The campsite at Cae Du sits above a good small cliff that provides excellent bouldering, some lead routes and plenty of in-situ stakes for arranging top roping. The rock is a compact , water- washed boulder shale that tests slap and hold abilities . Tidal but accessible 10 hours of the 12 hour cycle . Possible to park on the camp site for a few pounds , then a 5 minute walk to the cliffs . Family friendly.

Car: Access from Dolgellau along the coast road south ( 20 minute) or from Tywyn driving north for 5 minutes .

Train : The Cambrian coastline railway has a request stop at the nearby station of Tonfannau from which a 12 minute stroll north along the pebble beach accesses Cae du .

Cae du Index to routes

This is the main area to the south of the camping grounds.Described from north to south i.e . left to right as you look at the crag.

1.the crack 5-

2.groove 4

3.the wall 4

4.low start to the wall 4

5.traverse 6c

6.blunt prow 6b+. This is the rib forming the left side of the little narrow bay .

7.Rock up 5

8.Arete 4 but harder if sitting start.

9.Traverse 6a+ from deep in the narrow bay with one tricky move .

10.Black wall traverse :short traverse along the lip 6b+

10a :continue the traverse all the way around the corner 6c+

10.Black wall warmup 5. The high traverse starting low in the back of the left hand recess.

11.Slap traverse :The recess 6a+ Æstart in the back of the recess and hand traverse to the edge , pull around left and rock up.

: The Thin Line 7a.As above but instead of rollicking up drop down left to join the thin( very ) traverse line up and left .

12.Hanging Rib 6b+. Either straight up the rib or better pull left on to the black slab after the first move

13.The curious rib 6a+

14.The rib traverse 6b.Pulls onto the black slab a little lower than the topo

15.Cae Du Chimney. HVS 5a. Jayson Cooper .

16.Undercut wall 6a+.

17.Undercuit wall right 6b+

Deep Fix exit 6c. Some local eejit in a hat .

18.Deep Fix 6a+.Start in the back of the very narrow inlet and finish by rocking up on to the exit shelf

18a.Deep Fix exit : 6c. Instead of rocking up onto the exit shelf hand traverse it.

19.Little nose 6a+

20.Wall direct 6a.( slight left of the topo line )

21.Sloper rock up 6a+.

A good traverse along the fault line L-> R and back again 6a

22.White slab 6a .Committing through the overlap.

23.Tall slab left edge 6a+

24.Eliminate 6a+

25.Classic 6a

26. Groove 5+

27.Belly hug 6b+. Start under the soapstone and hug your way up .

28.Magic 6c+ ( ? 7a ) . The line just left Fat Slapper .A tricky rock up from the beach up leftwards onto the smooth slab. More Matthew Isles magic .

Andy Godbar on Magic 7a.

Soapstone traverse 7b+.Opposite the tall slab sits the soapstone.A left to right traverse of it land ward side .Mick Adams from Rotherham on a brief visit . Probably unrepeated.

29.Fat Slapper 6b+.An excellent problem from local Gary Morgan.

29a.Fat Slapper extension 6c.The continuation from Matthew Isles

29b.Fat Slapper traverse 7a.

29c.Wall direct 6c+.The variation start from the groove on the right gives a good 6b+, still with the wild reach for the top !

30.6a.

31.The Boss Direct 6c+.Although it seems unlikely at the grade it is possible to start on a very low beach and pull directly up to the porthole via the boss.More Mick Adams .

32.The Boss.6b+ up into the crack then a cool reach out left to the boss and the hole above .

33.Warm up crack 5

34.Little Rock 6c. a sit start under the prow and a slap to the top

35.Variety 5+

36.Heels 6a+ a great heel hook rock up

37.Long Slap 6a+. A slappy traverse from right up leftwards then rock up

38.Little Wing 5+

39.The edge 6a

40.Direct 6a

41.6a

42.Charlotte 7a

43.Rib 6c+

44.Thin wall 6b

45.Student slab 4 . Popular top rope area

46.Rib 6a+

47.Groove 4

48.Black Rib 6a+

49. Gary’s Groove 6b+

50.Quartz slab 5+ lots of ways up this slab on quartz edges . Excellent.

51. Slap Dog 6a+

52.Slap Dog right hand 6b+

53.Chris Crack 6a+. Sometimes led on gear and rumoured Chris Bonnington may have done this .

54.Low traverse 6c+ possible only on low pebble beach this follows the thin seam out of the cave with some hard moves at the start

55.High traverse via Nick’s exit 7a. A great challange taking the highest exit line from the cave via the triangular pocket. Was an old aid route in the 1950s.

56.Quartz slab 5. Undercut out rightwards and continue up the groove .

57.Hanging Rib 6a+.

A variation is to finger traverse the hanging lip from left to right on tiny crystals 7a.( Tim Banton )

58.Cae du crack 6b from standing, 7a from sitting.

59.Cae du Crab 6a+ A fun traverse across the ramp from the groove on the right .

60 Teeter 6a+. A serious high ball . A direct start awaits .

61.Slab 6a

62.Thin wall 6a+. This rises above the slab so cannot be padded out.

63.Short wall 6a+

64.Mantle 6b

65.Sloper 6a+ From the right hand traverse to the rib and pull up into the groove

66.Matt’s problem 6c+. Somehow heel hook directly onto the slab.

67.Easy wall 5

68.Overlap wall 5+

69.Undercut rib 6a although a sitting start puts it at 6b.

70.Matt’s other problem 7a . Hang a tiny crimp and pull up rightwards

71.Quartz vein 6b+ A highball to the top with the tricks at the start.

72.Elephant’s arse 5+

73.Fiend 6a+

74.Groove 6a

75.Heel Torque 6b+ a great little line

Gary Morgan on Quartz Vein 6b+