Holyhead Mountain

A guidebook with a difference. A local climber's look at 70 years of climbing history on Holyhead Mountain, Anglesey, North Wales. The routes, their characteristics, who did them, how, and why many were so named.

Back in the 1960s, Holyhead County Secondary School teacher Miss Hope took a motley crowd of 13-14-year-olds hill walking in Snowdonia. They renovated an old farmhouse she had bought, and as a reward she treated them to a weekend climbing course. This led to the author selling his bike and buying a rope, a sling and one carabiner. A week later, with novice Peter Jones, he set off to climb the local mountain. This is the story from that eventful day, to their progression and the development of one of North Wales' most popular crags: Holyhead Mountain.

While the what and where to climb is standard in most climbing guides, the routes' character and choice of names and history of the various climbs is woven into the descriptions. There's something for everyone - from the absolute beginner to the most experienced. Simple production, colour as well as black & white photos.

With a double bonus: Epic tales of the early days on the Gogarth and South Stack sea cliffs, along with the untold story of the discovery of the Rhoscolyn sea cliffs and their development.