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The South Wales Climbing Wiki
is the definitive source of rock climbing information for Gower and S.E. Wales.
380 crags, 555 articles, and 2,225 files are available
South Wales Latest News Category Tree
  • June 2023 - Cox's Quarry - Easily accessed via the Ebbw Valley Walk
  • July 2022 - Clydach Vale Cambrian Quarry has lots of sports routes between Fr. 3 and Fr. 6a.
  • June 2021 - Space Mountain. revealed at last.
  • Dec 2020 - Costa del Major. A new development on the South Coast adjacent to the Stout Point Cave routes. Over 40 new lines developed in the latter months of 2020 - mostly in the Fr.5/low 6s.
  • November 2020 - The South Wales Rock guidebook is a joint venture between the Climbers' Club and the South Wales Climbing Wiki. Order your copy online from The Climbers’ Club shop https://www.climbers-club.co.uk/cms/south-wales-rock from early December!
  • October 2020 - Darren Fawr has new vertical limestone sports climbs in a mountain area. Good Winter venue.
  • September 2020 - Craig Cwm Sandstone sport climbs and a few trad cracks on far western sandstone.
  • August 2020 - Stout Point is a new mega steep sports cave on the coast. Dry dry weather required.
  • September 2019 - Ferndale refreshed. Around 80 climbs, new and rebooted sports, plus plenty of trad. Also a decent winter venue.
  • June 2019 - Third Sister Bottom completed, adding to this large sport climbing area.
no subcategories

Skin Ed, Dinas Rock Fr.7c. Climber: Dean Howard. Photograph: Simon Rawlinson

Rock Climbing in South Wales

Some of the best routes in the UK are to be found in S.E. Wales and Gower. The climbing ranges from 'exciting' sea cliff trad, to well bolted sport climbs on limestone and sandstone.

This is a free resource with something for everyone.

This guidebook wiki divides the area into 6 sections based upon a similar geography and/or rock type: Gower Peninsula, S.E Wales Sandstone, Inland Limestone, South Coast, Ogmore & Carmarthenshire:

Gower is set in one of the most beautiful coastal areas of Wales and contains many fine trad routes from V.Diffs to the upper Extremes. If trad isn't your thing, then there are some steep caves and quarries dedicated to sport climbing! The crags are mostly in relaxed (and scenic) positions with some regionally important routes.

S.E. Wales Sandstone climbing is on the hard indurated sandstone of the South Wales Coalfield. Generally this means either bolted routes in quarries, or pleasant natural (non-bolted) outcrops. The quarries range from small bites in the hillside to huge monolithic wastelands. Crags are often remnants of the industrial heritage belonging to the South Wales valleys ... but there is something actually pleasant about all this!

Inland Limestone can contrast in character quite radically. For example, inland sport climbing on steep and solid natural limestone may be found at Dinas Rock, whilst vertical to slabby quarried rock is in plentiful supply around Taffs Well, just off the M4, north of Cardiff.

South Coast is for those with salt water in their veins. Coastal bolt clipping can be found at Witches Point, or at the other end of the adventure spectrum there is nationally important Ogmore, which like Marmite ... you will either love or hate.

Bouldering in South Wales

South Wales bouldering is yet to be developed to the level of North Wales, or the peak, yet it offers a fine spectrum of climbing for experienced and novice boulderers alike. Kennelgarth Wall at Dinas offers some great safe problems rewarding strength and subtle technique. The Trench at Ogmore is unique having beautiful, curving, wave sculpted angles. Bouldering in Gower gives the climber a 'mine' of easier problems - and some hard ones - with the additional attractions of swimming and jumping at high tide.

The guide is far from complete but is complemented by www.swbg.co.uk. One of the problems is that we keep discovering nice new areas to boulder at!

How You Can Get Involved

Anyone interested in rock-climbing and bouldering is welcome to get involved in the development of this wiki.

We are interested in recruiting editors to update pages and to supply news and photographs. The only requirements are that you have something of interest that you are willing to share and that you can work together with other editors to produce an up-to-date and useful resource for climbers both in S. Wales and further afield.

If you are interested, create yourself an account.

N.B. New users should note that:

  • both your username and password are case-sensitive.
  • your username should take the form of your real Full Name. e.g. Fred Bloggs, etc..

For further info, contact Wiki Craginfo

<a href="http://www.southwalesmountaineering.org.uk/g_book/hpot/unionistwidow.php">publisher-social</a>