Caseg Fraith, Betws-y-Coed, LL24 0EU

Bank Holiday weekend climbing in Snowdonia!

We’re off to the mountains of north Wales for the long weekend, and there’s the option of a trad climbing training course, provided by local instructors from Gaia Adventures.

Accommodation:

We will be staying in Caseg Fraith in the Ogwen Valley.  This is a spacious climbers’ hut at the foot of Tryfan, with space for 40 people, a kitchen/dining area, showers and toilets, and even a snug with a coal fire.  The accommodation is booked for three nights: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Tryfan and Tryfan Bach are within walking distance of the hut, and there are some boulders just over the garden wall.  The hut is just off the A5, so provides easy access to the rest of Snowdonia.

Training:

Through Gaia Adventures, we are offering two trad climbing training courses: one for beginners and one for improvers.  Both courses are two days long (Saturday and Sunday), and thanks to a club subsidy, these are just £45 per person.

Whilst the actual structure of each course will be tailored to the participants, a brief overview of what to expect is as follows:

Beginners’ course:  safe belaying, creating anchors, abseiling, etc.  This is aimed at those who are new to trad climbing, or have only ever seconded/thirded, and are wanting to learn basic skills.

Improvers’ course: better gear placement, fake lead climbing (on a top rope), escaping the system, etc.  This is aimed at those who have experience trad leading and are wanting to develop their skills.

To sign up for either course, please select a space from the options further down the page.  Please note you will also have to add a hut space separately.  If the course you are after is already full, please add book onto the reserve list for the appropriate course.  If there is enough demand, we may be able to book an extra instructor.

Equipment:

Essential:
Sleeping bag and pillow
Harness, rock shoes, belay device, helmet
Warm clothes
Waterproofs

Desirable (bring if you have these):
Trad rack, half ropes, single rope
Walking shoes
Boulder mat
Guide books

Food and Drink:

We will be cooking a group meal on Saturday and Sunday night (included in the price). There will be porridge provided on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday morning (also included). Members are responsible for arranging their own food for Friday evening and lunches.

The club will provide tea and coffee, but please bring along any other drinks you may want.

The Local Environment:

The Crags in Snowdonia vary greatly from the woodlands around Tremadog, to the weather-beaten Llanberis pass where trees are almost non-existant.  Across the region centuries of felling for timber and heavy grazing have left their mark on the landscape, and efforts are now being made to help it regenerate.  The climbing community has worked with local groups to help remove non-native trees and ivy, as well as litter at Tremadog. We can help by taking litter home (even if it’s not ours), taking care not to damage trees when setting up abseils, keeping to established paths, and avoiding the removal of vegetation including moss and lichen. Temporary or permanent restrictions may also be in place to protect nesting birds or rare fauna, these are all published on the BMC Regional Access Database

Travel:

Parking at the hut is limited to eight cars, so please try to car share as much as possible.  A Facebook event has been set up to help facilitate with this, so feel free to post a message in there if you are able to offer lifts, or are still looking for one.  Once you have a full car, please message/email the club to request a permit.  These will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis.  Free parking is available a short walk away in the laybys on the side of the A5.  This is a very busy road, so please take care with parking there, and ensure that no valuables are left in your car.

Costs:

The accommodation cost for this trip is £33, which includes two evening meals and three breakfasts.

The club is subsidising the training courses, so these will cost £45 for two days, which is great value for money.  If you are booking one of the training courses, please remember to also book a hut space!