Darren Fach
| Darren Fach | |
| ( Daren Fach ) | |
| Rock Type | Quarried Carboniferous Limestone |
|---|---|
| Climbing Style | Trad/Sport |
| Approach Time | |
| Area | Inland Limestone |
| Geodata | |
| WGS-84 Location | 51.78454, -3.423564 |
| OS Grid Ref. | SO 019105 |
| WGS-84 Parking Location | |
| GR Parking Location | |
| Base Elevation | 330 metres (SRTM Estimation) |
| General Info | |
| Faces Direction | West |
| Aspect | |
| Wind Sheltered | |
| Climbing Type | |
| Seepage | |
| Crags Within 10.0 km | |
|
Baltic Quarry, Bridge Cliff, Cefn Coed - East, Cefn Coed - West, Cefnpennar, Dan-y-Darren Quarry, Darren Fach, Darren Fawr, Dyffryn Crawnon, Morlais Quarries, Taf Fechan, Trefil, Troedyrhiw, Twynau Gwynion Quarries, Vaynor | |
Contents
PREAMBLE
Located in a SSSI[1] and climbing is mentioned as one activity requiring consent. [2]
Climbs recorded for posterity and for whenever the situation changes.
ACCESS
On the smaller continuation of Darren Fawr, Darren Fach, left of the main cliffs in the woods (when looking up from road).
Walk right along the base of crag past a few cracks until reaching a line of staples up a unbroken face of rock.
THE ROUTES
At the left end of the outcrop are several small buttresses. The first of these has a deep recess running up its left side.
- Sleight - M
The left-hand corner crack of the recess, with some dubious blocks. 7m. - Infirmary - S
Climb the rib just left of Sleight to a ledge and finish up a crack. Loose. 9,. - Far From The Maddening Crowd - VD
The groove in the centre of the buttress just right of Sleight, finishing straight over an overlap on good holds. 9m. - Beer Gut - HVD
Start just right of Far From The Maddening Crowd and climb rightward over crumbling rock to the top of a short flake. Step left above the bulge then go straight up to the top. 9m.
About 6m to the right of Beer Gut is a small buttress. - Rattler - HVD
Climb the overhang on the left side of the buttress to a slab. Step left to the arête which leads to the top. 9m.
Past much vegetation is a clean 6m wall giving several good problems, bounded on its right by a chockstone-filled groove (which can be climbed at about Mod). About 20m beyond this is a prominent buttress of good rock. - Krakatoa - M
The little corner crack on the left side of the buttress. 7m. - Paracutin - VD
Start at the corner of the buttress and move left to gain the crack in the wall just right of Krakatoa. Move right from the hawthorn and finish direct. 9m. - Doom - VD
From the start of Paracutin move up right to a tree below a v-groove. Climb this to finish up a short wall. 11m. - Doomwatch - S
Start at a large ‘cup handle’ below the groove of Doom. Climb the bulging wall to the tree, then move right ontoa steep rib. Follow this directly to the top. 11m.
About 5m to the right is a steep wall capped by a convex overhang. About 50m further on is a sombre corner with
a large tombstone-like flake at its foot.
- Graveyard Groove - VD
limb the sombre corner past trees to a grass ledge. Finish up a short wall. 11m. - Undertaker - S
he obvious capped groove just right of Graveyard Groove. An apparently unsupported block beneath the overhang is used to exit out right. 11m. - Orang - VD
urther on from Undertaker is an obvious steep leftward-facing corner crack, with an undercut start. 12m. - Grappler - VS
limb the curving corner right of Orang over an overlap onto a slab below the overhangs. Move right, then straight up and over the blocks to finishing jugs. Go up right to a dirty ledg and short wall to the top. 12m. - Lightflight - VD
he groove about 50m left of the southern boundary fence, is climbed by a crack in its left wall. 9m. - Chockstone Chimney - M
he chimney about 30m further right of Lightflight. 9m.
- Between the Trees - Fr. 6b
Climb up on good holds to break / over lap, pull over, climb up and right then back left to the arête and continue to the top.
First Ascents
