Rockfax Description
A great wall climb with a loose and committing first pitch but a brilliant second pitch. Start as for Left-hand Red Wall.
1) 5c, 15m. Climb the groove as for Left-hand Red Wall until you can traverse right across a steep bulging wall above the overlap, to a rest in a niche. Climb a diagonal crack up right to a belay.
2) 6a, 40m. Move up to a peg in an overlap. Carry on for 3m to a scary traverse right to a shallow groove. Follow this until it peters out. Make a move left to a good spike with relief. (Heart of Gold Direct, E6 - Direct from the peg to the spike). A rightwards-diagonal crack leads to a niche. A steep move to exit this joins the final pumpy crack of Left-hand Red Wall. © Rockfax

UKC Logbook Description
Whatta route! The main pitch blasts up the middle of left-hand red wall in magnificent positions. The hors d’oeuvres is no push-over. Start two-thirds of the way down the grassy ramp (40m abseil), an obvious tottering talc and quartz groove marks the line of Left Hand Red Wall. Described via the more commonly climbed Direct variation.
1. 6a. 17m. Up Left Hand Red Wall for 3m then head out rightwards from a rattly flake to reach protection. Make committing moves right, then right and up to a small ledge. With ingenuity, a good belay can be constructed hanging below the ledge.
2. 6a. 40m. Go up to an overlap, good large wire, crimp (technical crux) to a stopping place then sprint directly to a small spike. (Heart of Gold Original traverses right from the stopping place to the base of a left leaning groove and climbs this, good rest, to the small spike. Less logical and no easier). Move left to a larger spike and good rest. Enjoy the view! Gain and follow a crack up and rightwards to a small ledge then move up to a niche where Left Hand Red Wall joins from the left. Up this, trending rightwards, to the top.
p1 Mick Fowler and Stevie Haston 20/8/78. Original: Mick Fowler. P.Thomas Oct 16, 1978. Direct: Paul Pritchard, Trevor Hodgson on-sight Oct 12, 1986.
Speed record on this pitch must be Noel Craine (5 hours). He also took a 40 footer when he pulled a TV sized block off.

Ticklists

North Wales Rock Graded List , Caff's 100 Ace E5s , Great Wall Climbs of the UK

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