Back: Sam Leary on Capital Punishment (E3 Idwal) Photo Al Leary
Front: Louise Beetlestone on Hawks Nest Arête (VS Glyder Fach) Photo Don Sargeant
- Ogwen by Mike Bailey (2010)
- Bouldering Simon Panton
- Photodiagrams Simon Cardy
- Maps Don Sargeant
- 438 pages of text, maps and photographs
ISBN 978-0-901601-83-4
Buy in the eShop
Free Sample download Cwm Cneifion and Clogwyn du Ymheny Glyder
Rose Powell on Bochlwyd Eliminate (HVS Clogwyn Bochlwyd) Photo Don Sargeant
A very thorough reassessment of the climbing on the south side of the A5, based around the ever-popular Tryfan and Cwm Idwal areas, including some 140 new routes climbed since the last guide, and many ‘rediscovered’ older climbs. The new routes are at all grades and on both old and new crags. Among the latter are the Eastern Cliffs of Gallt yr Ogof, including Skyline Buttress, the location of some of the hardest climbing in Wales where the E9 Mission Impossible has been the subject of much recent publicity.
Similar in format to the well-received Llanberis guide published 2009, with many action photos, all-colour photodiagrams, and photoplans (93 in total, even more than in Llanberis), and bouldering sections by Simon Panton. The guide also has a chronology (a combination of the historical and first ascents sections), which includes short biographical notes on the leading activists over the years. Particular attention has also been given to highlighting some of the easier climbs, which are now often climbed as scrambles.
Although now standard practice in many CC guidebooks such as Llanberis, a graded list of climbs in the Ogwen area has been included for the first time.
The guide now also includes the climbing on the north side of the A4086 between Pen y Gwyrd and Capel Curig, and for the first time the excellent climbing on the Creigiau Llynnau Mymbyr (the Ricks and Racks) is described in detail, although these crags have been climbed on for years by Plas y Brenin parties.
Ogwen replaces half of the double-volume Ogwen and Carneddau, published in 1993. Currently there is not a date to publish a new Carneddau guide, meanwhile the text of the 1993 Carneddau section is available as a free download from on the Carneddau & Crafnant page.
There is an error on the topo on page 114 in that Pinnacle Rib Route and Overlapping Rib Route have been labeled incorrectly. This was brought to our attention by a climber Graham Uney – many thanks. Click image below to enlarge.
Topo (page 114) showing correct Pinnacle and Overlapping Rib Routes