Dinas Cromlech
Dinas Cromlech is one of the most celebrated and storied rock-climbing crags in the whole of Britain, a towering wall of rhyolite situated in the heart of Snowdonia in North Wales. Rising dramatically above the floor of the Llanberis Pass, it presents a sheer, near-vertical face of dark, rough-textured volcanic rock that has drawn climbers from across the world for the better part of a century. The name is Welsh and translates roughly as "fortress of the cromlech," a reference both to the imposing cliff's castle-like appearance and to the prehistoric burial chamber traditions of the region. For those who care about the history of British mountaineering, Dinas Cromlech is something close to hallowed ground, a place where some of the most significant ascents in the development of rock climbing as a sport were made.
The crag's fame rests largely on a series of routes that were groundbreaking in their time. The most legendary of these is undoubtedly Cenotaph Corner, a near-perfect right-angle dihedral — a great open book of rock — that runs almost the full height of the cliff. It was first climbed in 1952 by Joe Brown, a Manchester plumber who, along with his partner Don Whillans, was revolutionising what was thought possible on British rock. Brown's ascent of Cenotaph Corner is considered a watershed moment in climbing history; the route was so far ahead of its time that it remained unrepeated for several years and is still graded E1 5c today, respected and sought out by intermediate and experienced climbers alike. Flanking the Corner are other classic routes, including Left Wall and Right Wall, the latter first climbed by Pete Livesey in 1974 and graded E5, which represented another leap forward in the sport's technical standards.
Standing beneath Dinas Cromlech, the scale of the crag becomes genuinely impressive. The main buttress rises roughly 30 metres of relatively continuous steep rock, with the two great walls of Cenotaph Corner meeting at a crack-filled corner that catches the light in a way that seems almost architectural. The rock itself is compact and generally sound, offering superb friction and positive holds despite the steepness, though some sections can become greasy in damp conditions, which in Wales is a very real consideration. On a clear day, the smell of heather and damp stone mingles with the wind channelled up the pass, and the sounds of the valley below — the occasional car on the A4086, the distant bleat of mountain sheep — drift up between stretches of surprising quiet when the wind drops.
The surrounding landscape is quintessentially Snowdonian: a glacially carved U-shaped valley flanked by steep ridges and rounded cwms, with the waters of Afon Nant Peris running along the valley floor. The Llanberis Pass itself is one of the most dramatic mountain roads in Wales, and the area is extraordinarily rich in climbing crags of different characters. Directly opposite Dinas Cromlech, across the valley, sits Dinas Bach, a smaller crag offering easier routes. Further up the pass are the Cromlech Boulders, a scatter of fallen boulders immediately below the main crag that constitute one of Wales's most important bouldering venues in their own right. The village of Llanberis lies about two miles to the northwest and offers pubs, cafes, a gear shop, and access to the Snowdon Mountain Railway. The summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) itself is accessible from multiple paths in the vicinity.
To reach Dinas Cromlech, most visitors park at one of the lay-bys along the A4086 through the Llanberis Pass, most conveniently the Boulders car park at the foot of the crag. From there, a well-worn path climbs steeply up the hillside through bracken and over rocky ground to the base of the crag in roughly 15 to 20 minutes. The approach is short but quite steep and can be muddy and slippery in wet weather, so appropriate footwear is strongly advised even for those who plan only to watch. There is no charge to access the crag, which sits within Eryri National Park and is managed in part by a tradition of open access that Welsh crags have long enjoyed. Parking in the pass can be limited during busy summer weekends, and early arrival is strongly recommended between June and August.
The best conditions for climbing at Dinas Cromlech are generally found from late spring through early autumn, with May, June, and September often offering the most reliably dry rock. The crag faces roughly southwest and catches afternoon sun, which both dries the rock and makes it a pleasurable place to spend a few hours even for non-climbers content to watch. Because of its aspect and the relatively quick-drying nature of rhyolite, Dinas Cromlech can come into condition sooner after rain than many Welsh crags, though the famous Cenotaph Corner in particular can seep water for some time after prolonged wet spells. Winter visits are possible but routes become far more serious propositions and the approach path can be treacherous with ice.
One of the more quietly fascinating aspects of Dinas Cromlech is the way it serves simultaneously as a monument to the past and a living venue of current climbing activity. The routes established by Joe Brown, Don Whillans, Pete Livesey and later by Jerry Moffatt and others in the 1980s continue to be climbed regularly, and a visit on a busy weekend will reveal a community of climbers spanning generations, all sharing the same steep rock that defined the outer edges of human ability in their respective eras. The Cromlech Boulders below, meanwhile, have been home to cutting-edge bouldering problems for decades and remain a training ground for some of Britain's top climbers. There is something genuinely moving about standing in a place where the story of a sport can be read directly in the stone.