HIGH winds and driving rain caused more than 50 tons of rock to come cascading down a Tremadog cliff face.

Craig Bwlch y Moch is one of several crags in England and Wales that is owned and managed by the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) on behalf of all climbers.

Being a roadside crag with easy access and a wide range of top quality routes, it attracts thousands of climbers each year.

However on the afternoon of 17 October, Storm Ophelia made land fall and some routes and access paths have been severely damaged.

A spokesperson for the BMC said: “The full extent of the damage is not known but one of the impacts of the storm, with winds of 90mph recorded nearby, was to cause mature trees – which were still in full leaf – to sway and shake violently, affecting and loosening the blocks and ledges on which they are rooted.

“So a warning to all climbers visiting Tremadog – many routes, and in particular those that rely on trees for belays or those with large mature trees growing on ledges or at the cliff top, may be affected by loose rocks."

See the full story in today’s Arfon/Dwyfor edition of the Cambrian News