• Chocolate dessert with special gold stars for champion bloggers!

  • Paul approaching the belay on Merlin

  • Paul nearing the finish of Merlin Direct

  • Paul starting the superb crack of Merlin Direct

  • Pete on the first belay of Merlin Direct

  • Laetitia showing the she is "smarter than the average bear" on Yogi

  • Pete on Chwys

  • Pete, Laetitia, Richard, Jon, Paul, Ian, David, Rachel, and Brendan outside the Helyg garage

  • Pete, Richard, Brendan, David, Ian, Rachel, Keith, and Laetitia at the Rhosydd exit

  • David crawling through the breakthrough point between the Croesor and Rhosydd mines. This was walled to demarcate the two mines and therefore two independently owned sources of revenue.

  • Laetitia and Keith coming across the final 50 metre flooded section on the in-situ canoe! Utterly amazing!

  • The first bridge obstacle. Before this there had been two 25m abseils and a fantastically exciting 40 metre cable zip-line across the first flooded section of the trip.

  • Rachel, Brendan, Richard, Keith, Laetitia, Ian, and David near the Croesor mine entrance

Welsh Blog Rendezvous

Croesor-Rhosydd Through Trip

The Croesor Rhosydd through trip connecting these two extensive and ancient slate mine workings has been on my list of must-do adventures in North Wales for ages. However, we only generally go to Wales when the sun is out, and then we go rock climbing. This time was different though, the through trip was the main objective for Saturday’s adventuring on the blog rendezvous weekend…

Although I’ve done the trip in to Rhosydd and out of the top exit in West Twll many times, as this only requires wellies (although I have done it in sandals, albeit with very very cold feet, and just a mini-maglite for illumination) the trip through from Croesor requires much more commitment, skill, and equipment, but the rewards are far bigger!

Rachel, Brendan, Richard, Keith, Laetitia, Ian, and David near the Croesor mine entrance
Brendan on the first bridge obstacle. Before this there had been two 30 metre abseils and a fantastically exciting 50 metre cable zip-line across the first flooded section.
Laetitia and Keith coming across the final 50 metre flooded section, the Chamber of Horrors, in the in-situ canoe! Utterly amazing!
David crawling through the breakthrough point between the Croesor and Rhosydd mines. This was walled to demarcate the two mines and therefore two independently owned sources of revenue.
Pete, Richard, Brendan, David, Ian, Rachel, Keith, and Laetitia at the Rhosydd exit

Were the years of procrastinating about the through trip worth the wait? Yes! What a brilliant and exciting trip! The zip-line and boat crossings were particularly fantastic. Oddly some of the cavers in the group were saying things like, “I’m so glad I’ve ticked this trip, now I never have to come back”! Conversely, I can’t wait till the next wet day in North Wales! No longer will it be a case of wondering what to do in-lieu of climbing, we’ll be straight in to Croesor-Rhosydd.

What else? Oh yeah, a big thank-you to Keith and Brendan, for having half an idea of where we were going! 😛

Rendezvous Dinner & Helyg

We’d booked one of the CC‘s hut, Helyg, for our sole use over the weekend to hold the fourth rendezvous-meet of authors of reports on this site. With the highlights of the meet being a celebration four course meal, a (hopefully humorous) review of the past year of blogging pictures, events, and stats, and a quiz (with prizes) all held on Saturday evening. I thought the celebrations were great fun, I hope everyone else did too. Unfortunately I had so much fun I forgot to take many pictures! But we did get this one of the awesome chocolate dessert! :yum:

Chocolate dessert with special gold stars for champion bloggers!

Before we all set off on Sunday for various climbing and walking adventures I snapped this group shot in front of the Helyg garage…

Pete, Laetitia, Richard, Jon, Paul, Ian, David, Rachel, and Brendan outside the Helyg garage

Tremadog

As predicted the weather on Sunday was dry and sunny! Having had such a terrible summer so far this year with record rainfall the climbers were keen to get out and climb a few routes. Tremadog was selected as the venue as it offered climbing options at all grades should the cavers fancy a go. As it turned out though the caving team headed out to walk a section of the Nantlle ridge instead, leaving us to climb a few routes on Tremadog’s sun kissed rock in between trips to Eric’s Café.

Pete on Chwys
Laetitia showing that she is “smarter than the average bear” on Yogi
Pete on the first belay of Merlin Direct
Paul approaching the belay on Merlin
Paul climbing the superb crack of Merlin Direct
Paul nearing the finish of Merlin Direct

Series - Rendezvous #4

  1. Welsh Blog Rendezvous
  2. A gentle finish to the blog rendezvous weekend
  3. More pictures from Croesor Mine…
  4. more Observations from Underground

3 thoughts on “Welsh Blog Rendezvous”

    1. Same here! 🙁 The cave trip looks a lot of fun! :star: :star: :star: But maybe I feel even more sorry about missing the dinner and the evening activity. Maybe next time … (hopefully).

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