cae du with kids (Read 7528 times)

Scouse D · August 22, 2016, 10:45:28 pm

Yo, I'm in barmouth this week and was wondering what cae du is like as a beach venue for family. I know the bouldering is tidal but is there any sand for the kiddies? All help gratefully received!

Scouse D · August 22, 2016, 10:47:33 pm

Oh yeah and is there safe paddling/swimming etc

Bubba · August 22, 2016, 11:20:01 pm

There's some sand exposed at low tide but it's a rocky/pebbly beach. Friendly campsite that allows fires.

Luke Owens · August 22, 2016, 11:33:18 pm

Short walk to the bouldering too, great spot for easy problems, made a vid a few years back:

SamT · August 23, 2016, 08:13:37 am

No sand really, but plenty of kids seem to enjoy it.

My two enjoyed scrambling around, chucking rocks into the sea from some of the bigger boulders, catching shrimps in the rock pools etc.

Bonjoy · August 23, 2016, 01:05:43 pm

Was there last week! What the others said, except the walk in is about 20m so not super short. The £1 parking cost mentioned in guide is now £4. Don't walk in along the top as it is currently choked with high bracken and Fi and Spike both picked up ticks. Walk in along the beach instead (the railway track option probably not best with kids).
Lovely spot with loads of nice slopey probs and plenty of easy stuff for kids. Lots of good kids top rope potential if you bring a rope. Have seen seals and porpoise out to sea here on previous visits.
If you get an hour or two to yourself I fully recommend Black Mamba 7B+ at Barmouth Quarry. Nice easy to get to spot with grass picnic area with great views if family do come along. You can get by with one decent sized pad. The prob is an excellent steep prow with a tricky boule-over move on smooth slaty pinches.
Barmouth Slabs also excellent for pleasant soloing or kids roping.

Scouse D · August 23, 2016, 04:57:28 pm

Saw black mamba last night does look boss but a little too leg intensive for my fucked limbs. Probs gonna hit the slabs for a potter tonight

Bonjoy · August 24, 2016, 12:41:47 pm

The way I did it did involve rightfoot heelhooking on the crux

Scouse D · August 24, 2016, 12:43:43 pm

Might work. Gonna try tonight, did look boss

Bonjoy · August 24, 2016, 01:57:23 pm

Took me a bit to figure the start position/pull-on. There’s a topo somewhere online with start holds ringed in green, but these are the logical and easiest sit start pull-on anyway. Basically you have to sit start facing outward from the block and then rotate body to plant feet on. The top jug seemed a bit wobbly so I opted for slapping out left at the end which was probably a touch harder but a good move

Doylo · August 24, 2016, 02:20:27 pm

Topo on mid Wales climbing. Think there's a 7c+ on that block now too.

Luke Owens · August 24, 2016, 08:50:11 pm

Scouse D · August 24, 2016, 09:29:16 pm

Tried it tonight but according to that vid was trying beyond friction. Managed that from one/two moves in with your alternative finish bonjoy. Might have done black mamba by mistake, will check that topo.

Bonjoy · August 24, 2016, 11:11:35 pm

Good work. As far as I can tell BM starts from two hand moves into sequence on vid, reachy sit start style. Hard to see how those extra moves make it 7c/+, but didn't try them.

Scouse D · August 24, 2016, 11:29:55 pm

Seems I did black mamba. Nice. Deffo not trusting that jug.
Felt like a 7B to me
the lower start I was trying felt not loads harder. Maybe it is.

highrepute · May 17, 2018, 09:32:38 am

Seems like this is an appropriate thread...Heading to Barmouth at the start of June (family holiday).

Looks like Cae Du and Barmouth boulder are the best places to go.

I've also seen the info on www.midwalesclimbing.com which points out some other bits.

Just wondering if anyone has any info on bouldering around these parts beyond what's on here? Thanks.

Any none climbing related activities one can recommend - there's a baby and 5 year old in tow?

highrepute · August 01, 2018, 04:42:20 pm

Quote from: highrepute on May 17, 2018, 09:32:38 am

Seems like this is an appropriate thread...Heading to Barmouth at the start of June (family holiday).

Looks like Cae Du and Barmouth boulder are the best places to go.

I've also seen the info on www.midwalesclimbing.com which points out some other bits.

Just wondering if anyone has any info on bouldering around these parts beyond what's on here? Thanks.

Thought I'd update on this.

Barmouth boulder was great for a couple of hours. I couldn't make an progress on Black Mamba (very frustrating) but I gather Scouse Dave and Bonjoy have done it so it must be possible.

We also can a walk round the Cregennan Lakes which has some bouldering of a more exploratory and esoteric nature. Reminded me a little of Cornish Granite (in a good way).

The www.midwalesClimbing.com website has various bits of info but it's very badly presented and organised.

tomtom · August 01, 2018, 04:51:00 pm

Did you do anything at Cae Du?

highrepute · August 02, 2018, 09:06:40 am

We didn't go Cae Du because the tides didn't align with our free time slots. Based on Grimers guide it looks like the best place around these parts.

sxrxg · August 02, 2018, 07:58:35 pm

From cae du it is approx 30-40 minutes to the Bala bouldering and I would say this is much better quality than the stuff on the coast. Not that I didn't have fun at both cae du and cerreganan lakes, just they are more esoteric and harder to do a decent circuit of problems at.

highrepute · August 03, 2018, 12:44:12 pm

thanks for the info

Topo for Bala here