North Wales
6 crags listed.
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Dinas Cromlech
The great open book of the Llanberis Pass, its rectangular walls framing Cenotaph Corner, the most famous corner in the world. The concentration of historic hard routes on the two walls is unmatched: Brown, Whillans, Livesey and Fawcett all left their masterpieces here. South-facing and quick to come into condition for a Pass crag.
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Gogarth Main Cliff
The centrepiece of Britain's greatest adventure climbing area, a huge sweep of golden quartzite falling into the Irish Sea below Holyhead Mountain. Long, steep pitches on weird, creaky-looking but generally solid rock, with an atmosphere of commitment that defines 'Gogarth E-grades'. Sea, sun and seabirds all add to the experience.
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Tremadog (Craig Bwlch y Moch)
The famous roadside dolerite crag above the Porthmadog road, blessed with its own dry microclimate in the rain shadow of Snowdonia. Steep, juggy and superbly protected climbing on immaculate rock, from multi-pitch V Diffs to Ron Fawcett's era-defining Strawberries. The traditional wet-weather saviour of North Wales.
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Rainbow Slab Area (Llanberis Slate)
The jewel of the Dinorwig slate quarries: a vast, smooth purple slab rippled by a rainbow-shaped quartz vein. Slate climbing at its purest - tiny edges, perfect friction and serious run-outs - made famous by the 'slateheads' of the 1980s and Johnny Dawes's visionary routes. The industrial amphitheatre setting is like nowhere else in Britain.
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Idwal Slabs
The great grey sweep of slabs above Llyn Idwal in Cwm Idwal, where generations of British climbers have learned their trade. Long, easy-angled padding up water-worn volcanic rock, with the harder walls above holding pre-war test-pieces like Suicide Wall. Drainage lines mean the slabs stay greasy for a while after rain.
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Clogwyn Du'r Arddu
'Cloggy' - the black cliff of Snowdon and the most revered mountain crag in Britain. Huge overlapping slabs and walls of perfect rhyolite hold a roll-call of historic routes from Colton and Brown through to Dawes's Indian Face, the first E9. North-facing and high, it needs a proper dry spell but repays the wait like nowhere else.