By Keith Sharples. 

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Lower Pen Trwyn (a.k.a. LPT) is the 'jewel in the crown' of the Ormes, standing as it does head and shoulders above the other dozen or so crags in the area. The Great Orme is something of a tourist attraction, (see rest days) and there-in lies a problem for climbers. However, despite the apparent conflict between tourism and climbing, a synergy has been forged (see regulations) and the two co-exist at present.

Despite a few earlier forays, the modern development began, big-time, on the Great Orme in the early eighties; 1982 through to 1984 being the 'gold-rush' era during which many of the UK's elite climbers dosed in the roadside caves (wherein some fantastic bouldering lives) and cranked the summer months away. Having developed the 'first wave' of routes on the crags above the Marine Drive, attention turned 'downstairs' to LPT in 1983. Half a dozen routes were done that summer, the best of which were Jacuzzi Jive (E4 6a) and Twisting by the Pool (E4 6a), both by the local Lyon Brothers. However, much bigger things were to be done the following year when, Ben Moon cast tradition to the wind and then bolted and hence worked, over several days, a stunning line which became Statement of Youth, the UK's first 8a. Development continued through the Eighties with routes like I've Been A Bad, Bad Boy (7c) and Mussel Beach (8a) from Mark 'Zippy' Pretty and Over the Moon (8a) from Andy Pollitt.

By 1990 Jerry Moffatt, back from injury and on top-form, added Liquid Amber, the UK's first 8c. Ben Moon returned for Sea of Tranquility (8c) in 1993 and then ultimately Neil Carson cranked The Big Bang, the UK's first 9a in 1997. Today, LPT has nearly sixty routes ranging from 5+ to 9a. Most are sport routes, by no means are they all desperate, typically there's several in each grade. A few routes still require trad. gear.