My Favourite Family Friendly Little Crag In The World - Tyddyn Garreg

As small crags go, Tyddyn Garreg is among the littlest with only 9 short trad routes, but each route packs in a real punch. Please note, if you are going to visit please ask the farmer before climbing as it is on private land and anyone disregarding this could affect access. Also it is not suitable for large groups.

We've been climbing there with a baby as there is no walk-in and enough space next to the crag for a picnic blanket and small pop up shelter. An added bonus is that the lovely Cross Foxes pub is only minutes away, which serves great food, coffees and beer, plus it has baby changing facilities.

The route grades are from VS to E4, but all have a bold feel as the rock is very compact and affords little protection. Luckily if you're not up for leading top ropes can be set up.

Llanymynech - Clwyd Limestone's Most Family Friendly Rock Climbing Venue?

Llanymynech is only 66 miles from Aberystwyth, and supposed to be only one and a half hours by car, but with two small children in the car it can take a little longer! Nevertheless, Llanymynech is a favourite venue of mine and once there has easy access with children. The impressive Grid Iron Wall is only minutes from the car and an ideal place for setting up camp for a picnic with an ample flat grass area to do so. The climbing is quite exacting requiring long reaches and strong fingers on a dead vertical wall.

Photo copyright D. Sargeant

The climbing is a mixture of sport and trad at Llanymynech up to f8a and E7 6c. However, the routes on Grid Iron Wall are all sport, in the range f6a to f7b. Some of the climbs are 35m in length, but those can be done in two pitches if you don't have a long enough rope or enough quickdraws. The wall is a suntrap for most of the day so ideal in cold weather, but luckily there is some shade under trees beside the crag on hot days.

Family Friendly and Child Friendly Rock Climbing in Mid Wales (Elenydd/Meirionnydd)

With two young children I am more and more interested in finding family friendly and child friendly climbing in Mid Wales and West Wales. My favourite spot at the moment is (location removed as on my last visit we were told to stop climbing - I believe we should be able to climb there but until I've clarified the position I'm omitting the location).

With a large flat grassy area beside the crag and picnic table it is ideal for families, and we've even gotten up there with a buggy!

National Trust Cwm Tydu Bioblitz

Nice little video about the Cwm Tydu Bioblitz.

You may even recognize one of the climbers!

Here's a photo taken with my phone from the same day, with Doug on a cool boulder problem which requires jamming on the overhang! Well done to Sy for the FA of the problem and for ably spotting Doug.

Rock Climbing in Ceredigion

Let's clear something up to begin with... there is rock climbing in Ceredigion, some of it high quality such as Ynys Lochtyn, and Craig Yr Eglwys. There is also lots of bouldering, at venues as diverse as Pumlumon and Borth. There are even a couple of spots to sport climb! With a new guidebook to Mid-Wales not far off completion, time is short to go 'off-piste' and get a real sense of exploration.

Locked-In Madness

A big thank you goes out to everyone who supported the 'Locked-In Madness' sponsored climb on the 27th July 2014 at Ynys Lochtyn. There were 15 climbers on the island for the day, which must rank as the largest gathering of climbers (actually rock climbing and not just down the pub) in Mid Wales ever?

We raised over £500 for Climbers Against Cancer (CAC), and I hope we can make this an annual event.

Cheers,

Pete 

To Climb or Not to Climb? Bouldering in Bogota.

Recently came across some excellent looking boulders on Alto San Mateo, Bogota. Rushed to a shop to buy a brush to clean off some problems, and returned and completed a fun little circuit of basic problems in the V0-V2 range. Returning back to base that evening a search online didn't reveal any recorded climbing on the boulders, but did however turn up some interesting details of petroglyphs on some of the boulders and a problem with quarrying damaging the site. Later a chat with some locals revealed a disinterest in the site and a fear of even visiting it due to thieves and drug users frequenting there, plus quite a few wild dogs roaming around.

What a shame to leave a beautiful and interesting location to the destruction of graffiti, broken bottles, thieves and quarrying! A visit to the well know bouldering spot of Canoas just outside Bogota showed how bouldering and the preservation of the petroglyphs could co-exist. If more people were interested in the area it would be an asset for the local community choking in petrol fumes with no safe green space on their doorstep.

Should rock climbers have the responsibility to do something to help preserve rocks, even those we can't climb?