What the fuwch?

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.

Out for a walk on a cold day last winter we happened upon one of the adits at clogwyn y fuwch and a line of draws in the roof. There are no visible features that would allow climbing on that angle (and with water running down it), even at insane grades. Not even anything you could dry tool as far as I could see. Anyone know the story? I can't be the only one to have seen them but I've left it a while to ask just in case because I didn't want to be the one that outed the next crag X or whatever.
I can't figure it out. They're really closely spaced and there's nothing climbable there. Do people aid climb on bolts in dank Welsh caves for fun? Are they still there now? Seems weird to leave the draws in since pissing wet featureless hideously steep slate isn't the sort of place normal people would project routes.

Edit - Someone (not me) has posted photos on https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/clogwyn-y-fuwch-slate-quarry-north-wa...

Post edited at 19:26
 GarethSL 13 Nov 2022
In reply to Longsufferingropeholder:

Interesting. Quite a few photos on the net with the draws in place. One on instagram from 2016 which is the oldest I can find.

Some pics show an obvious crack just next to the bolts.

Forgotten drytool project perhaps?

Edit. In the link you post it looks like more than one line has been bolted. The one in the room you mentioned plus what seems like another which has a rope running through some draws in what looks like a different part of the roof.

Post edited at 20:20
 Ramon Marin 13 Nov 2022
In reply to Longsufferingropeholder:

that will be Pete Harrison’s drytooling project. He scoped that bit whilst developing Mannod. Great line.

 petegunn 13 Nov 2022

Powerdab (D13) in Bakestone Quarry / Hodge Close is nearly a horizontal roof! - theres some photos of Greg on it if you do a search.

 Webster 13 Nov 2022
In reply to Longsufferingropeholder:

dry tooling looks perfectly possible there from the photos, but equally bolted aid climbing is a thing, and the close spacing of the bolts would lend itself to that. why anybody would want to do it mind is beyond me... there cant be much of a challenge in swinging from one bolt to the next on an almost horizontal roof. 

In reply to Webster:

> dry tooling looks perfectly possible there from the photos

I'm no expert but close up it didn't. I think we have the answer though. Thanks Ramon.

 stubbed 14 Nov 2022
In reply to Webster:

I used to do aid on a horizontal roof when it was properly raining. And if you are short / not very bendy it's actually quite hard. There is a lot of technique required.


New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...