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DESTINATION GUIDE: Shipwreck Cove

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 UKC Articles 15 Jun 2015
Nickie Taylor on Blackadder 6c, 4 kbShipwreck Cove is home to around 90 routes at the time of writing, with a few projects still to go this could soon reach the 100 mark, and has quickly become one of South Wales' finest sport crags.

Local climber and developer of a number of Shipwreck Cove's routes Simon Rawlinson spills the beans on this up-and-coming sport climbing destination.



Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=7422
 rubben 15 Jun 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

Great article Si!!!
In reply to UKC Articles:

>but until recently only Pat Littlejohn had attempted any climbing though this steep limestone cove, giving a very unpopular E5

Oh no! How dreadful.

jcm
4
 partz 15 Jun 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

Nice work Si. Fantastic pictures too as always.

But what better way to pay it a visit than during the Gower Climbing Festival:

http://community.thebmc.co.uk/Event.aspx?id=3432

and

www.gowerclimbingfestival.co.uk

...Unless you can't wait that long!
 GeorgT 15 Jun 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

Nice compilation of detail Si, along with your awesome photographs, make for a great little read

Hope to pop over some time this summer, as hopefully I'm stronger than last year so have more choice of routes!

Georgia T x

 Motown 16 Jun 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

Agree with jcm - one unpopular E5 from Pat Littlejohn seems indicative of a really interesting place, rather than the implication that it is a bad thing. I know the discussion has been done to death, but something about the bolts there doesn't sit right.
9
 Jack Geldard 16 Jun 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

A great article Si - and lovely photos. Really made me want to get down there and try out this venue - it looks great.

Thanks to everyone involved in this - Jack
 FactorXXX 16 Jun 2015
In reply to Motown:

one unpopular E5 from Pat Littlejohn seems indicative of a really interesting place, rather than the implication that it is a bad thing. I know the discussion has been done to death, but something about the bolts there doesn't sit right.

I climbed on Portland before it was bolted and it was basically rubbish.
Some crags are good for trad climbing, some are good for sports climbing.
If 'Shipwreck Cove' had been suitable as a trad crag, then I'm sure it would have been developed as such...
 The Ivanator 16 Jun 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

Good article and a great venue, I can understand the controversy over the bolting, but it seems a pretty rational decision to me. Thanks to all those who put in the hard work equipping the crag and great that the development didn't stop once the classic hard stuff was put up, Mermaid Wall is a brilliant addition, bar the tidal situation it's about as family friendly as climbing can get.
I visited a couple of times last summer and would endorse several points from the article:
* The area is fantastic, one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe.
* Lemon Soul is a fantastic F6a (low in the grade), several others I did in the same sector are good too - Dawson's Creek and Corner are both top routes.
* Helmets are a good idea - I unexpectedly took a whipper from the Naughty Step F6a when a solid seeming half brick sized chunk detached in my hand.
* A small tarp is good for keeping your rope sand free, especially useful to have a decent landing zone for the rope when pulling it from top anchors. I discovered rope ends coated in sand and holding the rope in your teeth before clipping was a bad combination!
* If water state is calm you can extend your Mermaid Wall window a little by wading in - we took this to extremes last year, when we ended up having to strip a route we'd put draws in earlier as the tide rushed in. I belayed on a raised rock that just stayed dry before a thigh deep wading escape, fun and added an element of adventure to a Sport Climbing day.
In reply to UKC Articles:

The E5 comment was not meant to be negative. The route is an obvious line of weakness that the great man tackled in undoubtedly good style, including the epic top out! Unfortunately the rock quality is terrible so it was never going to be a classic or well traveled. This route has been left trad (as it should) and infact another trad route has been added.

Thanks for all the comments, hope you all enjoy the cove as much as I have.

si
 Tom Briggs 16 Jun 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

Looking forward to going here en famille in August. Is there a publication date for the Rockfax guidebook i.e. early or late August?
 Blake 17 Jun 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

I can confirm that this is an excellent venue - we spent the last day of our Gower trip there. We all lazily rocked up on a warm monday afternoon in a group ageing from 1 month to 80 years old. Routes graded from 4 to 8+, beautiful looking and smelling rock with loads of crackling barnacles.

You can certainly do a lot worse than this place for a beachy holiday climb, very pleased to see it on ukc getting some recognition!
 Blake 17 Jun 2015
In reply to Tom Briggs:

there are some topo's floating around online, i can maybe root one out for you - mermaids cove and shipwreck cove.

The 'gower rock' guide is excellent too - while this doesnt go down to the beach (where shipwreck cove is), it describes the rest of the climbing o gower beautifully.
 MikeSP 17 Jun 2015
In reply to Blake:

Is this the Toppo you were thinking of?
http://www.southwalesmountaineering.org.uk/wiki/Rhossili_Sea_Level

There is also lots of information for the rest of South Wales too.
 Blake 18 Jun 2015
In reply to MikeSP:

thats the badger!
 ali k 19 Jun 2015
In reply to UKC Articles:

Would this be a wise choice for the coming weekend? Forecast for cloudy/misty/showery. Or is it likely to be damp/condensed all weekend with such little sun?

Ali

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