Some old-but-gold news of sweet dolerite bouldering around the summit area of Moel y Gest. Last year Martin Crook, Si Panton and George Smith climbed a series of lines up to 7A on the small escarpment on the northern flank of the hill, about 50m below the actual summit.

Pete Robins then came up for a look and picked off two quality lines. Most impressive was the highball arête 50m to the right of the main bouldering escarpment. Gest House (7B!) tackles the arête on its front/left side with some bold moves to reach an obvious easing in difficulty for the high finish.

Pete then climbed the full right-to-left traverse of the barrel-shaped buttress at the left side of the bouldering escarpment. Gest List went at 7B and features a tough finale staying low on small edges (a good 6C version exits up the ramp feature just before the blank crimpy section). The left-to-right version finishing up the right arête goes at a similar standard but was not done at the time.

Earlier this year Jon Ratcliffe paid a visit to the higher section round on the west flank of the summit. There are some short routes here on the front slab, but the leaning side wall of the adjacent gully gives good bouldering action. Si Panton had previously climbed the obvious line of layaways, pinches and slopey ledges on the right side of the wall from a sds at 6A+, but the central wall was the obvious harder challenge. Jon managed this direct from sitting at 7Aish and then did a harder 7A/+ version coming in from the left along the rising line of edges.

Approach: Follow the main path up through the woods and left of the quarry breaking off right below the eastern summit and continuing westwards along the path which runs along the ridge. If you go in the summer expect high bracken! On the last section either contour round to the bouldering area or go to the summit then drop down on the north side. (45 minutes)

Relevant links:
      Gest House FA video