Lockwoods Chimney

and a runner just below a flake at the top of this section and moved on...

...I then entered the long horizontal section. Richard Goodey after a struggle clipping the rope past the runner (he forgot first time) then also made it past the vertical section and joined me. We then contorted our bodies down the long passage, sometimes climbing up a few feet, other times crouching to get past bulges in the rock. The rock was by now positively dripping.

At this point the struggle ensued. Caroline couldn't climb the vertical section. We pulled on the rope, we gave her slack, I offered to belay, we tried slings, and we tried Dave Goodeys head… to no avail. Gary Bebb on the lead of the second rope tried to offer advice but it got us nowhere. So Caroline unclipped from our rope and was helped down Gary's rope back to the start.

Dave Goodey tried the vertical section and he also couldn't get up it. Callings upon years of alpine experience he managed to clip a sling to the Friend, step in it, and after another struggle make into the horizontal passage.

Meanwhile Richard and myself had contorted up and down the passage about 7 times giving slack or a tight rope as required. We were very wet at this point. I fortunately had a buffalo top and some neoprene gloves on so wasn't cold, unlike Richard.  The song "I'm only happy when it rains" came to mind.   

At this point a fourth person tied onto the end of my rope but also failed to get up the vertical section. They then untied. The second rope, led by Gary, gave up as they decided it was too hard. Whether they actually tried it I'm not sure. But we know who the "real" mountaineers in the club are.

At the end of the horizontal passage came a second vertical section of about 40ft. I attached a thread runner here to prevent the rope dragging as we once more changed direction. The problem we had was that Gary's group didn't shout up that they were giving up. So Dave Goodey, now last on my rope, had no idea that no one would be following to recover my runners etc. So he left my thread runner in place for the others to use and then retrieve. This vertical section was harder than the first mainly because of a pinnacle rising from the floor of the horizontal passage for about 6 feet, preventing any attempt at bridging the chimney or reaching past to good holds. Somehow via a half mantle shelf I got on top of the pinnacle. Good footholds followed, alternating from one wall to the other and led to the top of the chimney. Just as well the feet had good placements. I didn't spot any gear placements in the darkness, and rain was running down the walls of the open chimney. It was more like caving; the rock was so sh, almost polished.  Almost thought I needed a head torch.

At the top of the chimney there was a wall, which in 50ft led to the top. To get onto the wall I first had to

This is the story of an ascent of Lockwoods Chimney on the Sunday of the February 1999 Snowdonia Centre meet. This climb for me had almost entered a mythical status with tales of midnight ascents by drunken members en masse in days of old. I had heard these tales since the early days of my membership of the HMC. Following a rowdy drinking session in the Tanronnen Inn it was Gary who suggested we ascend the chimney. This would be my first ascent. Fortunately we waited till the next morning for our attempt.

After an interesting traverse we found ourselves at the bottom of the route. The climbing party consisted of Gary, Caroline Wright, Anita, Richard Bailey, Charles, Dave Goodey, Richard Goodey, Dave O'Gorman and myself. Audrey and Pascal opted out and went walking instead, very sensible as it turned out. Albert and Tony Edwards came up to take pictures and have a laugh at our expense. Somehow they found an easy path to the bottom of the route which Gary had missed.

There were two ropes, Gary's and mine. I elected to lead first with Gary belaying me below a short wall with tree roots in it. Richard Goodey came second on the rope, followed by Caroline and Dave Goodey.                   

After the initial easy scramble / climbing I entered the chimney proper and ascended up the first vertical section for about 30ft. The rock although rather wet wasn't particularly slippery and my walking boots gripped fine. The main problem I had was size…. squeezing up between the narrow walls and trying to reach for my rack at the same time proved difficult. Anyway I placed a friend

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