ClimberMayJune2020

http://www.climber.co.uk MAYJUN 2020 73

Penmaen West Quarry is a stand-out,
with some long (up to 40m) quality pitches,
it can only be hoped that the potential
access issues surrounding the quarry do not
escalate. The aforementioned Tydden Hywel
is, for me, another big selling point. This
imposing quarry, high up on the hillside of
Gyrn Ddu, now boasts some superb routes
on beautiful featured rock and combined
with a most glorious outlook, across
Caernarfon Bay and south to Yr Eifel
and the Llyn Peninsula, is well worth that
extra drive and the challenging approach.

The majority of climbing in the guide

can be comfortably classed as low to middle

grade sport climbing and much of it of a

friendly off-vertical nature. However, those

in search of steeper fare and bigger numbers

are also catered for, particularly around the

Dyserth and Llandulas Cave areas. The latter

a showcase for the talents of Chris Doyle and

co and where the power endurance beast of

Holy Grail is currently the area’s hardest route

at a strength sapping F8c.

The history of climbing in the area is

well-covered and I found it an interesting

and informative read and a good insight into

the effort and drive required to develop new

cliffs for sport climbing (I loved the story of

Violet Charlesworth, a mysterious tale and

one perhaps worthy of a book in its own

right). Fittingly the book is devoted to the

memory of Colin Goodey, a stalwart of

earlier editions and a pioneer of new routes

throughout the area.

So any gripes? Nothing major... I found

the marking of individual bolts on some of

the photo diagrams a little claustrophobic on

the page and not really necessary (too much

info?). The photos are generally good but it

would be nice to have the page number in

the caption to assist locating the route in the

text. Finally, it’s a little frustrating and

certainly not the guide writers’ fault but bolt

theft in the area is clearly an issue and mars

a number of the routes described, although

this is clearly described in the text.

To conclude: a very informative guide

and one written with much knowledge and

love. Comparisons will inevitably be made

with the recent North Wales Limestone guide

but if you are not worried about climbing

on the nearby Ormes (which are not

included) then this guide offers very good

value. The A55 crags are usually considered

as a welcome haven when the rain clouds

cloak the nearby mountains of Snowdonia

but are now surely worth a visit in their

own right, boasting as they do a wealth of

enjoyable and easily accessible climbing.

Paul Harrison

roped up to stroll just a little further towards
the distant summit. None of the four could
have known that their adventure was about
to turn into the most dreadful nightmare
and that they would not all return from
the mountain.
The book depicts haunting times which
test the strength and determination of each
of the climbers to the very limit. We share
pain, desperation and personal sacrifi ce
when all appears lost, we read of hope
and optimism when despair is sculpted into
hopefulness and we feel the frustration and
anger of all the men when endeavour seems
barely rewarded.
Ralph Barker’s narrative is absolutely
captivating, and it really carries the reader
through extraordinary times in this beautiful
but unforgiving landscape. Barker offers
wonderful descriptions of these ambitious
men.

The world was at their feet and failure

and tragedy surely never entered their minds.

Ralph Barker was not a climber but he held

long discussions with the surviving climbers

and had access to their detailed diaries. He has

written with much empathy and understanding

of the challenging world of mountaineering.

Barker has told a story which was perhaps

too raw for the surviving men to revisit, trying

to accurately reconstruct the harrowing events

on Haramosh from the perspective of the

climbers. The reader experiences the warmth

of comradeship and humanity while sharing

the desperate hopes of the exhausted men to

escape the debilitating cold and to return to

family and friends. When disaster struck

there was little chance of a rescue party

being sent to the mountain. The climbers

themselves held their only hope of survival.

The Last Blue Mountain was fi rst published

in 1959. This new edition features an

introduction by Ed Douglas who leaves the

reader in no doubt that this is ‘...an epic story

well told’. It is wonderful to see it in print

again. It is an exceptional book that sits high

in my top 10 of mountain adventure books.

The mountains tell great tales of outstanding

men and women and this humbling story

certainly remains as one of the greatest.

Note: Haramosh was climbed by an

Austrian team in 1958. They placed a

wooden cross on the summit to remember

the British expedition of 1957. A British team

made the fi rst ascent of Haramosh II in 1995.

Dave Wilkinson writes about the climb in

The Alpine Journal of 1997. The article tells

of fi ve friends who loved and climbed the

Karakoram Mountains and also offers some

interesting information about the Haramosh

climb in 1957.

Noel Dawson