[Paul B]

After coming back from my (our) travels it suddenly clicked that I'd been a bit blinkered over the last few years and there were plenty of destinations in the UK that I really ought to check out, the majority of which are trad based. One of which is the Welsh slate quarries.

This weekend after first destroying myself at Kilnsey we spent the following two days exploring some of the routes detailed in the North Wales Rock guide and loved it.

I quickly realised however that a select guide, and my limited rack weren't the best combination for a fear free day.

Is it mainly small wires that slate tends to take? as thats what I seemed to be lacking.

Secondly, I'm really psyched for the new guide, I've heard mumblings of June, is this the case?

Thirdly, does anyone have any route recommendations (starting right from the easiest routes and working up through the grades). I'm 'ok' with a being a little bold (for me anyway) but I struggle to put myself in positions where the potential for life altering injury is high?

Thanks in advance and good work to those who bolted up all of the new stuff. This was all proving massively popular over the weekend.

 

[Fiend]

Small wires, more wires, RPs, Peenuts, cams. Pretty much everything except big hexes.

The slate stuff is pretty well documented, follow what the guide has in whatever style is your preference. I have stuck entirely to the over-popular trade routes and don't really know anything more interesting than that. Except Slippery People on Yellow Wall which is perhaps a teeny bit less trade and still good.

[yorkshirewarcry]

Try the stuff on the Conscience Slab (Vivian) and Horse Latitudes (left of bella lugosi) as less well-travelled, quality routes. 

[Drew]

Not having done either, I've heard good things about Fools Gold, and Geordie Warcry. I've only climbed Seamstress, and Seams the Same, both of which are quite pleasant, and quite easy.

[Ferrito]

Both Fool's Gold and Geordie warcry are excellent. Massambula is also very good. Further away up in Australia, things like Looning the Tube and Goose Creature are both really good, Goose Creature in particular.

[Johnny Brown]

Travels with my T4: Destination Damascus. 

12 months ago, who would have bet on that?

[Paul B]

Geordie war cry is certainly on the list, don't much like the sound of a reachy crux mind you!

[SA Chris]

I perversely enjoyed Holy Holy Holy for the frictionless laybacking (esp on the wet bit). You can easily get on this and Launchpad while walkign to and from the rest of the quarries if you have time (both in Dali's Hole). Always fancied a bit of German Schoolgirl (fnarr), but got rained off too many times.

[katy]

I perversely enjoyed Holy Holy Holy for the frictionless laybacking (esp on the wet bit). You can easily get on this and Launchpad while walkign to and from the rest of the quarries if you have time (both in Dali's Hole).

No point trying these routes as there is a high security fence at this point of the quarries. Dali's Hole is closed because of First Hydro's fears of muppets using the quarries and getting hurt. You'd have a high chance of sequrity marching you out of the quarries if you climb here, better to look elsewhere.

[SA Chris]

Shit, news to me! Mind you I think I did the routes back in 1996. Bummer though, but cheers for the info.

[grimer]

There's a bunch of stuff on the Dervish slab. Last Tango is a nice and straightworward E2 warm-up style thing and the Dervish itself is great. If you like runouts, Flashdance is a great buzz at E4 or E5. You pass various good gear then for the crux there is a RP 3 or 4 (which holds slides onto it). The crux moves are just to get above this then it eases into the Dervish. It is a bit spooky all the same. Then there's a traverse called Swinging by the Bell. The guide made this sound very serious but in reality, with a helmet on, destruction of lycra seemed like the real penalty in the event of a fall. Again, runout, but while the climbing was a bit harder than Flashdance and the runouts longer, the gear was better.

In the Rainbow area, Bella Lugosi is Dead and Pull my Daisy are fun E2s. Poetry Pink is an E5 that some people say is E4. It's a bit runout again but the worst thing about it is you can be some ways out from a bolt, and it's the only thing between you and the deck, and it's some rusted blob screwed in during somebody's acid trip in 1985. Perhaps they have been changed since (mental note: donate to bolt fund). the Mau Mau is a fine pitch of E4/5 and German Schoolgirl is a will protected E2 corner.

[Bonjoy]

Haven’t done shed loads on the slate, but did really enjoy the last route I did there - Ride the Wild Surf on Colossus Wall. Given E4 but fully bolted, if a little runout in places, deffo in the safe but exciting genre. Long and vertical with crux near the top.
Being a lover of boning crimps you might want to check out Manic Strain for something a bit harder. Totally chipped, but supposed to be good nonetheless and not too bad at the grade. Another tricky one which I haven’t tried but is supposed to be mega is the Dark Half 7c+/8a.

[Nigel]

Poetry Pink is an E5 that some people say is E4. It's a bit runout again but the worst thing about it is you can be some ways out from a bolt, and it's the only thing between you and the deck, and it's some rusted blob screwed in during somebody's acid trip in 1985. Perhaps they have been changed since (mental note: donate to bolt fund).

They have, as have many of the bolts on classic slate routes.

I would say that it will pay to start on some easier stuff as slate is a bit of an acquired taste. You've already had some good recommendations. Bear in mind that you generally park at Bus Stop for most areas so you could do Fool's Gold and then maybe break into the slate slab groove on Gnat Attack, Massambula, and maybe Scarlet Runner. I wouldn't spend too much time there though, as it is far from the best crag on slate. Take a walk now to either Seamstress area. At Seamstress there are the two easy routes which are good (the VS could be a good one for Nat?), and Heading The Shot which is the slate slab entrance exam. Now rebolted it is much nicer than it used to be, spicy 7a. How you fare on this would affect other recommendations! The routes on this slab are also very easy to top rope for confidence (i.e. laps on Heading, or you could try the Medium crux to see what you can stand on).

It is essential that you visit the Rainbow Slab, even if you go nowhere else. If you haven't broken in at the other crags then Bella Lugosi and Horse Latitudes would warm you up and be good leads for her, really though you should try Pull My Daisy and maybe Poetry Pink if you're doing OK. One of the best routes on slate is Spiltstream which is a benchmark E5 and is much easier than it looks, however unlike the others it isn't a vaguely spicy softly graded pseudo-sport route, it really does fit the mould of what makes slate routes great. Just around the corner is Colossus Wall which if dry has some fantastic long sport routes, and not far away is the German Schoolgirl area which again has some great single pitches.

Obviously you can't go wrong with the Vivian stuff such as Last Tango and Dervish. If you can get on Waves Of Inspiration in California, one of the best routes around.

[Fiend]

Goose Creature is an F6b+ non-move wonder although it is typically slate slab bizzle.
German Schoolgirl is a good line but a bit unbalanced and poky at the start.
Horse Latitudes is now a retrobolted Fsomethingirrelevant.
Poetry Pink has had doubled up bolts low down for years AFAIK.
Mau Mau is surprisingly more cruxy than pumpy and steady E4 - actually steady F6c if it's still full of wrecked cams including my small blue camalot.
Bus Stop routes are good especially on the slab, but do the indirect E3 6a start to Scarlet Runner, the E4 5c start is not one for the infamous Paul B.
Colossus itself is pretty good at F6b.
Dervish is pokey to start, an amazing E2 5c marred by a gritstone anklebreaker start.

[IanP]

Its a few years back for me but I'd consider the following:

- Bus Stop is OK for an intro and very accessible but not the best area.  Geordie War Cry is great though, the slab routes are worthwhile.
- Dervish is great obviously, Last Tango in Paris is good as well. Conscience Slab to its right is a good intro to slate boldish but safe slab climbing, the 2 E3's are good and Sweetest Taboo well worthwhile at E4 with a boldish start and hardish slightly runnout finish.
- The Rainbow slab area is probably the best of the Slate.  The routes on the Colossus wall are great, in a bolted but a bit runnout way, Colossus and Ride the Wild Surf obviously, Great Balls of Fire is also excellent and Jack of Shadows looks great.  The routes on the Rainbow are brilliant, Pull my Daisy to start, Poetry Pink is brilliant, the infamous mantleshelf is fine (though the bolt after used to be a bit high and could be difficult to clip if you're very short), I thought it was just worth e5 though others disagree.  Splitstream is a even better but harder.
- Serengeti has some popular easier routes + heading the shot (which I haven't done), near by Never Never Land has some well worthwhile harder routes, I've done Short Stories (harder for the short?) and Machine in the Ghost, didn't fancy the spike on Never Never Land itself  .
   

[Nigel]

Sounds like everyone is in broad, if not exact agreement!

One thing worth echoing from higher up the thread is not to climb at Dali's Hole as it may jeopardise access, also it is dogshit.

[RichK]

  The routes on the Colossus wall are great, in a bolted but a bit runnout way, Colossus and Ride the Wild Surf obviously, Great Balls of Fire is also excellent and Jack of Shadows looks great. 
 

I'd imagine these are all (still) dry. We did them last weekend (bar Great balls) & all are excellent. Previously I've written off slate as being a bit  however Ride the wild surf is an absolutely awesome pitch - perhaps best on slate along with Mau Mau. Jack of Shadows is very good and more E4 than E5 and perhaps more 7a/7a+ with 2 interesting pitches. 

[IanP]

I'd imagine these are all (still) dry. We did them last weekend (bar Great balls) & all are excellent. Previously I've written off slate as being a bit 

Rich, you really should get yourself on the Rainbow Slab - shouldn't a man of your capabilities be looking at the The Rainbow itself? it was always on my list of things to aim for, not sure it'll ever happen now 

[Nigel]

Rich, you really should get yourself on the Rainbow Slab - shouldn't a man of your capabilities be looking at the The Rainbow itself? it was always on my list of things to aim for, not sure it'll ever happen now 

That would depend on how you're going, it is actually probably one of easiest E6's around, and in reality is easier than some slate E5's e.g. Cystitis. It basically boils down to one tricky move getting onto the rainbow with bomber gear a few feet away, the rest is very steady with enough gear and plenty of ledges. The second pitch on the face of it packs a punch but is not bad if you get the sequence right. Prob F6c+ or something both pitches, compare that to F7b+ ish for Naked Before The Beast at the same grade!

[Andy B]

It's worth remembering that apparently bomber gear can and does rip more commonly on slate than other rocks. I know two people who have stripped most of the gear out of the crack falling off the Rainbow (stopped by running belayers).

Another pleasant intro route that I don't think has been mentioned is Watch Me Wallaby Wank Frank, On Serengetti. It can be done on it's own or as a second pitch to Short Stories or Ghengis (although it's a fair bit easier than either of these). Also above Serengetti is the Yellow Wall which has a good intro route (called Slippery People I think), and some good spookier stuff to it's right.

[Jaspersharpe]

Wise words Andy. I remember doing some E3 when I was a kid and thinking I'd got four or five bombproof runners below me. Looked down and flicked the rope off an edge it was getting caught on, they all fell out.

Amazing place and amazing routes but like Nigel says take it easy to start with as it can take some getting used to.

[benpritch]

good fun sport climb ( sometimes a wee bit wet ) - the dark half.

proper slatey fun hard chimney - gin palace

fun edgy hardness - manic strain

great slabs - stiff sid's cap (wet sometimes), rainbow, splitstream,

[Nigel]

It's worth remembering that apparently bomber gear can and does rip more commonly on slate than other rocks. I know two people who have stripped most of the gear out of the crack falling off the Rainbow (stopped by running belayers).

I agree in general, although I'm surprised that it happened on the Rainbow, the gear I had was unquestionably bomber each time I have done this, amply demonstrated by my partner attempting a lead on the same gear and falling off a few times. Maybe placements have improved over the years? This does tend to happen on slate.

Short Stories is hard.

[Jaspersharpe]

Maybe placements have improved over the years? This does tend to happen on slate.

Yeah The Dervish used to be E5 etc.

[Andy B]

Maybe placements have improved over the years?

Quite possibly. My examples are not recent.

When I did the Conscience slab routes, I had the welcome distraction of two saucey girls swimming in the pool and flashing their boobies at us. Unfortunately for my mate you couldn't quite see them from the belay path, due to the hanging scree slope. For those of you who know Barson, it ruined his day.