BBC - Weather Centre - Forecast for Llandudno, United Kingdom

Monday 26 September 2011

New craglet near Ruthin

Two years ago my old mucker Ryan Mcconnell (aka Spidey) started developing a small roadside crag at Pwll Glass just outside of Ruthin on the A494. The crag yielded a 6a and a 6b on the right and a 7b through the central section which Danny Cattell bagged the first ascent of (name:Apple Crumble). Spidey had his sights set on a harder route on the left hand side. The route was a very nice little boulder problem passing the 3rd/4th clips involving some small crimps, a pocket and a high heel. Spidey tried the route sporadically but struggled with the tenuous bouldery crux, a long slap off the heel. This year he made the breakthrough and latched the move but got spat off the next move. He started getting through the crux more consistently recently but the last moves were still tenuous and hard for the feet and he kept dropping them. However he could tell the redpoint was close and desperate to bring closure to his seige he linked a few days in close succession and got the route ticked yesterday. It is the great thing about redpointing that we all go through the same tribulations on a long term project. The route is called Fraxinus Excelsior and is 7c or 7c+. The 7c's Spidey has done (including the LPT beast I've Been a Bad Bad Boy) have taken him considerably less effort than this route but he concedes that it may just not suit him. Time will tell but it is a very nice little route with a satisfying crux sequence. It's right by Ruthin escarpment which has been re-equipped by Lee Proctor and co so it's quite a handy micro venue. Spidey gets to jet off to Yosemite with his proj in the bag, nice one shag!
Pics:



Lee Proctor on Apple Crumble:


An attempt earlier in the year:

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