyaf. Nid yw’n hanfodol i ddod a mat, ond mae rhai yn teimlo’n fwy cyfforddus a saff hefo rhai, mae’n hwylus iawn, a pham ddim gwobrwyo eich hunain yn gaffi Pont yr Afon Gam ar waelod y bryn wedyn.

t

his is a great bouldering venue for the low to middle-grade climber with a very wide range of problems of differing styles, with the backdrop of breath-taking views into the heart of the Migneint. It’s the perfect place for beginners or groups of differing abilities. The problems are scattered around quite a wide area, giving a first visit a kind of exploratory feel and the place has a nice kind of vibe to it since few of the problems are particularly high or intimidating and most of the landings are pretty good too. It’s a great place for going to regularly since you can put together circuits at different grades and it’s somewhere you will never get tired of. The rock is rough and sticky with loads of different sorts of holds from tiny little edges to great big buckets and there are all kinds of styles including delicate walls, overhangs and even some pumpy heel hooking traverses. The real stand out problems to go at are The Dark Side Traverse, Sunshine Wall, Mighty Fhurer of the Sausage People, Nicks Nemesis and the bonkers Funky Gibbon. A mat is not essential but might make you feel happier on some problems. Just have fun! Why not reward yourself with a brew and a cake in the Pont yr Afon Gam Café at the bottom of the hill?.

e Daf Nant

25.

CRAIG YR OGEF TRAWSFYNYDD

c

logfeini perffaith i’w boldro ym Mro Ffestiniog. Mae’r lle yn berffaith gyda llinellau gwych, dringo amrywiol, creigiau gwych ac mewn lleoliad trawiadol.

Mae’n cynnwys cyfres o frigiadau bach yn hytrach na chlogfeini mawr gyda phob un o’r problemau yn dilyn llinellau naturiol a chryf sy’n debycach i

lwybrau bach na chlogfeini ac mae’r graig yn arw ofnadwy fel y mwyafrif o gerrig rud (gritstone) y Rhinog.

Mae’r dringo’n dechnegol gyda llawer i grych (crimps) ac ychydig o ogwyddau (slopers) ac mae dyfalbarhad iddi yn talu pwyth yma, ond pwyll bia hi mae rhai o’r glaniadau yn flêr felly sicrhewch eich bod yn cymryd mat.

Ar y cyfan mae’n fan gwych i fynd i glogfeini, gyda rhai clogfaen yn amlycach na’r lleill; problemau fel ‘Caeth i’r Shindig’ (V4), ‘Trawsnewid’ (V2), (The Knife) Y Gyllell Gynnil (V2) a’r ‘Floedd Waedlyd’ gwych (V5) ac mae’r ansawdd yn ddigon i gadw ydych yn dod yn ôl dro ar ôl tro.

t

his place is probably my very favourite place to go bouldering in Bro Ffestiniog. It’s just perfect with great lines, varied climbing, superb rock and a stunning location. It’s made up of a series of small edges and outcrops rather than boulders with all of the problems following strong natural lines which are more like small routes than boulder problems and the rock is the roughest Rhinog gritstone you could hope for.

The climbing is technical with lots of crimps and edges as well as quite a few slopers and a determined and quite bold approach pays dividends but some of the landings are a bit dodgy so make sure you take a mat. The walk is beautiful with great views of Trawsfynydd Lake, the Rhinogydd and the Moelwynion mountains and it’s a very peaceful, idyllic spot and one where you are unlikely to see another climber.

All in all this is a great spot to go bouldering with some stand out problems like Addicted to the Shindig (V4), Trawsnewid(V2), The Subtle Knife (V2) and the superb Bloodscream (V5) and the quality is enough to keep you coming back again and again.

27.

HANES DRINGO

BLAENAU e Elfyn Jones

d

echreuodd amser maith yn ol...

Cymhlethodd y llwybrau yn y saithdegau, gafodd ‘plum lines’

pwrpas

oedd

ei ddringo fel Green Wall (E3) ar Craig Wrysgan gan Jim Perrin,

llechi tô defnyddiol, pwrpas defaid

y llwybr annoddaf ar y pryd. Mae’r hanes y llwybr hyn wedi

odd cyflenwi gwlan, a dringo odd

troi’n un dadleuol, gan bod dyn o’r enw McCallum wedi datgan

gweithgaredd i dynion cyfoethog

ei fod o wedi’w dringo yn barod (yn ogystal a llwybrau eraill

rhagfarnllyd yn debygol o gael barf

ar draws Eryri a Gogarth). Nid oedd hyn yn wir yn y diwedd,

ymarferol

cerrig

hir a’n ‘smygu peip od.

nid oedd dim tystion i brofi bo gan McCallum profiad o dringo.

Mae’r rheswm dros y celwydd hyn dal yn dirgel hyd at heddiw!

Y dogfen cyntaf i ddangos llwybr ddringo, mae’n debygol, oedd yn 1928 wedi’w wneud gan Colin Kirkus, trac sydd bellach

Ni wnaeth llawer digwydd o ran creu llwybrau newydd ar ol

yn cael ei adnabod fel Kirkus’s Climb ar Clogwyn yr Oen.

hyn, tan canol y saithdegau, pan cydweithiodd Mel ‘y twrch’ Griffiths (dyn ‘caled’ lleol) a Dave Bailey i greu llwybrau

Mae’n debygol bod eraill wedi scramblo neu chwarae ar y

Moelwynion caled newydd – ‘Nosferatu E4’, ‘Bing the Budgie E4/5’,

clogwyn cyn amser hyn yn cynnwys llethr/ esgyniad honedig

‘Fiddler on the Dole’, ‘Erwhon’, a rhai debyg eraill. Erbyn amser

o cefn carreg ar ochr gogleddol Moelwyn Mawr gan Abraham

hyn mi wnaeth safonau codi, sioc mawr i ni fel pobl lleol,

Bros yn gynnar yn y 20fed ganrif. Yn ystod y 1930au mi

pan oedd ein llwybrau gorau ni yn cael ei diystyru gan tim

roedd botanesgwr lleol (death i fod yn botanegwr adnabyddus

ysbeilgar; Ron Fawcett a Paul Williams. Mae’n debygol na

fel cyfarwyddwr cyntaf o’r Nature Conservancy yn nghymru);

Ron oedd dringwr gorau ei amser yn y Deurnas Unedig

R. Elfyn Hughes wedi gwneud helaeth o ddringo. Er nad

ar person cyntaf i cael ei gofnodi i wneud E5 yn ‘Crimson

oedd ei llwybrau dringo wedi’w dogfennu llawer, gallwn

Cruiser’ yn 1980. ‘Emerald’ yw llwybr annodd sydd yn rhoi’r

dybio mae fo oedd y gyntaf i ddringo Slick, Chick, ac efallai

un fath o profiad ac yn caniatau i ddringwyr cyrraedd yr

Africa Rib.

un math o safon, a wedi’w camoli gan dringwr lleol, Mel Griffiths. Erbyn amser hyn mi wnaeth Mel darganfod disgybl

Yn dilyn yr ail rhyfel mi roedd dringwyr a aelodau’r tim

oedd yn dringo’r clogwyni ar ol ysgol a’i gyflwyno i’r gem,

llu awyr frenhinol llawer mwy weithgar yn yr ardal, o dal

yn aml yn dringo darnau dinod erchyll, wedi’u gorchuddio a

arweinyddiaeth Johnnie Lees. Mi wnaeth Johnnie Lees

llysdyfiant, neu llwybrau dringo newydd tan bod tywyllwch

mynd ymlaen i ysgrifennu a cyhoeddi ei arweinlyfr dringo

neu glawaid (fel arfer y ddau) yn stopio’r chwarae. Mi

cyntaf ir ardal yn 1962. Yn ystod y cyfnod hyn mi wnaeth

roedd y cludiant ir clogwyni fel arfer yn cynnwys beic

nifer o bobl dechrau dringo llwybrau newydd, o’r Gelynnen

modur cuddliw ‘the mule’ tra bo hi’n dywyll, gan nad

clasurol at Craig Wrysgan- llwybrau gafodd ei rhoi at ei gilydd

oedd genai helmet ac i sicrhau bo ni ddim yn cael ein dal!

gan pobl lleol Porthmadog yn 1953 (Bob Davies, Glanmor

Doctor Terry Taylor, gwyddelwr yn byw yn Tywyn, wnaeth

Mantais y datblygiadau erbyn heddiw yw bod cymaint o

ddarganfod y lleoliad hyn diwedd y 90au tra ei fod yn

bobl lleol wedi cymryd rhan – mae rhan fwyaf o crags Eryri

Williams a hyd yn oed Chris Bonnington gyda Chris Basher)

Mi roeddwn i, a Zac Filzek yn gyfrifol am rhoi fyny’r E6 cyntaf

gwneud y gorau o clogwyni y Moelwynion. Mi wnaeth ddod

wedi’w datblygu gan ddringwyr o Sheffield neu Manceinion

ai enwi’n Double Chris, wedi’w raddio yn llwybr VS at Craig

‘Purple Paradise’ ar Clipiau, sydd wedi cael ei ailwneud dipyn

o hyd i clogwyni oedd wedi’w guddio yn ogystal a cwpl o

neu bellach i ffwrdd, ond mae’r moelwynion yn teimlo fel

y Clipiau. Mi wnaeth y Joe Brown enwog hyd yn oed ymuno

dros y mis dwytha gan dringwyr o llanberis, yn cynnwys

teithiau gwerth chweil.

yn y ddringo yn 1961 ar yr crags odd yn bargodi. Mi wnaeth

Nick Bullock.

Johnnie Lees ac eraill fel KC Gordon cario ymlaen yn creu

rhywle i’r pobl lleol- er, yn yr hen oes (1980au) mi roeddem yn cael ein gweld gan teulu a ffrindiau fel criw od a ‘quirky’, gan

Felly, be nesa i’r Moelwynion? Dal ddim mor ‘ffasiynol’ i

mai’r gweithgareddau hamdden odd peldroed neu bowls,

llwybrau newydd, yn cynnwys Slack, Space below my Feet

Mel wnaeth creu’r E7 – dylsech dringo ‘Tears in the Rain’

gymharu fo Pass na Gogarth, mae’r Moelwynion yn darparu

meddwi a rhoi cartrefi gwyliau ar dan! Mae’n neis cael gweld

a Dorcon a datblygu clogfeunau llai fel Craig Fach a Craig y

os ydych yn barod cael eich dwylo di crafu gan y creigiau

digonedd o llwybrau gwych, clogwyni, a dipyn o llwybrau

dringo yn troi’n gweithgaredd llawer mwy poblogaidd a

Bustach. Daeth ‘Space below my Feet ’ yn teiltl o’r llyfr dringo

arswydus, wedi’w lleoli yn chwarel Manod, dringfeudd sydd

sydd heb cael ei ddringo nai cwblhau eto, rhai reit annodd

‘mainstream’, hefo dynion a merched yn cymryd rhan. Nid

enwog ysgrifennwyd gan Gwen Moffat, aeth Gwen Moffat

yn gofyn cael ei ail-ddringo.

hefyd!

oedd llawer o merched lleol yn dringo yn yr ardal, felly’r ras

ymlaen i fod y dynes brydeinig cyntaf i arwain ar mynyddoedd.

nesaf fydd i merched dringo’r E5 – gan gobeithio nad oes ganddynt barf hir neu’n smygu peipen!

29.

BLAENAU CLIMBING HISTORY e Elfyn Jones

i

t all started way back in the dark eons of time… when rocks were only useful for roofing slates, sheep were there for wool, and climbing as a fun activity was only carried out by posh upper class misogynistic men with long beards who smoked dodgy pipes.

The first real documented forays on to the rough rock of Blaenau were done by Colin Kirkus back in 1928 when he pioneered his eponymous route and by now classic Kirkus’s Climb on Clogwyn yr Oen. Other had probably scrambled or played on the cliffs before this time including an alleged ascent of a rocky ridge on the north side of Moelwyn Mawr by the Abraham Bros in the early 20th century.

Throughout the 1930ies a local botanist (in fact he became a very well-known and noted botanist and the first director of the Nature Conservancy in Wales) called R. Elfyn Hughes climbed extensively and soloed on most of the crags.

Although his routes were not very well documented he was probably the first to climb some of the easier and most notable lines such as Slick, Chic, and possibly Africa Rib.

After the Second World War climbers and members of the RAF Mountain Rescue team under the leadership of Johnnie Lees were very active here. Johnnie Lees then wrote the first published climbing guidebook to the area in 1962.

During this time a number of people climbed new routes… from the classic route Y Gelynnen at Craig Wrysgan, put up in 1953 by Porthmadog locals Bob Davies and Glanmor Williams and even Chris Bonnington (together with Chris Brasher) appeared and put up the aptly named Double Chris, a VS graded route at Craig y Clipiau also in in 1953.

Even the famous Joe Brown got in on the act and climbed Overhanging Cracks in 1961. Johnnie Lees and others such as KC Gordon continued to put up new routes, including Slack, Space Below my Feet and Dorcon and developed minor crags such as Craig Fach and Craig y Bustach. Space Below my Feet became the title of the well-known climbing book written by Gwen Moffat, who became the first British female mountain guide.

Things got steeper into the seventies and some plum lines were climbed including Green Wall (E3) on Craig Wrysgan

by Jim Perrin, which was by far the hardest route in the area for some time. There was quite a bit of controversial history surrounding that particular route, as a man called McCallum had claimed to have climbed it previously (as well as many other desperate routes all over Snowdonia and Gogarth).

However it turned out to be a complete sham and he had never climbed any of the routes he claimed to have done and no-one had ever witnessed him climb anything. Noone knows quite why he did this or what his motives were but it was all very odd!

Not much happened in terms of new routes after that until the mid-seventies when local hard man Mel “the mole” Griffiths teamed up with Dave Bailey to start looking at some quite hard routes and soon they bombarded the Moelwynion with new hard routes – Nosferatu E4, Bing the Budgie E4/5, Fiddler on the Dole, Erwhon, and similar. By this time standards were definitely being pushed but it was a great shock to us locals when the arguably the best route was stolen from under our noses by a marauding team of Ron Fawcett and Paul Williams. Ron was probably the very best climber of that time in the UK and the first recorded E5 in the area was Crimson Cruiser in 1980. However routes such as The Emerald are proving to be equally as hard if not harder and provide climbing as good as anything of similar standard and was put up by local Mel Grifiths. By this time Mel had found a snotty nosed schoolboy soloing around on the cliffs after school and he soon dragged me into his game, climbing often obscure vegetated horrors, usually new routes climbed on-sight until darkness or rainfall (usually both!) stopped play. A camouflaged off-road motor bike (“the mule”) was the normal machine to transport us to the crag and as I didn’t have a bike helmet or even a climbing helmet at the time journeys were made after dark to avoid being caught!

The first E6 was probably Purple Paradise on Clipiau put up by myself and another local “Zak” Filzek and which only this month has seen several repeats by a number of Llanberis based climbers including Nick Bullock.

The first E7 was quite rightly put up by Mel – Tears in the Rain is a desperate snatchy finger ripping horror at Manod quarry, which probably still awaits a second ascent.

Irishman doctor Terry Taylor also discovered the area in the late 90ies and being based in Tywyn often found himself beavering away on the rough Moelwynion crags. He found lots of obscure craglets and routes and even managed the occasional worthwhile route! (Sorry Terry…we had climbed most of the good ones before!).

So..where next for the Moelwynion? Still not really “fashionable” compared to the Pass or Gogarth but there are still plenty of great routes, definitely lots of great bouldering to be had and even a few unclimbed and hard routes to be done.

What’s great about the development to date is that so many locals have been involved – most of the other crags in Snowdonia were developed by climbers from Sheffield or Manchester or even further afield but the Moelwynion have always been a bit of a locals place even though back “in the day” way back in the 1980ies, I really do think that those of us who climbed were thought of by our friends and families as being very odd and quirky as most locals were only interested in football, bowls (!!), boozing and probably setting fire to holiday homes!! But it’s great to see climbing now becoming a mainstream activity in Blaenau, with local lads and girls becoming involved. The latter is an important point – as very few local girls or women climbed and the race has to be on for the first local female to climb E5 – hopefully without a long beard or smoking dodgy pipe in sight!

31.

d

ydy hyn ddim yn hwyl. Dydy hyn ddim

Mae’na falf yn hisian agor yn fy ymennydd tra bod rheg

Bywyd – sydd ar hyn o bryd yn ddim mwy na chlwt bach o

mwy nac ofn a phoen. Mae fy elinoedd

ddiddiwedd yn llifo o’m ngenau. Dwi’n gynddeiriog gyda fy

weiriau gwyllt ar silff o graig, gyda boncath yn taflyd ambell i

wedi chwyddo’n ormodol, yn pwmpian

hunain, y graig a’r penbwl a hwrjiodd fi i wneud hyn. Yna

gylch bach diog yn yr haul, cwmwl, mynydd, llyn yn y pellter

asid batri, mae’r graig yn brathu i mewn

dwi’n canolbwyntio drachefn, yn cyfnewid dwylo gan ysgwyd

– yw’r peth pereiddiaf i mi erioed ei adnabod, a bellach rwyf

i fy mysedd ac yn sugno fy nerth. Clywaf

fy llaw chwith, yn edrych am y gafael nesaf, yn sugno llond

yn ei adnabod cystal na mod i eisiau marw. Mae’r biliau sy’n

lais, rhywle yn nyfnderoedd fy meddwl

ysgyfaint neu ddwy’n sydyn cyn hergwd amdano, yn ei

glynu wrth fy oergell, y pryderon yng nghefn fy meddwl,

yn parablu’n ddiddiwedd, Fedra’i ddim gwneud hyn. Fedra’i

fachu, dod a fy nghoes chwith i fyny a balansio. Mi fedra’i

yr hen gar ‘cw na basith ei M.O.T. debyg iawn, ia holl grap

ddim dal dim hirach. Dwi ar fin disgyn, dwi ar fin marw, fydd o’n

neud hyn. Mi fedra’i neud hyn.

arferol bywyd wedi distewi ac yn ddiystyr am fy mod i’n fyw!

PE TASE N N I DDI M Y N D R I N GO brifo fel y diawl. Does yna ru’n ffordd fedra’i neud hyn. Tro ar ôl tro

Dwi wedi goroesi!

ar ôl tro. Ond gwyddwn y bod yna ffordd. Mae’n rhaid bod ‘na.

Dychmygwch am eiliad na fod y creigiau a’r clogfeini yma ar drothwy ein drws. Dychmygwch ni’n byw ynghanol dinas gyda dim ond dwyn ceir neu gyffuriau i brofi ein hunain, fod ni’n gwybod dim o’r mynyddoedd a theimlad y graig tan ein dwylo.

Dychmygwch tasen ni wedi byw yma ers oes pys heb ymgyfarwyddo unwaith a churiad chwim pryder ag adrenalin yn ein gwythiennau, fod anawsterau dringo’r graig wedi ein hatal rhag ceisio, fod ni heb sylweddoli mai cwbl a oedd angen arnom oedd hen fatres a phâr o hen fŵts pedair deg punt, cwpwl o ffrindiau ac ychydig ddyddiau o ymar fer. Dychmygwch henuriaid fel Joe Brown g yda’i sigared yn hongian allan o’i geg a’i fŵts hoelion a phe tase nhw heb osod y llwybrau dringo ‘ma i ni flynyddoedd yn ôl.

Dychmygwch erioed wedi ymgynefino a lleddfu pwysau ein pryderon dyddiol, i’w gael wedi ei ddisodli gan ryw ganu ddedwydd yn ein clustiau a rhyw losg gynnes yn ein cyhyrau, ein batri mewnol yn cael ei adfywio gyda’r wybodaeth fod bywyd, er cyn waethed ag y mae’n ymddangos, yn beth gwerthfawr gwerth ymladd amdano. Dychmygwch i ni erioed wynebu a thwyllo angau.

Dychmygwch tase ganddon ni ddim metaphor goroesi wedi ei daflyd fel cleddyf Samurai draws ein cefnau, yna i’w ddefnyddio pryd bynnag fod ein bos, neu’n biliau neu’n problemau’n ein poenyddu. Dychmygwch beidio â gwybod am ein hadnodd gwerthfawr sy’n ein hamgylchynu, ein cyfoeth o lechen a gwenithfaen.

Dychmygwch beidio â gwybod pa mor gryf neu ddewr ‘da

Bachaf y gafael nesa, a’r nesa, hyd ei fod unwaith eto’n hawdd

ni, sut yr aethom o fabi swc i arwr o estyn deng medr o graig

gyda’r holl erchylltod ac amheuon yn troi i ryw orfoledd calon

serth. Dychmygwch gymryd cipolwg bach ar y mynyddoedd

Allanadlaf yn araf gan ganolbwyntio ar ardd fach o gen

drawiadol a dwi o’r diwedd yn llusgo fy hunain dros y copa.

tu allan i’n ffenestri wrth gerdded o’r teledu i’r lle chwech ac

gwyrdd o flaen fy nhrwyn; gobledi bach llawn stwff coch

Yna dwi’n parablu drachefn, ond y tro hwn mewn gorfoledd

yn ôl, heb glywed wyneb y graig yn galw arnom. Dychmygwch

tebyg i flodau hynafol estron y gofod, hed forgrugyn,

cadarn a phur o gariad at fywyd.

am eiliad na fod ni’n dringo.

chwilen – tra’n siffrwd fy nhraed yn ddyfnach i hollt islaw i mi. Sicrhaf fod fy llaw chwith i’n saff cyn gadael mynd ar fy llaw dde a’i hysgwyd i leddfu’r cramp yn fy mysedd. Paid ag edrych i lawr, edrycha i fyny.

33.

e Will Grit

t

his isn’t fun. This is just pain and fear. My forearms are overinflated, pumping battery acid, the rock bites my fingertips, sapping my strength. A voice, somewhere in the back of my mind, keeps babbling, I can’t do this. I can’t hold on any more. I’m going to fall, I’m going to die and it’s going to hurt like hell. There’s no way I can do this. Over and over again. But I know there is. There must be.

I exhale slowly and concentrate on a little garden of pale green lichen just in front of my nose – tiny goblets of red stuff like ancient alien flowers, a beetle, a flying ant – and shuffle my toes deeper into the crack below me. I make sure my left hand’s safe and let go with my right, shaking out the cramp in my fingers. Don’t look down, look up.

A valve in my brain hisses open and a torrent of swearwords comes pouring out of my mouth. Rage whistling out of me, at the rock, at myself, at the idiot who talked me into this.

Then I concentrate again, switch hands and shake out my left, look up for the next handhold, suck in a couple of quick lungfuls and lunge for it, catch it, bring my left foot up and balance. I can do this. I can do this.

I grab the next hold, then the next, until it’s easy again and all the horror and doubt turns into a kind of heart-thumping triumph and I’m hauling myself over the top at last. Then I’m babbling again, but this time in pure, elated, life-affirming joy. Life – which at this moment is just a small patch of wild grasses on a ledge, a buzzard swinging lazy circles in the sun, a cloud, a mountain, a distant lake – is the sweetest thing I’ve ever known now that I know so deeply that I don’t want to die. And the bills stuck to my fridge, the niggling worries, the old car that probably won’t pass its MOT, all that normal life crap, is meaningless and mute because I am alive! I have survived!

Imagine for a moment that we didn’t have these cliffs and boulders on our doorstep. Imagine that we lived in inner-cities with nothing but stolen cars and drugs to test ourselves against, that we knew nothing of mountains and the feel of warm rock beneath our hands.

Imagine that we lived here all our lives and never knew the rapid pulse of fear and adrenaline in our veins, that we never even tried to climb because it seemed too hard, that we didn’t realise that all we needed was an old mattress and a forty-quid pair of boots, a couple of mates and few days practice. Imagine that the old boys, like Joe Brown, with his cigarette hanging out of his mouth and his hobnail boots, hadn’t laid out all these routes for us years ago.

Imagine that we didn’t know what it’s like to have the volume turned down on all the day-to-day stuff we worry about, or had it replaced by a blissful ringing in our ears and a warm burn in our muscles, an inner battery charged with the knowledge that life, no matter how crappy it seems, is a precious thing worth fighting for. Imagine that we never faced and cheated death.

Imagine that we didn’t have that metaphor for survival slung like a samurai sword across our backs, to be wielded every time our bosses or our problems or our bills get us down.

Imagine that we didn’t know about the precious resource we have all around us, this goldmine of granite and slate.

Imagine that we didn’t know how strong we were or how brave, how we went from being crying babies to heroes in ten metres of sheer cliff.

Imagine that we only glanced at the mountains outside our windows as we walked from the TV to the toilet and back, and didn’t hear the rock faces call. Imagine for a second what we’d be if we didn’t climb.

35.

DRINGO CLIMB e Calum Musket

EWCH I/GET hon ian =

2 X NOSON A R Y C W RW )

C W RW = £ 3 5

FFAG S = £ 5

CÎB A B DI W EDD NOSON = £ 5

(2 X NIGHT S ON THE TOW N)

(BOOZ E = £ 3 5)

(FAG S = £ 5)

(END OF NIGHT K EB A B = £ 5)

MOELWYNION

u

=

wchben Blaenau Ffestiniog, yn y Moelwynion mae rhai o’r mynyddoedd creigiog cyraeddadwy gorau.

Mae’r math yma o garreg , y twff Rhyolitic, yn arw ac yn hawdd i ymafael ynddo gyda llaw a throed,

TOTAL = £45

tra’n dal i fod yn rhai braf i’w dringo. Mae’r daith cerdded o faes parcio uwchlaw Tanygrisiau, i’r

1 X PEN W SNOS HEB C W RW

creigiau amrywiol yn un byr. Ni fydd dringwr profiadol, na rhai sy’n cymeryd eu camau cyntaf i fyny’r

(1 X W EEK END W THOUT BOOZ E )

graig, yn cael eu siomi gan Glogwyn yr Oen, Y Bistach, Y Wrysgran, na’r Holland a llawer eraill. Er hyn, Craig y Clipiau yw’r prif safle dringo, ar y rhestr gyda rhai o’r lleoliadau dringo gorau i’r dde o’r Wyddfa.

Dylech fentro cwblhau pob un o’r llwybrau dringo enwog- ‘Africa Rib’, ‘Usher’s Dilemma’, ‘Mean Feet’ a’r ‘Crimson Cruiser’ tra’n ymweld a Gogledd Cymru, llwybrau sy’n cael ei defnyddio i geisio cynyddu lefel eu dringo gan dringwyr lleol. Ond nid yw’n ardal dringo gyda rhaff yn unig. Nid yw clogfeinni Tanygrisiau yn adnabyddus iawn, ond mae’r blociau a waliau yn caniatau clogfeinni ffantastig, a wedi eu defnyddio mewn ffilmiau byr fel ‘Welsh Connections’, ffilm neo-clasurol gafodd ei rhyddhau ar DVD pum mlynned yn ol. Mae dringo yma yn cael ei fwynhau orau hwyrach ymlaen yn y gwanwyn a’r haf gan fod agweddau y graig yn amrywio, mae creigiau sych a chynnes ar gael yn ystod y gaeaf a’r hydref. Ewch fyny i fwynhau’r dringo briliant a heddychlon!

SGIDIA DRINGO (CLIMBING SHOES)

£

ROCK BOTTOM BETWS £45

MENTH YG

HEL CR I W O FFR INDI A

M ATR A S N A IN

(GE T SOME M ATE S )

(BOR ROW N A N S

A

bove Blaenau Ffestiniog in the Moelwynion lie some of North Wales’ best and most accessible mountain crags. The rock type, a rough Rhyolitic tuff, is grippy for both hands and feet whilst being a delight to climb on. From a parking area above Tanygrisiau, the walk is surprisingly short up to any of the varied crags. Clogwyn yr Oen, y Bistach, y Wrysgran, y Holland and many others will not fail to disappoint the rock climber whether they have been climbing for years or are out taking their first steps on rock. Craig y Clipiau however, holds the prime position with some of the finest rock climbs South of Snowdon on its precipitous flanks. ‘Africa Rib’, ‘Usher’s Dilemma’, ‘Mean Feet’ and the fantastic ‘Crimson Cruiser’ are all classic rock climbs and should be on the tick list of any climber making a prolonged visit to North Wales and should be held with special regard by local climbers progressing to each level of climb. But it’s not only an area for climbing with ropes. The Tanygrisiau boulders and there lesser known surrounding blocks and walls provide some fantastic bouldering and feature in several short climbing films including the neo-classic ‘Welsh Connections’ which came out on DVD five years ago. The climbing here is best enjoyed in late Spring and Summer although due to the variety of rock aspects, dry and warm rock can even be found through Autumn and Winter. Get yourself up there to enjoy the peaceful and brilliant climbing!

M AT TR E S S ) A M DDIM - TORWCH G WA IR IDDI HI (FR EE - MOW THE L AW N FOR HER)

ORIAU O FOLDRO AM DDIM AR EICH STEPAN DDRWS HOURS OF BOULDERING FOR FREE ON YOUR DOOR STEP

37.

CELL’BRO FFILM // GOLEUO-SAIN // MEYSYDD GWELEDOL // GIGS // MAGASINS PROSIECT LLUOSGFEDIA MEWN FFILM, GOLEUO, SAIN, MEYSYDD GWELEDOL A MAGASIN YW CELL’BRO. MAE’R PROSIECT YN GWELD CWMNI GWALLGOFIAID YN YMESTYN EI GWEITHGAREDDAU O’R CELL I’R FRO. 25.10.14 - Noson arall fyth gofiadwy o Reggae yn Cellb Another Legendary Reggae Evening in Cellb Dennis Bovell & the Dub Band + Freedom Sound Dj Set Tickets £10 www.wegottickets.com 7pm - 12 31.10.14 - Parti Calan Gaeaf Cellb / Cellb’s Halloween Party : Blaenau’s Most Hwwwwwnted!

Cwrt - DISCO BWGI-BO DAU GEFN + Siop Da Da Myfs Bar - Coctels mam a dad cell’s - Taith Hynllef theatrical!

Noson i’r Teulu oll (am DDIM!) 15.11.14 - Noson o Roc a Rol - Roc a Billy Evening of 1950’s Rock’n Roll & Rocka Billy Black Kat Boppers - Hot Boppin, Groovin’ 4 piece group playing rockin, roots music with a Guitar, Double Bass & stand up Drums Tickets £10 www.wegottickets.com 7pm - 12 22.11.14 - Pennau Ffa Cocao Ffest Tom Ellis (freeroataion) + Sion~Un (Dol-Rheds) Tickets £3 5.12.14 - Noson Werin / Folk_off Olion Byw Tickets £3 19.12.14 - Bandiau Cymraeg Welsh bands Brython Shag + Jambyls Tickets £3 www.wegottickets.com 7pm - 12 17.01.15 - Bandiau Cymraeg Welsh bands I Fight Lions + Y Rhacs Tickets £3 www.wegottickets.com 7pm - 12 21.02.15 - Willie and the Bandits Tickets £7 www.wegottickets.com 7pm - 12

TIM HONGIAN RHIFYN ‘DHFF 6’ EDITION WILL GRITTON DAFYDD DAFIS SAM DAFIS ZED ZACHARY DYLAN & CYBI CALUM MUSKETT ELFYN JONES

RHYS ‘BACH’ ROBERTS CONNAIRE CAN IWAN GYN IOLA DAN F

DYL P IESTYN L SION-UN ALED CATRIN ROBERTS ALWEN 39.