James Pearson repeats Crac yr Meistri (E9) on Llanberis slate in Wales

A few days ago I made a repeat of Masters Crack (Crac yr Meistri) in the Nant Peris Quarry in the Llanberis Pass.  This route was first climbed by James McHaffie, one of the best trad climbers ever to have lived, and graded E9.

Although not as dangerous as some of the more famous E9’s in the UK, Crac yr Meistri combines thin, 8b slab climbing, with protection from small nuts and tiny friends.  The slate in this quarry is notoriously softer than that in the larger, more famous Dinorwic Quarries on the other side of the valley, meaning the small protection, often placed from pumpy, and awkward positions, make for a very exciting pitch.

Caro and I visited North Wales for a weekend with the kids, taking in some of the best Welsh (adventurous) kids activities we know about, like "Snakes and Ladders” and some more classic trips to the beach. For a couple of hours each day, Caro and I took it in turn to go climbing, and I managed to lead this on my first try, after a working session the day before.

I found the route a lovely, interesting experience, which reminded me how intensely technical and bizarre climbing on slate can be!  It's a style you don’t see anywhere else, where the tiny (but often positive) holds and the glass-like surface of the rock, find you constantly flip-flopping from ‘impossible move', to 'no-hands rest'.

- James Pearson