North Wales Limestone
The Definitive Guide for Rock Climbers

By climbers, for climbers

Available now from all good climbing retailers and on-line from Cordee and the British Mountaineering Council

 

ABOUT NEW

North Wales Limestone - The Definitive Guide for Rock Climbers

ABOUT NEW image
Welcome to the North Wales Limestone rock climbing guide.

This 2023 guidebook builds upon the hugely popular 2014 guidebook and details all the new development on the limestone cliffs of North Wales since then. The guide is authored by Andy Boorman and Ian Carr and has taken 3 years of hard graft and would not have been possible without the support of a large group of talented and dedicated local climbers and photographers.

The book has been produced on a not-for-profit basis, all for the benefit of every climber. All profits will be put back into supporting climbing and climbing related projects within this area. The proceeds from the 2014 book contributed to a massive new route boom, together with the modernisation of fixed equipment and the replacement and maintenance of belays and lower-offs. The 2023 book will continue to support this process, with the aim of trying to ensure that the fixed equipment is well maintained and modern.

  • Over 2000 trad and sports routes
  • Over 600 new routes
  • 69 crags
  • All six major areas covered 
  • Routes for all (sports 4 to 9a, trad V Diff to E7)
  • Modern colour photo topos and drone shots
  • Clear crag planner including access and tidal information
  • Easy to follow crag approaches and maps with GPS location and QR codes
  • Free Vertical Life digital app content (currently in production)
The guidebook is a key supporter of the North Wales Bolt Fund which provides the equipment for volunteers to re-equip existing routes and develop new routes and crags.  Please consider donating at Donate Here.

Follow us on North Wales Limestone Facebook page - a good place to find up-to-date news and information.

Areas Covered

From Anglesey in the west to Mold in the east

Western Sport

The Western Sport region kicks off on Anglesey, where the sea-washed limestone crags around Benllech and Fedw Fawr have been developed extensively, making the area well worth a visit. Back over the Menai Bridge, the hillside above Llanfairfechan contains large old quarry workings packed with routes, plus some nice smaller crags, all now fully equipped. Located just west of Conwy, The Gallery, Penmaenbach Quarry and the newly extended Noticeboard Crag give a vast variety of climbing styles on volcanic rock, where a combination of strength and dexterity pays dividends. All with exceptional views over the Irish Sea.

The Great Orme

The best-known area in this book, it features the crags of Marine Drive and the hugely impressive Castell y Gwynt. In addition to the brilliant and popular Pen Trwyn and Lower Pen Trwyn, you’ll be surprised to find a wealth of completely new crags hidden away around the corner. Many of these crags come into the sun just as it leaves Pen Trwyn in the shade. Extensive development and re-equipping have transformed neglected crags hereabouts into popular afternoon sport venues.

Little Orme

The Little Orme is perhaps the least frequented area in this book. Further developments have revitalised a few easily accessible and sunny sport crags that will no doubt become popular. The showcase crags of the Great Zawn and the enormously impressive and now further developed The Diamond show off excellent trad and world-class sport – both give fabulous, adventurous venues for experienced climbers.

Central Sport

Central Sport area offers a variety of easily accessible crags. Venues like Penmaen Head, with its newly re-furbished Trench Wall sector, Llanddulas Cave and Castle Inn Quarry provide great, well equipped sport crags with all-season possibilities. The jaded rock cat can usually find something to climb here at any time of the year.

Craig y Forwyn

Craig y Forwyn is the pride of North Wales Limestone trad climbing and has been, in part, lovingly restored to its former glory. Access is sensitive, so maintaining a low profile remains the norm here. The bicep bursting, powerful lines on the smooth limestone remain top-class and nationally renowned.

Eastern Sport

Eastern Sport details a whole host of useful quarries and crags around Dyserth, Denbigh and Mold. Often dry when the west is wet, these sport crags offer distinctly different climbing opportunities to the travelling climber – perhaps those looking for a quick evening hit, or to escape the western rains? The mighty Devil’s Gorge, with its wealth of long, steep, endurance sport climbs will challenge the strongest climbers.

Look Inside

Packed with all the information you need - click to view more

  • Sample Topos

  • Crag Planner

  • Access Information

  • History

Gallery

The Greatest Climber - On a route

The Greatest Climber - On a route

Submit a new route

Please use this form to let us know of any new routes so we can keep the guidebook up to date.  You can also use this form for updating existing routes.  Please provide as much information as possible including topo if possible.  Alternatively email newroutes@northwaleslimestone.co.uk

For any other corrections to the guidebook please email info@northwaleslimestone.co.uk

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Team

Andy Boorman

Author

Andy Boorman became obsessed with climbing in 1965. Epic hitchhikes to Kent outcrops and fabulous North Wales ensued. He escaped London in ’68 to spend more time in Wales and somehow gained a terrific Welsh wife and a teaching degree. In ‘78 Andy landed at Prestatyn High School. A climbing club and rising star emerged: 14-year-old Andy Pollitt teamed up with Andy B and pupil soon became mentor! Inspired by Edwards’ Climbs on North Wales Limestone (1976) the pair set about routes on superb crags such as Craig y Forwyn and Castell y Gywnt. New climbs were crafted, links were forged with local climbers, and updated North Wales Limestone editions were published in ‘81 and ’87, both authored by Pollitt. The talented Andy P shot to fame as a professional climber; Andy B stayed in North Wales and developed a fruitful climbing partnership with Pete Bailey. By 2010 much of the old fixed gear was rotten and the area desperately needed a new guidebook. Harrison, Parkin and Boorman began a mission to update this gear and produce a definitive guidebook to fund further materials. All revenue from the 2014 North Wales Limestone book was donated to The North Wales Bolt Fund, as will revenue from this book. See you on the crag! Photo: Andy Boorman and Andy Pollitt, Melbourne 2019

Ian Carr

Author

Ian Carr started climbing in the late ‘70s on his local Chew Valley grit- stone. Progressing quickly though the grades, he has climbed extensively around the UK, Europe and North America. Always interested in Guidebooks, Ian worked for a considerable time as volunteer Chair of the BMC’s Guidebook committee. In 2012, alongside Niall Grimes and a group of likeminded climbers, he completed the 5 book Peak District Gritstone series with Over the Moors. This was followed by Peak Northern and Southern Limestone with Gary Gibson in 2015 and 2017. Ian and Niall also assisted in the concept, design and creation of the Wired Group of Guidebook writers, then completed Wired Peak District Gritstone in 2020. Latterly, during the development of the Hornby area, Ian offered his assistance to update the 2014 North Wales Limestone guide. Perhaps this is the last one, but you never know! Photo: Ian Carr on Sheep Drop 6c

Niall Grimes

Book Design, Layout and Typesetting

Nigel Tuckley

Web and App interface development

Bev Hull

Web and App interface development

Paul Ingram

Photo Editing and technical support

Barbara Murray

Design, Layout and Typesetting

Pete Harrison

Original concept and design

Emyr Davies

Welsh Translation

John Redhead

Illustrations

Egon Larcher

Vertical Life digital app content

Local Activists

Roger Bennion, Matt Burson, Martin Doyle, Dave Evans, Pete Johnson, Barbara Jones, Matt Jones, Mick Lovatt, Dave Lyon, Tim Neill, Chris Parkin, Libby Peter, Pete Robins, Tony Shelmerdine, Ally Smith, Harold Walmsley, Bill Wayman. Pete Harrison deserves a special mention for the inspiration and huge amount of input that made the 2014 Edition become a reality.

Checkers and Proof Readers

Geoff Bennett, Martin Doyle, Bev Hull, Pete Johnson, Dave Lyon, Tim Neill, Nigel Tuckley.

Miscellaneous valuable inputters

Chris & Claudie Addy, Mike Bailey, Pete Bailey, Sue Boardman, Ann Boorman, Nigel Bonnett, Nick Buckley, Nick Bullock, Chris Calow, Tom Carrick, Rab Carrington, Steve Challoner, Norman Clacher, Phil Davidson, Sion Dafis, Nick Dixon, Chris Doyle, Mike Doyle, John Dunne, Chris Forrest, Kieran Forrest, Gary Gibson, Liz Goulding, Mike Hammill, Chris Hardy, Davey Howard Jones, Vic Hitchins, Adam Hodgson, Pete Hodgson, Dave Hollows, Mark Hounslea, Antony Ingham, Elfyn Jones, Ian Jones, Steve Long, Alex Mason, Ryan McConnell, John Orr, Luke Owens, Simon Panton, Tony Pearson, Sally Pidcock, Mike Pycroft, Jon Ratcliffe, Lee Roberts, Phil Robins, John Stringfellow, Colin Struthers, Matthew Thompson, Nigel Treachy, Simon Witcher, Dave & Sue Walsh. Apologies to anyone we missed off the list !

Photographers

John Beatty, Phil Black, Owen Davies, John Dunne, Ian Ford, Rob Gillespie, Rob Greenwood, Niall Grimes, Pete Harrison, Paul Ingram, Pete Johnson, Jim Jones, Jethro Kiernan, Dan Lane, Al Leary, Tim Neill, Ben Roberts, Lee Roberts, Keith Sharples, Molly Shepherd, Nigel Shepherd, David Simmo- nite, Ally Smith, Karl Smith, Kevin Stephens, Aeron Thomas, Ffion Thomas, Dave Turnbull, George Ullrich, Daniel Winterburn, Jake Webb, Ray Wood. Others submitted fine photographs that we just couldn’t squeeze in. Some may be on view @ www.northwaleslimestone.co.uk. Thanks also to Tom Harding, Paul Ingram and James Peak for the great aerial photos and John Redhead for his illustrations.

The BMC

Providing advertising and financial support to help print the book

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Vertical Life

Digital Smartphone App and digitisation of content

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Richard Wheeldon @ Cordee

Guidance and support in the publishing and retail sectors

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Local Businesses

Beacon Climbing Wall, Boardroom Climbing Wall, Boathouse Climbing Wall, Climbing Hut Climbing Walls, DMM, Great Orme Vertical, Ground Up Climbing Media, Joe Brown Climbing Shops, Parthian Climbing, Plas y Brenin National Outdoor Centre, Vertical Life, V12 Climbing Shop.