Rockfax Description
A good, tough route with a tricky second pitch. Start below a groove, just right of the large overhang at 15m.
1) 4b, 15m. Weave up the lower wall to the large ledge.
2) 5b, 15m. Climb the small groove above and right of the ledge and make a hard move to gain the main groove on the left. Unicorn Direct (HVS) gains the same point by beefy jamming up the crack directly up and left of the belay. Pass the trees to a good belay below an overhang.
3) 4b, 28m. Follow the groove on the right, then traverse right to a tiny ledge on the exposed rib. Follow the rib to the top. © Rockfax
P R J Harding, P R Hodgkinson, M G Hughes (1 pt aid) 17/Apr/1949.
Ticklists
"A Graded List of a Few Welsh Climbs" Aka ROGER'S LIST , George's Ultimate Easy to Mid-Grade North Wales Trad Ticklist , Gwen Moffat: Space Below My Feet
Feedback
| User | Date | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blake | 31 May, 2022 |
Show βeta
βeta: Not recommended for aspiring HVS climbers - route finding is tricky & there is very little useful gear on the entire climb - seriously, we placed literally a few pieces. The crux is 5C if you follow the shiny groove to the worrying top where there is a loose block that would land straight on your belayer - my advice, if you're worried about the moves or the gear, shuffle left and do the direct - at least you can get good gear. While I think the gear I placed would have stopped me, had it not, it would be a nasty factor 2 on to the ledge which would direct a lot of shock on to the belay (a small holly tree). P3 again is a solo with worrying fall potential, wet & occasionally loose rock: ok if you're very happy at that grade, but could be very scary/dangerous. Go and do one of the 1000 other excellent routes in the pass instead. | ||
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Show beta
βeta: Not recommended for aspiring HVS climbers - route finding is tricky & there is very little useful gear on the entire climb - seriously, we placed literally a few pieces. The crux is 5C if you follow the shiny groove to the worrying top where there is a loose block that would land straight on your belayer - my advice, if you're worried about the moves or the gear, shuffle left and do the direct - at least you can get good gear. While I think the gear I placed would have stopped me, had it not, it would be a nasty factor 2 on to the ledge which would direct a lot of shock on to the belay (a small holly tree). P3 again is a solo with worrying fall potential, wet & occasionally loose rock: ok if you're very happy at that grade, but could be very scary/dangerous. Go and do one of the 1000 other excellent routes in the pass instead. |
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| Andy Hemsted | 24 May, 2022 |
Show βeta
βeta: HVS is a ridiculous grade for Unicorn; the crux is harder (5c imo) than many E1s and even E2s, and pitches 1 and 3 are very poorly protected. We were disappointed that neither the Rockfax nor the CC guides mention the lack of gear. I don't want to end up soloing, and decided to retreat on both pitches 1 and 3. | βeta? | |
|
Show beta
βeta: HVS is a ridiculous grade for Unicorn; the crux is harder (5c imo) than many E1s and even E2s, and pitches 1 and 3 are very poorly protected. We were disappointed that neither the Rockfax nor the CC guides mention the lack of gear. I don't want to end up soloing, and decided to retreat on both pitches 1 and 3. |
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Guidebooks for Carreg Wastad
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Gyllion
Grade: HVS 5a ***
(Simdde Ddu)