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West Buttress

International > Europe > United Kingdom > Wales > Eryri NP > Yr Wyddfa Massif > Clogwyn Du'r Arddu

Description

As a definite counterpoint to the steepness of the buttress to the east, the West Buttress is a wonderland of leaning slabs, one overlapping the next starting at the Black Cleft with Longland's (the second climb at Cloggy after Pigott's, its start avoids the starting overhangs) and ending with, for the sake of this description, Bloody Slab.

But there's a rite of passage for these slabs; overhangs guard the start.

Two years after Longland's Colin Kirkus put up Great Slab, brilliantly finding a weakness in the starting overhang on the right. Maurice Linnel found Narrow Slab shortly after, but gained it by making a complicated traverse from the start of Longland's, including the famous "Linnel's Leap". In 1952, the affluent John Streetly came out of nowhere and claimed the major prize of the bold and horrifying Bloody Slab before heading back to warmer parts of the world.

White Slab was an obvious climb long before it was done, originally known as The Concrete Slab, it was finally climbed in 1956 by Ron Moseley, after abortive attempts by Brown and Whillans. Whillans had already claimed Slanting Slab an atmospheric outing to the right of Great Slab involving a hallmark burly overhanging start.

West Buttress Eliminate (Baz Ingle and Pete Crew 1962) is a very good climb which winds its way around and between the already existing climbs involving the infamous
.

Descents are down the East Terrace.

Getting There

Major buttress to the right of the East Buttress.

Routes from Left to Right

5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b
 1
West Buttress Eliminate
Trad 4 pitches
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a A0 R
 1
White Slab
Trad, Aid 7 pitches
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c
 2
Great Slab
Trad 5 pitches
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
West Buttress Eliminate
 1
5.10+ 6b+ 21 VII+ 20 E3 5b Trad 4 pitches
White Slab
 1
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a A0 R Trad, Aid 7 pitches
Great Slab
 2
5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c Trad 5 pitches

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

West Buttress with routes.
[Hide Photo] West Buttress with routes.