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The Alltrem boulder photo: Sion Gethin Hill


Martin on Road Rage 7A photo: Crook collection

A cool new boulder has been developed just above the old Roman road opposite Carreg Alltrem. Back in February Terry Taylor kicked things off with Staring at the Wall a 7A mid height left-to-right traverse of the steep face, starting from a sds at the left edge (there is a 6A version which exits up before the hard central section). The right aręte was done from a sds at 6A+ and a line coming into this from the left – unfortunately a key hold broke on this, but it was re-climbed on small crimps at 6C by Ieuan Williamson yesterday.

In June Martin Crook came for a look and managed to climb the obvious central sds problem. Twitching Net Curtains (7A+), is a fierce, snatchy line, as you can see from the film below.

Approach: Follow the old Roman road south of Dolwyddelan and park by the old cottage ruins (GPS 53.039841, -3.885957). Walk back down the road for 110m to the obvious boulder in the trees just above the road.

Also of note is a similar style boulder not far away in the edge of forestry at bottom of the Bwlch y Gorddinan/Crimea Pass on the Dolwyddelan side. Here Martin climbed five lines back in 2020, pride of place being Road Rage (7A), an intense, low level right-to-left traverse of the steep face, finishing up the left aręte. The rock is a bit sharp and creaky but gives good crimp training for the keen.

Approach: Road Rage approach: Park sensibly at the crossroads by the Roman Bridge Station at the mouth of the minor road leading off left (approaching from Dolwyddelan), at the bottom of long hill (GPS 53.043135, -3.916656). Walk uphill on the verge on the left side of the road for about 150m to the point where the wall on the left starts to have capping stones on top (GPS 53.042187, -3.918770). Hop up here and follow the faint path at first up and right, then contouring right, parallel to the road, then slightly down again (about 75m in total after you cross the wall) to find the small, steep block.

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