UKH

In terms of difficulty, how would Giants Crawl (Dow Crag) compare with Idwal Slab ordinary route? I would also be interested in a comparison with Corvus to.

Of the three, I'd say Ordinary Route is the easiest.  Then, Giants Crawl and then Corvus.

Ordinary Route has the most awkward descent of the three, if that matters.

T.

Giants Crawl definitely has a more serious feel to it even if it is not particularly technical. I’d say it’s also the best of the three routes

Giants crawl is so good. Just do that

To echo what's been said already. Ordinary route is the easiest of these 3. Then GC then Corvus.

Dow is a brilliant crag, well worth a visit. Go on a dry day as it's really slippery in damp conds

Thanks for the reply. Is GC for the most part "easy angled"? Would it be comparable to something like Dolmen Ridge in Wales (climby parts)? 

For the most part yes, Giants Crawl is what you can see from below; an easy-angled slab.  What you can't see is that protection is sparse and that the crux of it is a couple of steeper moves after you've done the slab and moved along left at the top.

Jolly pleasant route though. Pick a dry day.

T.

Giant’s Crawl is harder than Ordinary and better. If you want a good diff day on Dow Crag then head up C Ordinary route then traverse across to Easy Terrace to descend close to the start of Giant’s Crawl then take it all the way to the top of the crag. 

I would agree with that, but I would go further and say it IS more serious. Its position with a steep wall below your right hand side and rather spaced gear means that a leader fall might be quite catastrophic, and it is clear from his resume that the OP has almost no climbing experience. I think there are better routes for him to cut his teeth.

Corvus involves a traverse. It's called a "hand traverse", but there are huge handholds and decent footholds. If you can't find any decent protection, you might be in for a big swing if you fall off. It's more than 30 years since I last climbed it, so exact details are a bit vague!

I'm not sure it's unsuitable, but out of interest, which routes would you suggest, Rog? I struggle to think of anything much that is easier and safer, though of course single-pitch might be less serious.

E.g. Crescent Route paired with Gwynne's Chimney on Pavey is possibly easier, but probably with more objective danger! Middlefell Buttress is delightful and obvious, but only if you skip pitch 1. It's hard to sort out a belay at the big ledge, too, especially if you run the long (good) middle section as one pitch and are consequently running out of rope. Tarn Crag is a bit esoteric, with occasionally tricky route finding. Upper Scout maybe, though the routes are a little harder. The only real contenders for 'less serious' status that I can think of in the Lakes are C Ordinary and possibly Sunshine Arete; single-pitch routes on Brown Slabs at Shepherds; possibly some diminuitive crag like Glaciated Slab (which I've not visited).

N. Wales has some good classic scrambles and Diffs, but I don't want to concede too much to Snowdonia as it's already getting a bit big for its boots.

Although I haven't climbed now for nearly 15 years, that's the sort of route I might still want to do in very old age (I'm 70 now), maybe with someone younger to take over the lead if necessary. (I never had any luck with climbing on Dow Crag. I went up there four times in about 2 decades and EACH time it started to rain very heavily just as I got to Goats Water.)

Yes, even the second coming off could be 'interesting'! Perhaps best avoided in the wet.

I led Giant's Crawl in my walking boots.  My partner was 70+ years making a comeback after a few decades off.  The one section where it was damp was nervy to say the least with some moves above and away from gear.  Great route and my partner really enjoyed the day.  In the dry it would be even better.

The natural tendency after the 'hand traverse' pitch is to belay on the ledge afterwards. It's big, there are good anchors, you can see your second.

But if you move up a bit you can belay above the middle of the traverse pitch, meaning that your second has a much better protected time of it.  Makes things a lot less nervy for a second who isn't too experienced.

T.

Ah OK, it's a long time since I did it. I think I was a bit above them, but they'd still have been going over the edge if they'd come off.

I think given the experience of the group I am in we will stick to Scrambles up to grade 3. Naturally there is Pinnacle ridge but what other outings are worth a go?

I think C Ordinary is a good shout. There are several good Diffs and V Diffs at Grey Crag Buttermere. For multi-pitch at V Diff the two at Wallabarrow are pretty good and generally well protected.

Weather forecasting may have improved since your last visit, Gordon  

Ah yes, I forgot about Grey Crag. Harrow Buttress (easy Diff) combined with Chockstone Ridge (exciting Mod) and either a scramble to the top or a single pitch of exquisite severe slab climbing up Oxford & Cambridge Direct. Or possibly the VDiff variants to the left (which I've not done). I do love a bit of Grey Crag.

Indeed. Last visit was 1991.

You can string a few scrambles together in Langdale...  

Muck around up Stickle Ghyll then over to The Groove on Tarn Crag (easy G3) then from the tarn walk round to Harrison Stickle SW Face which is a cracker at G2 and looks quite daunting from below and with an audience too from the Dungeon Ghyll footpath.

It's a short walk to Pike o Stickle West Ridge (G3) which is reached via a rather steep scree approach but is worth it.

Finish with the lovely walk out via Stakes pass and Mickelden.

Only drawback with this is that it's not really the sort of day you want to be lugging ropes and rack around on so perhaps not suitable for your party?