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

 

The Guidebooks

North Wales Limestone - The Definitive Guide for Rock Climbers

The Guidebooks imageThe Guidebooks 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 (new routes to follow !)
The North Wales Limestone 2025 Supplement contains 80 pages packed with new routes, action shots, updates to the 2023 guidebook and full details of eight totally new or fully updated and redeveloped crags.

As with the 2023 definitive guidebook, all proceeds from the sale of this book go to the North Wales Bolt Fund. 

The 2025 Supplement is now available for purchase, price £10, at the following locations:

Joe Brown shops (Llanberis and Capel Curig), V12 (Llanberis), The Indy Wall (Llanfair PG), Boathouse Climbing (Llandudno), The Boardroom (Queensferry), Outside (Hathersage), Needle Sports (Keswick).

Thanks again to all these retail outlets and climbing walls for their support.

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

Downloads

Wonder Wall - Summer 2025

Wonder wall has had a re-vamp, although it will always be worth visiting after the rains have cleaned some of the guano away!

Download

Notice Board Crag - free topo

Download

Seal Tagging Research Notice

Information regarding Seal Research Fieldwork taking place in July and August 2023 around the coasts of Anglesey, Bardsey, and The Skerries

Download