Catacomb Gully

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Catacomb Gully
Steve Hill on The Jewel.
Steve Hill on The Jewel.
Rock Type Natural Carboniferous Limestone
Climbing Style Trad
Approach Time 25 minutes
Area Gower
Sub Area Rhossili
Local Area Fall Bay to Mewslade
Geodata
WGS-84 Location 51.561289, -4.281652
OS Grid Ref. SS 419 871
WGS-84 Parking Location 51.567326, -4.278292
GR Parking Location SS 421 878
Parking Postcode SA3 1PH
Base Elevation 15 metres (Other)
General Info
Faces Direction South
Aspect Rarely Sunny
Wind Sheltered Always
Climbing Type Normal
Seepage Quick drying
Crags Within 400m

Block Buttress, Catacomb Gully, Cathedral Wall, Conglomerate Cliff, Devil's Truck Area, Eyeball Wall, Four Gullies, Grey Wall, Hairy Dog Wall, Jacky's Tor, Little Block, Mewslade Short Wall, Molar Wall and White Edge, Richards Rock, Rolly Bottom Buttress, The Aisle, The Prows, The Pulpit, Thurba Head, Thurba West, Trident Gully and Ridge, Upper Jacky's Tor, Yellow Wall, Zero Gully



TIDAL STATUS

Non-tidal.

BOLTING POLICY

No Bolting.

PREAMBLE

An atmospheric raised gully which has some good climbs at a spread of grades.

ACCESS

This lies above and behind Trident Gully. It is non-tidal and access is by scrambling down from the East or ascending Pillar Crest from the beach.

DESCENTS

THE ROUTES

Left (west) Wall

  1. Attack The Ghost - HVS,5a
    About 4m left of Celtic Uprising is a hole at floor level (the exit of Jiggler's Chimney). Climb the steep wall above this directly, following cracks and the line of dark streaks. 11m.

  2. Celtic Uprising - E1,5b
    Steep climbing 4m left of West Corner Crack. Climb to a line of leftward-trending finger flakes and follow them to their end. Pull up to an obvious pocket and finish as for Relics. 12m.

  3. Relics - E3,6a
    A technical pitch 3m left of West Corner Crack. Climb past the remains of an old BR to twin vertical slots in the centre of a brown-streaked wall. Continue up and finish out leftwards. 15m.

  4. Necropolis - E4,5c
    Start at an indefinite pillar just right of Relics and take a line straight up the wall past a crack and finger-ledge. 15m.

    Catacomb Gully - West Wall


  5. West Corner Crack - HS,4b
    This takes the corner crack, widening to a chimney, midway into the gully on the left wall. 15m.

  6. Ribbery - S
    Climb the rib right of West Corner Crack, just left of the arête. 15m.

  7. Ribald - HVS,5b
    Climb the east-facing wall of Ribbery to join it at the top. Supersedes Wall And Crack (J.Talbot, B.Talbot 1965). 15m.

  8. Rib And Crack - HS,4a
    A nice pitch taking the corner right of Ribbery. 15m.

  9. Trad Tutorial - E1,5b *
    An eliminate between 'Rib and crack' and 'The Jewel' Start as for the Jewel but quickly bear left and follow the wall for some interesting and independent climbing. A cheeky side runner in Rib and crack was used on the first assent - but its not really necessary if you have the crucial size of nut! 15m.

  10. The Jewel - VS,4c *
    A little gem following the shallow groove in the wall right of Rib and Crack. Move right at the top. 15m.

  11. Sharp Eyed - E5,6a *
    A wall climb between The Jewel and Crypt. Start 3m right of the arête. Climb on spaced pockets, leftwards at first, to a vague break, thread on a spike. Move up right on better holds to the obvious flake. Finish left. 15m.

  12. My Wife and I - E5,6a
    Bold. Start right of the start of Sharp Eyed. Climb over a bulge in line with a hairline crack to good finger edges, make a long reach and continue straight up through bulges to the top. 15m.

  13. Crypt - E2,5b *
    Dead good, but often wet. Climb the brown-stained corner crack and the overhangs above. 15m.

  14. The Dungeon E4,6a
    Start as for Crypt then climb straight up the pillar on the right to a bulge. Pull into a thin crack and then gain a good break below a roof. Swing right and continue more easily.

Right (east) Wall

Catacomb Gully - East Wall
  1. Left Over - D
    Climb the left edge of the west-facing wall trending right at the top. 15m.

  2. Gunpowder - E3,6a
    Start at the left end of the overhang which runs across the right wall of the gully. Pull through the overhang, old BRs, to a break. Continue directly to the top. 18m.

  3. Franceschi - E2,5b *
    Surmount the overhang directly below a shallow groove in the upper wall and finish up the groove rightwards. 15m.

  4. Franceschi Direct Finish - E2,5c
    Finish directly up from the overhang of the parent route. 14m.

  5. Banana Man - E4,6a
    Climb over the overhang 1m or so right of Franceshci, past a PR (missing) to finish as for Franceschi. 15m.

  6. Treason - E4,6b
    Move through the roof at its right end and make a long reach to painful holds, PR. Finish up the groove. 15m.

  7. Nemesis - E3,6b
    Climb the wall 2m right of Treason. PR (missing). 12m.

  8. Trubble - HVS,4c
    Gain the finish of Gamma from the wall to the left. 11m.

  9. Gamma - VS,4c
    Follow the groove running up the right side of the overhang. Pull left above the overhang. Finish up the groove. 11m.

  10. Beta - HS,4b
    The crack to the right of Gamma. 11m.

  11. Midel - VD
    Climb the pillar between Beta and Alpha. 11m.

  12. Alpha - D
    The right-most crack. 7m.

  13. Little Wall - D
    A fine line up the short wall right of Alpha. 6m.

Additional Photos

  • Gwyn Evans at Catacomb Gully

  • SWMC Wednesday Evening (2017)

FIRST ASCENTS

Left (west) Wall

  1. Attack The Ghost - Nick Taylor o/s 24.05.2009
  2. Celtic Uprising - M.Crocker 01.08.1987
  3. Relics - M.Learoyd, H.Griffiths 1986
  4. Necropolis - J.Bullock, D.McCarroll 15.09.2002
  5. West Corner Crack - J.Talbot, R.Corbett 1961
  6. Ribbery - J.Talbot, R.Corbett 1961
  7. Ribald - H.Griffiths, M.Learoyd 1986
  8. Rib And Crack - J.Talbot, R.Corbett 1961
  9. Trad Tutorial - Chris Wyatt, Chris Hague 12.08.2021
  10. The Jewel - A.Sharp, J.Harwood 20.03.1982
  11. Sharp Eyed - M.Crocker, M.Ward 11.07.1987
  12. My Wife and I - M.Crocker 01.08.1987
  13. Crypt - J.Bullock, G.Evans 09.12.1984
  14. The Dungeon - M.Crocker 01.08.1987


Right (east) Wall

  1. Left Over - J.Talbot, R.Corbett 1961
  2. Gunpowder - J.Talbot - Futility 1963 FFA A.Sharp 05.11.1987
  3. Franceschi - J.Talbot, B.Talbot 1965
  4. Franceschi Direct Finish - A.Sharp 05.11.1987
  5. Banana Man - A.Forster, A.Sharp 18.09.1988
  6. Treason - A.Sharp 05.11.1987
  7. Nemesis - A.Sharp, A.Forster 18.09.1988
  8. Trubble - R.Corbett, P.Perkins 1962
  9. Gamma - R.Corbett, P.Perkins 1982
  10. Beta - R.Corbett, P.Perkins 1962
  11. Midel - R.Corbett, P.Perkins 1962
  12. Alpha - J.Talbot, R.Corbett 1962
  13. Little Wall - J.Talbot, R.Corbett 1962

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