Tyddyn Hywel Topo

All of the routes are on the second tier. The two topos give alternative overviews. Both show every route but neither provides a good perspective on all of them so both are given.

There are enough routes for a couple of excellent days out mainly at F6b-6c. Five of the routes, Optimism, Persistence, Straight Torquin’ (or Rover’s Return) and Beasley Street and Last of the Summer Wine are outstanding. Apart from the warm ups, the others are better than most. The first two routes are on the slabs at the left end. They provide useful warm ups but are often damp.

1. Frisbee, 18 m, (6a)
Pleasant to the ramp but passes close to some dodgy rock. Start at shallow groove in the left side of the slabs. Weave up the slabs near the left edge to a thin crack. Climb this to a ramp. Follow the ramp right to circumvent the bulge, make a couple of moves up a groove (care with the rock) and step back left to finish. (The direct line through the bulge above the ramp is juggy and would probably go at a similar grade but the big block on the left is hard to avoid and loose. Best to avoid disturbing it).
H. Walmsley, C. Calow, 21/05/2018.

2. Pyramus, 19m, (5c)
Climb the blunt pillar just right of Frisbee to a groove. Follow this to the bulge at a V notch. Gain the notch via the left arête (a couple of holds and, if needed, a bolt shared with Frisbee) and finish slightly rightwards.
C. Calow, H. Walmsley, 21/05/2018

The next six routes climb steeper rock in the centre section.

3 Antiques Road Trip, 18m , (6b) ★
An interesting route with good positions starting below a weakness in the initial bulges about 10 m left of Optimism. Step off a block and climb the slabby wall. Cross the bulge leftward into a recess. Step airily round the left arête to reach a good jug above the next bulge. Make a long reach to stand above the bulge and continue up the broad depression right of the rib until a step left can be made onto the rib (choice of line). Finish directly to a lower-off below the big roof.
C. Calow, H. Walmsley, 17/05/2018

4. Hope, 33m, (6c) ★
A left hand variant to Optimism. Good climbing and positions but the line is devious: long slings are needed to avoid terminal rope drag. From the 4th bolt on Optimism bridge up and left to the arête. Break back right up a groove to a small ledge, mantle to better holds and a big ledge. From its right hand end move up and rightwards to re-join Optimism. Follow Optimism Direct Finish to below the move out to the arête and continue up the groove to a lower-off on the left (a 60 m rope gets you down). H. Walmsley, C. Calow, 29/05/2018 (most of the route. The final groove had been done previously as an alternative finish to Optimism Direct by D. Lyons on 25/05/2018.)

5. Optimism, 30m, (6c) ★★
An excellent and imposing route. Start below the right end of the large ¾ height roof. Gain the big groove by climbing the lower bulge to its left (crux 1, steep). Bridge out to the right arête and climb it on its left side (crux 2, delicate). Make a long reach over the bulge above (crux 3, reachy) and move up left to gain the hanging, left-facing, corner at the right end of the ¾ height roof. Exit the corner, move right to ledges and finish neatly up a narrow groove to the right of the arête. Short climbers may need an extended clipping device for the first bolt in the arête and will find crux 3 hard for grade: the reach can be avoided by a much harder move just left.
H. Walmsley, C. Calow, 29/08/2017

5b. Optimism Direct Finish 6m (6b)
Harder and less pleasant than the normal finish but a more natural line with less rope drag. From the ledges above the right hand end of the upper roof bridge up the right hand corner of the upper alcove. When the holds disappear, exit right via a high sloper in the right arête then a better hold to a jug.
H. Walmsley, 24/05/2018 (led on soloist - finish only)

6. Persistence, 30m, (6c)+ ★★   An excellent and interesting route with a distinct crux. Start about 20 m right of Optimism below the left end of the right-hand set of high level roofs. Climb a slab and a notch in the overlap to a scoop. From good footholds on the left wall move out to the left rib and climb it via grooves and bulges to a good resting foothold on the left below a smooth leaning wall. From the left gain a line of crimps high on the wall and use them to move back right and gain flat handholds on a ledge above. Work out how to get stood on the ledge then go easily up and right to another ledge. Come back slightly left and climb an interesting scoop to a lower off in the hanging left-facing corner left of the upper roofs.
H. Walmsley, C. Calow, 29/08/2017

7a. Straight Torquin’, 30m, (7a) ★★★
A very good route that takes ribs, grooves and bulges immediately right of the left-hand of the two very prominent black streaks that are visible from the road. Start easily, for once, at a flake groove 5 m right of Persistence. Follow the slab/groove to a ledge on the right. Climb a short arête then a steepening groove to a big slanting handhold over the bulge. Make a very hard move to stand on it. Layback into the niche above and exit precariously rightwards to better holds and a bigger niche. Start the next bulge on the left, step slightly right below the upper roof and climb it remarkably easily on undercuts and jugs.
C. Calow 21/07/2018

7b. Rover’s Return, 30m, (6c) ★★★
A good variant on Straight Torquin’, circuitous but a more consistent overall standard. It bypasses the hardest move by an excellent alternative sequence that is still no pushover. Climb Straight Torquin’ to the big slanting hold. Clip the right hand bolt and reverse the steepening groove. Balance up right to a pinch. Undercut and smear up and left to stand on the big slanting hold. Continue as for Straight Torquin’.
H. Walmsley, 21/07/2018

8. Beasley Street, 25m, (7b) ★★★
The shallow groove between Rover’s Return and Last of the Summer Wine (no further details).
Pete Robins, 01/06/2019

The final four routes take the slabbier rock on the right.

9. Last of the Summer Wine, 28m, (6c) ★★★
Another excellent route, sustained at F6a to F6b with a crux on the top slab that may be just F6c. Start just right of a line of grooves and hairline cracks about 10 m right of Persistence. Balance up to holds by the crack. Make a tricky move into a groove. Continue using square-cut holds on either side to a pocket (actually a blind borehole) on the left. Make a difficult move to gain a jug and another to stand on it. Move up right to better holds at the foot of a steep rib. Climb the rib, avoiding the loose flakes in the overhang to the right, to jugs. Go up the slab above and rock right to a notch in the arête when the good holds run out. Climb the smooth slab and arête to a blunt ledge (crux) and mantle awkwardly. Move precariously up left to finish.
H. Walmsley, C. Calow, 17/05/2018

10. Secret Steps, 27m (6b+) ★
Good climbing on the lower slab and in the final groove but the break is scruffy. Start about 4 m right of Last of the Summer Wine just right of a groove in the slab above the initial overlap. Pass the overlap with difficulty to gain a prominent foothold. Move up and a little left on flakes to a small overlap and gain the break above (can be damp and dirty) via the recess to the right. Climb the slab above on square-cut edges and exit via layaways on to flakes in a higher slab. Finish with fine, precarious moves up the final corner.
H. Walmsley, C. Calow, 17/05/2018

11. Exit Claws, 26m, (6b+) ★
A hard start and a wild sideways exit from the groove with plenty of interesting moves between. Start about 4 m right of Secret Steps. Make a hard starting move (crux) to gain a shallow right-facing groove. Continue in the line past a break to a flake. From the flake go up and right across the wall to the foot of the hanging groove. Follow this straightforwardly until a hard move gains the last good foothold. Make wild but surprisingly reasonable moves left to a ledge on the arête (after clipping the bolt on the underside of the arête, reaching back to unclip the previous bolt helps to keep the rope off the sharp arête). Make a final awkward move up the arête to finish.
H. Walmsley, C. Calow, 26/05/2018

12. Bluebirds Over, 18 m, (6b+) ★
Elegant and technical climbing weaving up the dark slabs right of Exit Claws to a lower-off below the overlap. Good moves spoiled a little because the blankness of the top section forces you into the crack on the right. Climb delicately to the second bolt and make a long reach to good holds. A hard move right at the third bolt gains entry to a groove. Continue up the slab to a point just right of the groove on Exit Claws (hidden sidepulls out right useful at one point). When everything blanks up, balance over into the crack on the right and follow it to the lower off.
C. Calow, H. Walmsley, 29/05/2018