24/06/2010Chris Doyle's Temple of Gloom

Much to his relief Chris Doyle has completed his project in Llanddulas Cave (literally) on the North Wales coast. On a bright day it's a good idea to let your eyes adjust to the low light levels inside before pulling on to this one. The name Chris has chosen for his new F8b says it all, The Temple of Gloom.

Don't be put off though as the route, an old Dave Body project from the nineties, takes a very impressive line across a horizontal eight metre ceiling. "At one point it actually feels like you're climbing down a move", Chris commented.

Starting from a pillar on the left-side of the cave (facing-in) and opposite Guano on Sight it crosses the roof, turning it with further difficulty to join Zoidberg (6c) at its ledge and then finishes up this towards the beckoning light at the top of the crevasse.

Chris said: "The difficult climbing I'd say felt like a V7 followed by a V4 and then a V6 with the redpoint crux being latching a good hold just below the ledge on Zoidberg."

"After about seven or eight sessions on the line, I was starting to feel the pressure as I was worried that Neil Dyer or Pete Robins who have also been on the route with me might get in there first."

Chris Doyle is a regular on the Orme's scene and the son of Michael Doyle, author of the recently published A55 Climbs guidebook. In it you'll find Temple of Gloom is marked as route 7, a F8? project in the Llanddulas Cave section. You get a sense of the huge passion Chris has for climbing on North Wales limestone from his entertaining blog.

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