The Llanberis Pass (Welsh, Bwlch Llanberis; alternative English name, Pass of Llanberis) in Snowdonia carries the main road (A4086) from the SE to Llanberis, over Pen-y-Pass, between the mountain ranges of the Glyderau and the Snowdon massif. At the bottom of the pass is the small village of Nant Peris, clustered round the ancient church of Saint Peris. The pass recently featured on BBC Television's Top Gear Motorshow during a review of the 2010 Aston Martin V12 Vantage. It was used for location filming in the 1968 film Carry On... Up the Khyber [1]
Contents |
Many fine crags are easily accessible from the road, and the area is very popular with rock climbers and abseilers. On the north side, the principal crags are: Dinas y Gromlech (bearing the famous line of Cenotaph Corner), Carreg Wastad (flat rock), Clogwyn y Grochan (these are together called the Three Cliffs); and further down the valley, Craig Ddu (black rock). On the South side, the principal 'roadside' cliff is Dinas Mot.[2]
Bouldering is on the roadside Cromlech Boulders, which were saved from destruction in a 1973 road widening scheme by a six year protest by local people, climbers, historians, conservationists and geologists.[3]
Climbers particularly associated with the area include John Menlove Edwards (in the 1930s and 1940s) and Joe Brown (in the 1950s and 1960s). The British 1953 Everest expedition also trained in the area, and were based at the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel at the eastern end of the pass.
The Snowdonia Sherpa bus service network run by Arriva Buses Wales and Padarn Bus operates frequent services between Betws-y-Coed, Capel Curig, Pen-y-Gwryd and Pen-y-Pass and also between Pen-y-Pass, Nant Peris (where there are park and ride facilities) and Llanberis.