Lighthouse Arete Direct | chossclimbers.com

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Lighthouse Arete Direct.

A reasonably OK forecast for the third day in Wales. We headed for what’s probably the easiest sea cliff route in Gogarth: The Lighthouse Arete Direct (3-pitch, VS 4c) on a sea cliff called Castell Helen. A short walk brought us to the edge of the cliff and the abseil point (ancient pegs and some gear). Two climbers were hiking back uphill telling us that they thought that the conditions were too windy. With our limited time budget, we nevertheless fixed the rope and rapped down to the start of the line just above the waves. The route features easy climbing but the setting is spectacular with the South Stack Lighthouse providing the backdrop. Some light rain along the way but, by the time we were topping out, sunshine had returned and crowds of climbers showed up at the abseil point.

After lunch, our family joined us and we took our nephew for a 2-pitch route called Stairs and graded S on the nearby Holyhead Mountain. Fun outing with good views but very windy and quite cold. Somebody got an almost full on alpine experience.

Photos

On the short hike down to the abseil point to the start of Lighthouse Arete Direct route (May 2024).

South Stack Lighthouse form the abseil point (May 2024).

Rapping in (May 2024).

It was quite windy (May 2024).

Shirley on the rappel down to the start of Lighthouse Arete Direct route (May 2024).

Interesting rock. Zeroth belay on Lighthouse Arete Direct (May 2024).

Starting the lead of pitch 1 of Lighthouse Arete Direct (May 2024).

Looking back at Shirley from the start of pitch 1; a nearly horizontal leftward traverse just above the surf (May 2024),

Pitch 1 (May 2024).

More pitch 1 (May 2024).

A mostly horizontal traverse (May 2024).

Almost at the belay (May 2024).

South Stack Lighthouse from the first belay (May 2024).

Shirley starting pitch 1 (May 2024).

More of Shirley on pitch 1 (May 2024).

A closer look (May 2024).

Making progress on pitch 1 (May 2024).

Nearing the first belay (May 2024).

Starting up pitch 2 of Lighthouse Arete Direct in light drizzle (May 2024).

Shirley’s belay companion (May 2024).

Higher on pitch 2 (May 2024).

Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 2 (May 2024).

A curious guy (May 2024).

South Stack Lighthouse from the second belay on Lighthouse Arete Direct (May 2024).

Shirley starting up pitch 2 of Lighthouse Arete Direct (May 2024).

Our audience (May 2024).

Pitch 2 (May 2024).

South Stack Lighthouse (May 2024).

Shirley on pitch 2 (May 2024).

Arriving at the second belay (May 2024).

Shirley on pitch 3 of Lighthouse Arete Direct (May 2024).

Shirley with the lighthouse in the background (May 2024).

Arriving at the abseil point which marks the top of the route (May 2024).

Hiking back as the crowds of climbers converge on the abseil point (May 2024).

That’s Elin’s Tower. Abseil point is just to the right and below the structure (May 2024).

Is that a Welsh sailing club of some sort (May 2024)?

A lunch break at the parking lot cafe while we wait for our family to join us (May 2024).

Max and Agata (May 2024).

Holyhead Mountain from the approach hike (May 2024).

On the way to Holyhead Mountain (May 2024).

Views from the base of the Stairs route (May 2024).

Leading pitch 1 of Stairs (May 2024).

William at the base of the Stairs route on Holyhead (May 2024).

Higher on pitch 1 (May 2024).

William on pitch 1 of the Stairs route (May 2024).

William just below the crux (May 2024).

And above the crux (May 2024).

Nearing the first belay (May 2024).

And Shirley on pitch 1 (May 2024).

Views from the Stairs route on Holyhead Mountain (May 2024).

Shirley leading pitch 2 of Stairs (May 2024).

William starting up the second pitch (May 2024).

Shirley & William atop the route (May 2024).

And one more of the happy duo (May 2024).

Hiking over to the descent gully (May 2024).

William and Shirley in the descent gully (May 2024).

Shirley, William, and Jason (half frozen) on the hike back (May 2024).

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