Welsh Engineering Route Description

Start From the top of Radagast.

At the top of Radagast, abseil down to just below the ledge you were standing on and notice the two 
bolts for the rebelay on the overhanging, perfectly smooth slab. Then descent down to a bolt along 
the small ledge  and traverse into the phreatic tube. Immediately reach a junction. Take the right 
fork and head down the sloping small climb to another junction. At the junction take the left fork to 
another climb down that ends in The ‘5m Climb’ Pitch. Note at the top of the pitch the small inlet of 
lead 2018-15B.

At the bottom of the pitch head through the brief crawl and on the other side find your way on 
immediately to your left. On your right note the Banana Slip series which has a lead that’s presumed 
to be a window down into the bottom of Saruman. Ignore the passage to your right (lead 2018-17A) 
and continue to a short distance to where a large pot appears on the right. Note the bolt on the left 
wall. This is the start of Saruman.

Descend the pitch to a large ledge. To your right notice the bolt and drilled thread for the remainder 
of the pitch that leads to the 2m climb that arrives in Snagged and Shagged. Your way on is the 
pitch head to your left from the large ledge in the aven. Note this is a short pitch with an immediate 
rebelay due to rope rub that should be avoidable if one pushes away from the wall. Pass this drippy 
rebelay onto a ledge above a canyon with a traverse going to a short pitch. A very short deviation is 
on the other side of the canyon allowing a smooth descent to the stream way floor.

Upstream you can access the pool of water and it is advised that all descenders are dunked here to 
give them a chance to cool off. Head down stream where the rift deepens below your feet to another 
pitch head., starting with a traverse from the drilled thread. Descend this to the ledge below and 
pass the single-bolt rebelay jutting out on a spur of rock going down the canyon to a large ledge. 
Follow the traverse line round the wall and walk across the prow of rock to the pitch head down the 
Eye of Sauron – a large vertical, lenticular, hypogenic, phreatic tube. This is a single straight hand 
of ~55m. Before you reach the bottom, note the large boulder to your side. This is where the route 
continues so descend and pull yourself into the short traverse there. The rigger can simply climb the 
3m out of the bottom of the tube to reach the bolts. Note the very small rift at the foot of the Eye. 
This is a C lead that’s expected to join into Rivendell.

From the boulder descend the short pitch down onto a boulder false floor. Note the continuing rift to 
your left. Find the bolt on the right wall as you head down slope and walk or abseil to the bottom of 
the slope where the boulder-false floor gives way to an open, deep rift. The pitch head here is the 
start of Rivendell. Descend down ~30m to narrow ledge and a wide pitch head that forms the start 
of the bolt traverse of Cowodydd Cachlyd (Shitty Showers).

To access the rest of Homecoming follow the traverse left into a small chamber, minding the hole 
down on the left. Continue along the meandering rift for 50m and find yourself at the junction for 
KitKat Connection.

Rivendell continues down from the wide Y Hand from the Cowodydd Cachlyd traverse to a single 
bolt rebelay and then immediately a Y-hang rebelay. A rope protector is advisable between the two 
if there’ll be heavy traffic. Descend straight down to Urinal Rock. At the time of writing this is the 
deepest pushed part and there are several B-lead phreatic tubes and fossil canyons visible from here 
and the wet meandering stream way below.