UKC

SE Wales - mid grade trad recommendations

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 SteveM 13 Aug 2014
We're in SE Wales (with a copy of the SWMC guide) later thsi month. What are your recommendations for the best trad in the area? Ideally with a range of climbing from Severe to E1.

Cheers
Steve M
 CurlyStevo 13 Aug 2014
In reply to SteveM:

At the gower make sure you go to Lewes Castle, it's by far the best crag I've visited on the gower, although you should also go to three cliffs bay and lead scavanger.

At lewes castle I can recommend the following but all the stared routes I've done there have been worthwhile.
Isis
Osiris
South West Diedre
Ragnarok
 mattrm 13 Aug 2014
In reply to SteveM:
Navigation Quarry is nice for some trad sandstone:

http://www.swmc.org.uk/wiki/Navigation_Quarry_-_Cilfynydd

Fly Me to the Moon (HVS) and On Jupiter and Mars (E1).

Otherwise it's all about the Gower. Three Cliffs and Boiler Slab have a good range of easier routes (up to VS). Lewes Castle, King Wall (tidal), Juniper Wall and Paviland are all good.

If I just had one day, I'd spend it on Lewes Castle and King Wall. Osiris is a must do VS on Lewes Castle. Needle Crack on King Wall is also good. The HVSes on Lewes Castle are all good. Avoid Fallout. Seth is a bit of a sandbag, but it looks good (never done it).
Post edited at 14:08
 CurlyStevo 13 Aug 2014
In reply to mattrm:

Juniper Wall was good, I didn't rate Paviland on the routes we did as it was just so vegetated. Boiler slab I quite liked but that's about as much as i can say about it really.
OP SteveM 13 Aug 2014
In reply to all:
Thanks folks, very useful. I also found this buried in the depths of UKC articles
http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/toptens/swales.html

We've hopefully got 2 - 2.5 days so should be able to visit at least a couple of different venues. Camping at Nicholaston Farm was recommended on a separate thread - with good access to Three Cliffs. Is Boiler slab also reasonably accessible from there?

The last day we'll be coming home so a road-trip stopping off for some SE wales sandstone might be a plan...

Keep the suggestions coming
Post edited at 15:46
 CurlyStevo 13 Aug 2014
In reply to SteveM:

Not quite on topic but have you ever been to shorne cliff? It's in the wye valley gudie and well worth a visit.
In reply to CurlyStevo:

I thought Pavilland was very good. Much better than it looks; indeed one of the best crags on the Gower.
 andrewmc 13 Aug 2014
In reply to SteveM:

Under Milk Wood, Three Cliffs, Gower
In reply to SteveM:

Another outstandingly good route from all accounts (I haven't done it) is Skive, HVS 5a, at Pennard.
 CurlyStevo 13 Aug 2014
In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

When did you last go? Reports are that's it's beome much more overgrown. I've only been a couple of times and quite recently.

This is how it looks on many of the routes now

http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=8422
 GrahamD 13 Aug 2014
In reply to CurlyStevo:

I went to Paviland earlier this year. The main routes looked clean enough although the line of Liang shang po isn't too clear and you could end up in a sea of vegetation (I did ! I didn't go far enough left)
 CurlyStevo 14 Aug 2014
In reply to GrahamD:
We did the ring a year ago. The comments in the logbook are fair. If you read the logbooks for most the routes on the crag you'll see a reoccurring theme regarding the vegetation.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=33080
Post edited at 06:19
In reply to CurlyStevo:

> When did you last go? Reports are that's it's beome much more overgrown. I've only been a couple of times and quite recently.

> This is how it looks on many of the routes now

> http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=8422

I think about 14 years ago We did East Gully Groove just next to that, and I'm sure it was nothing like as vegetated.
 mattrm 14 Aug 2014
In reply to Gordon Stainforth:

> I think about 14 years ago We did East Gully Groove just next to that, and I'm sure it was nothing like as vegetated.

It's not. Shelob is by far the most vegetated. The main good lines there are generally pretty good. However the tat in the threads needs replacing or removing ASAP on all of the routes there that need them.
 CurlyStevo 14 Aug 2014
In reply to mattrm:
the ukc comments say different:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=34063

Here's some web sites showing the cliff:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/adrian99/paviland_topo/index.htm
http://www.wikitopo.com/cragRouteList.php?cragId=194

I guess it's a marmite crag, I like marmite but I won't be rushing back to Paviland.
Post edited at 10:48
 The Ivanator 14 Aug 2014
In reply to SteveM:
On Gower:
Juniper Wall - Assassin (best HVS on Gower)
Socialist Worker (Good VS warm up)
Lewes Castle - Isis (HVS - not done but sure it is good)
Osiris (Classic VS)
South West Diedre (good HVS)
Upper Jacky's Tor - really good area for mid grade routes, everything at HS - HVS is worthwhile, I especially enjoyed Thanksgiving (HVS).
Block Buttress (Mewslade) - South Pillar Rib HS (a gem) and Kaiser (HVS) looks good.
Boiler Slab - Decent non tidal option Direct and Ayesha at VS are decent.
3 Cliffs - Arch Slab and Scavenger are both good VSes.
However if you want a truly memorable South Wales Climbing experience then everything on Gower pales beside Exposure Explosion (HVS) at Ogmore - an epic multi pitch traverse, take loads of cams, allow 5-6 hours, make sure both members of the team are happy at the grade and ENJOY! Pinocchio (HVS) Pluto (VS) and Flash Harry (HS) are other good options at Ogmore if the tide is favourable, EE can be done at any state of the tide, but best avoided if the sea is wild:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=119425
 Skyhook 14 Aug 2014
In reply to CurlyStevo:

> This is how it looks on many of the routes now

> http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=8422

The vegetation is much worse in the summer months. Try going in winter and you'll find that the crag is much more amenable.
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