The One that didn’t get away

With fellow PMC member Steve Smith, we finally completed a route that had eluded us for over six months: Amphitheatre Buttress in Cwm Eigiau. We had been fantasising about getting this route done for months. Earlier in the year we had gone up to North Wales in howling rain and wind, in the niave optimistic hope the it would ‘clear up by 11’ of course being N Wales it never does. So one Friday in July in the current heatwave we met in the Pinnacle Café at Capel Curig for a bacon and egg sarnie and then drove to Tal Y Bont. then up to Cwm Eigiau. It was a very hot and close day, and we yomped up toward the base of the buttress passing Rubgy MC’s hut and through the old slate quarry, we hit the scree and made the base of the buttress. Gearing up, we took one pack with one litre of water.

We decided Steve should lead the first pitch which he did with ease, afterall the route was only a Vdiff. However both of us had recently sprained our left ankles, mine a bit fresher than his, so I was happy to second. He led the second pitch and I was by now itching to take the lead. I read the guide book and my enthusiasm suddenly wobbled when it said the mauvais quart d’heure arrives at half height. Here the second gulps while his leader, sickened by an awesome drop into the Amphitheatre . I realised I had volunteered to lead the crux. I attempted it and it was fine, edging out over the amphitheatre itself and around a corner, we thought maybe because of the polished nature of the foot holds maybe the crux was severe grade.

After a bit more slabby climbing the route became more broken and we shortened the rope and moved alpine style along the arête.

Along the ‘garden path’ until we stopped for a ‘photo shoot’ just before the pinnacle traverse, to try to replicate the picture in the CC Carneddau guide book.

The guide book says some leaders take the pinnacle traverse ‘aux cheval’ I looked at them and thought fine, but my wife and I haven’t got children yet – I don’t know what damage I’ll do riding this bloody horse! I decided we should take the side route and continued, I skirted around to the left of the last buttress and quickly brought Steve up, belaying directly round a large boulder. We picked up the small descent path and I had to take my time because of the sprained ankle.

Both of us had complained of cramps during the climb and it was clear we hadn’t drunk enough water. We had that one litre during three and a half hours of the climb. We got back the cars and my muscles really ached, another sign of dehydration. Back at the club cottage, we had a few beers content that we had finally got ‘the buttress’ done. Later Steve began to talk about doing some of Colin Kirkus’s routes……

Lee Farmer