Abertysswg

Abertysswg
Rock Type	Quarried Sandstone
Climbing Style	Sport/Trad
Approach Time
Area	Sandstone
Sub Area	Sandstone Eastern Valleys
Geodata
WGS-84 Location	51.735796, -3.249022
OS Grid Ref.	SO 138 048
WGS-84 Parking Location
GR Parking Location
Base Elevation	349 metres (SRTM Estimation)
General Info
Faces Direction	West
Aspect	Sunny
Wind Sheltered	Never
Climbing Type	Normal
Seepage
Crags Within 5.0 km
Abertysswg, Bargoed, Cwm, Deri, Gimp Cliff, New Tredegar

PREAMBLE

The line of obvious quarries strung out along the eastern side of the Rhymney Valley, between New Tredegar and Abertysswg.

ACCESS

For access from the south, park at the end of Greenfield Street in New Tredegar (Take the first right after the A4049 roundabout) and walk northwards along the track.

For access from the north, turn left under the bridge in Pontlottyn onto the B4257 (signposted Rhymney) then the second right (signoposted Abertsswg). Drive through the village to a hairpin bend, park and walk into the northern quarry.

BOLTING POLICY

Quarried and natural sandstone, use common sense.

Retro-bolting permissible with first ascentionist/BMC area meeting permissions.

ROUTES

Described from left to right, North to South.

North Quarry (Abertysswg)

The largest quarry.Park at the tight bend and follow path steeply up and left through oaks.

Ivied Tower

1. Flock Ewe - Fr. 5+
   The left hand side of the tower (twizzles). 10 m
   
   
2. Ewe Knows I Loves Ewe - VS, 4b
   Slightly rattly obvious crack, top out. 12 m
   
   

20 m right at a higher level is the imposing Leverage Buttress

Leverage Buttress

1. Chuck Prince Goes Dancing - Fr. 6b+ *
   Left hand line on wall. 16 m
   
   
2. Project
   
   
3. Boring Bristolian Benefits Beneficiary Begats Bilious Banker Bashing Bullshit - Fr. 6c+ *
   Quite a mouthful.
   
   
4. Jimmy Cayne's Reefer - Fr. 7a+ **
   The arête. 17 m

Good Shepherd Buttress

1. Warren Spector vs Rector - Fr. 7a+
   Over the roof and up the arête. 25 m
   
   
2. Lambs To The Slaughter - Fr. 6a *
   Take the entry flake/crack then move up and left to the base of the crack. 15m (Direct start at 6c - Hung For A Sheep).
   
   
3. Sheepish Looks - Fr. 6a+ *
   Same start as before but continue straight up the wall. 15 m
   
   
4. Mutton Dressed As Lamb - Fr. 6b **
   Start just right of flake off earthy ledges to previous LO. 15 m
   
   
5. The Good Shepherd - Fr 5
   The arête with bolts on the right.Try hard to keep out of the gully and stay on the arête. 14 m

Mystery Arêtes

Projects on the Mystery Arêtes

Between the northern and middle quarry at New Tredegar is a line of (unquarried) outcrops with a quite a respectable 9m tower (4 routes) and a load of boulder-problems/micros.

The Mystery Arêtes and their bouldering section are best approached by walking in from the parking spot on "the bend" after passing through Abertysswg and by walking along the lower track.

Middle Quarry

Some activity has taken place on the walls of the middle quarry, however details are currently unavailable.

South Quarry

OS Ref: 140040

This is the first and smallest of the three quarries when walking in from New Tredegar to the south. Like its capacious northerly neighbours it faces west making it much sunnier than the encumbrance of crags that face east. However, it doesn’t have any bolts.

All routes should be assumed to fall under the dagger symbol, indicating no repeat ascents, no confirmation of grade or route quality. The first route climbs the majestic orange tower enviously graffiti’d with ‘4Skin’.

1. SkinFull - E3, 5b
   Climb the centre of the tower to an upwardly impeding and strenuous rock-up right onto the nose. Spaced, good cams protect. 10 m
   
   The next five routes take the fine wall in the centre of the quarry, under a large oak tree. The defining feature is a scoop at two-thirds height across which is a horizontal break.
   
   
2. Quarter Sentry-Box - E1, 5a
   Step off a pointed flake (nice landing) and up the sentry box to the break. Pull up and exit right above the scoop. A left-hand start just right of the silver birch tree is possible (4c). 8 m
   
   
3. Scoop Think - E2, 5b *
   Climb up the left rib of the scoop and exit direct. Small cam and wires in the break. 7 m
   
   
4. Blade - E3, 6a *
   Climb the right rib of the scoop, rock up left into it (straight past a peg runner) and exit on the left as for Scoop Think. 7 m
   
   
5. Drips - E2, 5b
   Start under the oak tree. Take a crack and using finger-holds to its left work up around the left side of the tree. Vital 1-2 cams in the break. 7 m
   
   
6. No Time for a Break - E2, 6a
   Follow the break from left-to-right (or vice versa!) either finishing up Drips or across NT Yoof. Well-protected, and not too high as a solo. 12m
   
   
7. NT Yoof - E2, 5a/b
   Climb the centre of the next wall on the obvious line, passing some good breaks for cams. A harder (V4) start up the blank wall just right is a good problem in its own right. 7 m
   
   

Finally, there is a small undercut buttress extreme right; here you can bag two boulder-problems;

1. Hooked (V3), the left arête.
   
2. Fingers Bored (V4) the roof on – yes you’ve guessed it – flat finger-edges.

All F.A. by MJC, JH (12.4.09)

First Ascents

North Quarry (Abertwsswg)

Ivied Tower

1. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 2012
   
2. R.Thomas R.Phillips 2014
   

Leverage Buttress

1. G.Ashmore - (13.03.2012)
2. Project
   
3. G.Ashmore - (13.03.2012)
4. G.Ashmore - (16.4.2012)

Good Shepherd Buttress

1. G.Ashmore 05.2015
   
2. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 2012
   
3. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 2012
   
4. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 2012
   
5. R.Thomas R.Phillips 2014