Cenotaph Corner - 70th Anniversary of the First Ascent
Joe Brown stood below Dinas Cromlech / Photo: Ray Wood
Cenotaph Corner, Dinas Cromlech - E1 5c
First Ascent: Joe Brown and Doug Belshaw, August 24th 1952
Cenotaph Corner. What comes to mind when you hear those two words? Epic. Tough. Beautiful. Striking. Fear. Desperate.
However you wish to describe it, it’s a route with a strong presence. A presence that looms over the Llanberis Pass with its big open-book corner.
It comes with a route description that couldn't be any more simpler; climb the corner. If only the climbing itself was as simple.
We can’t not celebrate one of the finest routes in Wales, if not the whole of the British Isles. August 24th marks the 70th anniversary of the first ascent by the legend himself, Joe Brown.
We wanted to gather some of your stories and experiences of Cenotaph Corner. We have had some great stories and images come through and we cannot thank you enough! We believe Joe himself would have loved hearing these stories (Joe sadly passed away in April 2020), so whilst we cannot pass these on, what we can do is to get out and enjoy what he did establish on the local crags of North Wales and further afield. His long list of first ascents will no doubt inspire many generations to come and we will continue to celebrate one of the greatest climbers. British climbing would not have been the same without him thats for sure.
By the way - in true Joe Brown style, we are still waiting on further ascents of CC in socks…
[ Excerpt from The Hard Years by Joe Brown ]
“In August 1952, Doug Belshaw and I left the hut and went to Cenotaph Corner for another attempt. Compared with the first attempt I now had superlative equipment and a keener eye for running belays on which to protect myself. I avoided using pegs up to the point I had reached before, but pulled on a sling to overcome the first hard move at 20 feet. I found the climbing just as difficult as ever and tore my trousers from knee to ankle in the crack at 70 feet. Getting into the niche at 100 feet was absolutely gripping - very much harder than I remembered it from the previous occasion. The exit crack jutted out above. I tried an assortment of pegs; none seemed the right size for the crack. I buckled half of them and thought, Oh, damn it, you’ll have to bridge up across the bulge to gain a little height and bang one in higher up, where the crack appeared to be more regular. To make this move I stuck a peg loosely into the crack and pulled sideways on it. This movement was as hard as any I had done in my life. The last thing I expected was to be able to stay suspended in so fantastic a position and hammer in a big wrought-iron peg above the impending rock. The peg remained there for eight years. I leaned away on the crack and pressed my feet against the left wall to raise myself. I pivoted up almost horizontally. In this shattering position I knew that I would be down in seconds. I was climbing in socks and vainly tried to hook my feet on to rugosities below a large patch of moss, oozing with water. Until then I had forgotten that the conditions on the cliff were bad and the corner was very damp. There was a large jug-handle hold above. If I used it, releasing a hand from the crack would swing me off. But I had to use it or fall off in any event. Grabbing the jug-handle I swung back into a vertical position. the wrench drained the strength from my overworked arm. I got another hand on the jug and pulled with all the strength I could muster. I shot up like a missile from a catapult and thrust a foot firmly on the big hold. The exclamation “Phew” was never more appropriate at that moment.”
Cenotaph Corner in your words
"Some climbs are more classic than others, but few come much more classic than Cenotaph Corner. When I arrived in North Wales in 2003 I wasn’t a climber, hence unaware of the status that surrounded certain routes; however, it didn’t take long for me to realise that there was something special about Cenotaph Corner. It was talked about by almost each and every climber I met, which built its reputation even further, so much so that the size and scale of its fame began to intimidate me, because now that it meant something to me - I really didn’t want to fall off!! Whilst some stories of ascent are epic, involving touch-and-go moments and run-outs of epic proportions, I didn’t have any of that - I (thankfully) had a relatively smooth ascent . Having been back on it several times since, what has struck me - both from back when I first did it and each and every subsequent ascent - is just how incredible a route it really is: the line, the rock, the moves, and the majesty of being within that amazing amphitheatre. It truly is a classic amongst classics - the quintessential classic perhaps?"
Rob Greenwood
“In the summer of 1963, I seconded The Corner which was led by a friend who had moved to near Deniolen. Chris Boulton became one of the community of climbers who had moved to the area and others who were there most weekends to climb with them. In addition to Joe Brown there was Dave Yates, Ginger Cain, Al Harris and Denny Moorhouse. Chris had a lot of natural ability and became a very good technical climber. On the day of our ascent, even though I was only seconding the climb I was very overawed by the prospect of making this climb, it still had quite a reputation as a hard route. Chris seemed to have got the beta on the route, climbed to the first hard move at 20 feet, fixed a runner and down climbed and took a short rest. There was a dodge to get this first runner in which involved having the right sized krab and latching it around a constriction which could be done quite quickly - and which he obviously was prepared for. He then did a very stylish lead through to the top of the route without appearing to find much difficulty
For those who did the route in the following years what they experienced was nothing like climb that it had been in its first 10 plus years. The route is the natural drainage line from the grassy bay above and soil and mud had been washed down into the crack. This over the ages had become solid like mortar. The crack that Joe climbed was shallow, only allowing the first inch of the finger’s entry, and the easy protection was not available in the same way - and was not the manufactured nuts until well into the 60's and certainly not the camming devices that followed in the 70's. I think it was after this ascent that Chris talked with Joe Brown who had just made his second ascent of the Corner. Joe said even at this time (1963) the route had changed drastically from when he first did it.
I don't have a record of when I first led the route, but I think it was about the time I led the Gates in 1965. One day I do remember some years later was taking two friends who had not done it up it in the early 80's. We did it quite early in the day and it went well for everyone. The crack that I referred to in the previous paragraph was by now clear of the mud that had once filled it and allowed much better hand placements and obvious easy placements for protection. Sitting at the top of the Corner one of my friends asked if there was anything else as good as this and Vector came to mind. We shot off down to Tremadog and did this. The first time I did this I led the final pitch and found it quite straightforward. At the Cave belay since Andy hadn't seemed to have too much trouble with the pitches we did that day I suggested he might like to lead it. He did move to do so but got couldn't do the initial moves leading into the lay back and took a belay there. I went across and did the steep bit and then brought then both up.
Another ascent of The Corner was part of an excellent day spent with my son Graeme on the Cromlech in 1994. I am not certain of the order that we did the routes, but I think it was thus, The Corner which I led, then left wall which Graeme led effortlessly and then Resurrection which Graeme did with seeming ease. About a month later he led Lord of the Flies in the company of one of my old climbing partners, and on another day took me up Right Wall. I think I may have done The Corner on other occasions but can't find dates for these. Some other memorable days on the Cromlech included Grond and The Girdle.
Many days on the Cromlech are enriched by the presence of other (and often very talented) climbers enjoying the routes there. Sometimes too by those who maybe lack a bit of technique for success on their route of choice but display great determination in seeking to get it done. Having led Left Wall again one day in the late 80's I was vaguely aware of a climber working his way up The Gates. Sitting at the top whilst belaying my partner up I could see him moving up towards the belay ledge. He hadn't found the pitch easy and was clearly " running on empty”. He hadn't got far to go to get his hands on the ledge, but his legs were shaking uncontrollably, and I found myself willing him to make it. His situation wasn't too bad as he had fixed a big fat hex just near where his feet were. The next moments were like something out of the Road Runner (?) cartoons. He shouted to his belayer to prepare him if he fell at this point. It went something like this
"I'm off, I'm off" and just after this he managed to kick his runner out. He seemed to hover there for a split second and just had time to add "and it's going to be a big one” before he fell and was fielded by his belayer some distance below his high point.”
Dave Smith
I started climbing in the late 70s and purposefully avoided doing CC until my 40th birthday on 24/8/02 - I believe it was wet that day (really no excuse!) so I didn’t lead it until 28/9/02. I was 40, it was 50. Climbed it with Jim Clarke and Hilary Lawrenson, who took the attached photos. Found it hard going and harder than quite a few E2s I’ve done. Am still climbing well enough and was thinking of returning this August for another anniversary ascent but have been persuaded by family to eat lobster down in Devon instead. This way I get to retain my 100% success rate on this route for another 10 years!
Rupert Woods
“I remember my ascent of the route clearly. This was 2002 I think. At the time this route was the top end of my ability. I psyched myself up for weeks, reading the essay in Hard Rock, studying the photos of Rustie Baillie on the route etc. We chose a weekend with a good weather forecast to head to N Wales. Getting on the route I worked my way up past the lower crux, then steadily with increasing trepidation to the high crux. Just hung in through that, then topped out elated. At that point I approached by a bloke with a camera asking for my name. It turned out to be David Simmonite who was using the good weather to get photos of classic routes on the Cromlech. As it turned out photos of me on Cenotaph Corner appeared in the 2003 CC Llanberis guide (the short lived one due to poor quality photo tops) and accompanying an article in October 2003 High, which heightened the whole memory of the route for me.”
Colin Scotchford
'Glimpse of a Legend'
Although I have climbed 'the corner' a few times over the years this was an early encounter with the Cromlech. I still remember it well 40 years later.
We sat beneath Cenotaph Corner utterly dejected. We had just failed on the Girdle Traverse of the Cromlech. The day before we had failed on Suicide Wall at Idwal. It was sometime in the late 70's or early 80's. The day was boiling hot, the rock bone dry and yet there was no one around. I looked up at the piece of gear we had left in the Corner when we abbed off. The red sling waved in the breeze as if to say 'bye losers'. I knew we would just leave it there now and go home.
Suddenly the bright day turned dark. A silhouetted figure black as night blotting out the light. No words were spoken. He moved to the foot of the Corner and looked up. He was now in full sunlight. Rippling muscles with no shirt to hide them. Golden hair flowing towards bright red tights. "It's Robert Plant" I thought to myself. He moved away to the start of the Girdle Traverse and soloed effortlessly across Left Wall, where retrieving our abandoned gear he continued down the Corner. We were gobsmacked! He nonchalantly dropped the gear at our feet. He still didn't speak. I squeaked a "thank you". I wanted to ask him so much more but was frozen in the moment. He turned and disappeared quickly up the Corner. Then he was gone.
We looked at each other in disbelief. At that stage in our climbing we hadn't seen anything like it. "Err what just happened?" asked my mate. "I think a god just returned our gear" I replied. " Or maybe someone from Led Zeppelin, but still a god “I added.
Years later I found out who it was. I'm sure some here may have known and climbed with him. It was one of those moments in climbing you never forget.
Slackboot
Photos: David Glover / Climber: Jake Simpson and his awesome flares…
“In 2003 I was on a climbing trip to Snowdonia with UKC. I was driving up the pass with Kev, whom I had only just met, and we were discussing what to climb. The sky was an eternal, unblemished blue and the mountains crisp, clear and vibrant with an almost unreal clarity. I gazed up to see Dinas Cromlech basking in the warming sun, empty yet of the milling hordes and oh so tempting. I said, “Hey Kev fancy doing Cenotaph Corner?” Kev on his first climbing trip to North Wales unwittingly complied.
We laughed and joked as I racked up and sorted out the ropes, we were quite high off the ground to start with and had to arrange slings to clip our gear into to stop it sliding off to the steep slopes below. The corner was much steeper close up and flanked by two large almost featureless walls it was very imposing. Still it seemed to offer plenty of placements for protection so off I set.
I lay-backed and bridged my way upwards, ever conscious of the massive exposure of space all around me. I wondered if I would make it or end up abseiling off, too old and knackered to continue, leaving gear behind for some other strong climber to collect. Yet on I went finding purchase on the good jugs, finger crimps and vague scoops that presented themselves. I rested often and at one point fell ten feet as I reached up, balancing on tiny sloping footholds, to place a small wire. Shooting past my previous placements I realised that I didn’t know Kev from Adam and didn’t know how good, or bad, he was at belaying. But he held me well and with renewed confidence I climbed back to my previous position, placed the wire and pressed on. Suddenly the crack narrowed to a slit and the rock bulged out from a smooth scoop to give 10 ft, or so, of precarious layback and bridging manoeuvres on the poorest foot holds yet! I tried several combinations of technique but failed to find a way forward and by now I was knackered after 110 ft of unrelenting rock. The top was tantalisingly close, just ten more feet and I would be home free. This spurred me on; I stiffened up the sinuses and conjured up the blood, then showed it the mettle of my pasture and went for it! Slamming in wires and friends, I sketched and hauled my body onward, twisting one way and then the other searching out the tiniest advantage to get me higher till finally I ran out of small wires and places to put them. I rested once again, letting my breath ease a little, and scanned what remained to do. Five or six feet above me I could see a good jug hold but nowhere to place any gear on the way to reaching it. But at 115 ft I certainly wasn’t going to hit the ground if I fell. So, I summoned up the last of my reserves, focused my mind and launched forth. Left foot on smear (if it will hold), right hand in shallow crack (good enough), left hand higher, layback (nice), right foot up onto tiny hold (don’t think about it), right hand to left hand, left hand up and BANG! GOT IT! I cut loose swung left and brought my right hand to join it then hauled for all I was worth onto the easier ground above. Bloody Hell! I had done it! Cenotaph Corner E1 5c. As the tree belay came into view a surge of pure joy rose unbidden from my very soul and I roared out a great yell of exultation, which echoed round the valley. I was ALIVE!”
(Journal entry for 5th April 2003)
Duncan Bourne (Cartoonist Climb and On the Edge)
“At that point I’d never led an E1 5c, but like most had dreamed of climbing it and had gazed up at it a few weeks previously whilst on holiday with my wife. So, a short while later my friend Gareth called me up and said did I fancy belaying him on left wall - before my mind had a chance to think I heard myself saying “only if I can lead Cenotaph Corner” he had previously led it so the deal was done. I left my house at 5.30am for the 3-hour drive and sat nervously in my car in the pass. Gaz arrived and we hiked straight up puffing and panting. I was so excited and feeling sick with nerves! This was it, it’s Cenotaph Corner. No warmup just straight on it. By the time I got to the crux I remember shouting down “I’ve got nothing left, I’m spent” and I meant it, I was so pumped I didn’t believe I could pull through this tough looking section. In a moment of clarity, I suddenly found myself saying “this is it! You’ll only get one chance to on-site CC, dig deep and go. Something deep inside me surged and I stuck the crux moves to the easy finish. I pulled over the top and just lay there panting for 5 minutes. As I drove home later that day, I could have powered a small town I was buzzing so much!“
Ross Keeble
Deezel65 via UKClimbing
“Really historic climb, not just in British Trad climbing but also in most people’s own climbing careers, I guess.
‘The Corner’ has always been quite a significant route for me. When I lived in North Wales as a teenager, I was only really a VS leader. Every time my dad and I drove through the pass, it was all too obvious, but I never felt like I was good enough to be able to climb it, or if I ever would. I’m sure there’s many Climbers out there who can relate to that type of relationship with Cenotaph Corner. So close, yet so far. The wings of the Cromlech quite literally open up and invite you to climb. But daring to do that requires a certain confidence. Though much has been written about Brown’s mental cool whilst on his new routes, I’ve always found the lack to which he was intimidated by these striking (and unclimbed) lines deeply impressive.
Anyways, last year I finished my first year of uni. Regular climbing and keen partners meant I’d improved considerably and felt far more confident in my climbing. But I still hadn’t done the Corner.
As for the actual ascent, I’ve very little to say really. My dad and I arrived on a perfect June evening. The climb had just gone into the shade and several days of dry weather ensured the crack was bone dry. Every rest was found, every piece of gear went in perfectly and the crux felt just like any other move on the route. To climb that route in perfect flow with blue skies and my dad holding my ropes is a memory I will greatly treasure throughout my climbing career and beyond.
For me, climbing the corner isn’t about ticking a route or a grade. For some it’s the pinnacle of their climbing careers, others a rite of passage into the extreme routes of Wales. On a personal level, it was about attempting a route I never really thought I’d be good enough to do and being surprised at how okay it felt. I suppose climbing really is a mental game isn’t it!”
Jack Manfredi
Climber: Jake Manfredi / Photo: Scott (Jakes Dad)
“Must have been 16, maybe just 17. My climbing partner at school could drive, so we headed over to the Pass. Diagonal and Superdirect. We'd been looking at it all day. Andy had already done it and thought I should be up for it. So, we trudged up. History leaned in, but I topped out without too much trouble. A cracking day out.”
Steve Gooberman-Hill
Cenotaph Corner - the Greatest Route in Britain
“Joe Brown was the most famous British climber ever - and also the most highly respected. When he died, someone proposed a statue in Llanberis. Not really his style. I suggested that he may have felt his true memorial was just a few miles up the road.
Cenotaph Corner dominates the Llanberis Pass. Your eye is instinctively drawn to it: a superb, immaculately sculpted open-book corner. It looks impossible. But you can’t be a climber and not want to do it.
In the 1960s it was given XS – Extremely Severe, the dream grade, the impossible grade for us mere mortals. I couldn’t imagine ever climbing it. I still remember the thrill of excitement when I finally saw someone on it. (He fell from near the top.)
But life is about translating dreams into achievements. In 1974 I was 21. It was one of the wettest summers on record. No matter. We still climbed every day.
One afternoon I got back to Nant Peris to find that Dave Humphries had done The Corner in the morning. Well! Dave was like a brother to me. But brothers can be rivals. I couldn’t afford to yield an iota of psychological advantage. (I’m sorry – but in those far-off days of youth, minimal body fat and far too much testosterone, that’s simply how things were.) We grabbed some gear and raced up to the Cromlech.
The Corner was streaming with water. How the hell had Dave done it? But no matter, I had to do it too. And I did. Twenty-three minutes and five runners later, I pulled over the top, soaking wet, filthy, deliriously happy.
The greatest route in Britain – by the greatest climber. No matter who you are, the day you do it will be a milestone in your life. Nearly fifty years later, I remember it vividly. I’ll always cherish that feeling of being wildly, deliriously happy at the top of Cenotaph Corner”.
Mick Ward 2022
Jim Perrin by Paul Ross who was a good friend of Joe Brown (as was Jim).
Dinas Cromlech with the (very) obvious line of CC / Photo: Will Marston - @will.j.marston
A great perspective of (an empty!) CC / Photo: Will Marston - @will.j.marston
“This route has eaten me whole and spit me back out every time I have attempted it (3 times now). Either I need to have words with myself or it’s just not meant to be…“
Emma Crewhind
“June 2012. No epic story but my first E1 (on purpose at least) and a cracking route!
My friend Juraj seconding.”
Andy Cantrell
Climber: Bryan Wakeley / Photos: Helen Wakeley
“Just beautiful. Maybe I was having a good day but everything just flowed. The gear. The moves. I reached the belay at the top. Made myself safe and shouted down “Safe Neil but just give me a minute!”. I needed a moment or two to take in what I had just climbed. Staring back down the corner and the views of Llanberis pass itself, life at that moment felt bloody grand. This route had been on my list for 5 years. It was my first 5c lead.”
William Halsted
Doing it right with style. Photo: David Glover / Climber: Jake Simpson
Photo: James Gibson
“I prefer to look forward and not back, but occasionally it is good to sit and remember. I do hope however, that climbing never becomes anything more than a pastime for idlers. ”
Photos: Ken Wilson and Ray Wood