Dunraven Cliff
From South Wales Climbing Wiki
| Dunraven Cliff | |
 Tufa Terrace, Dunraven Cliff and The Gantry | |
| Rock Type | Natural Carboniferous Limestone |
|---|---|
| Climbing Style | Sport |
| Approach Time | 10 minutes |
| Area | South Coast |
| Sub Area | Witches Point |
| Geodata | |
| WGS-84 Location | 51.442431, -3.605030 |
| OS Grid Ref. | SS 885 727 |
| WGS-84 Parking Location | 51.446124, -3.6053771 |
| GR Parking Location | SS 885 731 |
| Parking Postcode | CF32 ORT |
| Base Elevation | 11 metres (Other) |
| General Info | |
| Faces Direction | North |
| Aspect | Rarely Sunny |
| Wind Sheltered | Seldomly |
| Climbing Type | Serious |
| Seepage | |
| Crags Within 2.0 km | |
|
Black Zawn, Cave Inlet, Davy Jones' Locker and the Sea Caves, Dirty Harry Walls, Dunraven Cliff, Elephant Wall, Every Persons Wall, First Inlet, Folded Walls, Fools Fantasy Area, Mitzy Wall, Ogmore Popular End, Phaser Wall, Playtime Wall, Right Hand Wall, Second Inlet, Stone Wings Cliff, The Biscuit, The Castle Area, The Long Wall, The Western Crag, Tiger Bay, Tusker Chimney Area, Twinkle Buttress, Witches Cave, Witches Tip | |
Access
Clearly visible from the Dunraven / Southerndown beach carpark. When tides permit walk/ scamper left across the beach. When tides do not permit it's possible to pass over the stile from the lower carpark and walk above the cliff tops to descend sketchily steep grass below Tufa Terrace. Not recommended if you are not familiar with the crag so best to wait until all you risk is wet feet from an ebbing tide.
Preamble
The Routes
Dunraven Cliff
- Tufa Joy - Fr. 6c+
Better than it appears. Make a tricky move up on dirty rock to a shakeout, then pull round the roof on hidden jugs. Slope off right at the top to the BB on 'Its Tufa At The Top'. 11m - Its Tufa At The Top - Fr. 7a **
The obvious fat tufa above the slings is followed to the roof. Negotiation of this is the crux. 12m - Its Tufa At The Bottom - Fr. 7b **
A superb power enduance route. No particularly hard moves. 12m - Tufa Tennis - Fr. 6c+ *
Start right of Its Tufa At The Bottom below a prominent leaf of rock. Climb to the roof, then guess where the hidden bucket is. 12m - PCB - Fr. 5+
The first line on the left is short and starts half way up the grassy gully leading to Tufa Terrace. B.B. on the right hand side. - Croeso-I-Gymru - Fr. 6b+
To the right of the gully, before the ground drops away rightwards, is a groove. Climb this, BRs, medium wires to an awkward pull out onto the slab. Step underneath and climb the arête, PR, BB. 14m - The World vs Gibson - Fr. 7a **
Difficult to on-sight. Follow the left edge of the short wall right of the starting groove of Croeso-I-Gymru. Rock right to a hidden finger pocket. Move up to the break and traverse right into an obvious shallow, soaring groove. Climb this with a final tricky move for the belay. 15m - Straining At The Leash - Fr. 7b **
To the right is a series of overlapping bulges. Climb these blindly and powerfully to a baffling move to gain the lip of the slab. If successful pull onto the slab and sidle up leftwards to the belay. 14m - Leave It To The Dogs - Fr. 7a+ **
To the right is an obvious hanging groove. Gain this with difficulty, via large slopers down and left. Enter the groove to a good shakeout and swing up the arête to finish. 17m - There's Life In The Old Dog Yet - Fr. 6c+ *
Start right of Leave It To The Dogs underneath and left of the prominent flake on Plus Ca Change. Work easily up until a ramp leads left through a small roof. Climb the wall above more easily, on excellent pockets. 17m - Plus Ca Change - Fr.7b *
Shares a start with Old Dog. Up and right is an obvious 'stuck on' flake next to a ring bolt. Saunter up to this and make a couple of very difficult moves up and slightly left to get a good hold. Pull onto the upper wall and climb this awkwardly, moving right to a BB. 20m - Hanging By A Thread - Fr. 6c ***
The best sports route of its grade in the area. Climb boldly up the lower wall opposite the pinnacle boulder, heading for a prominent v-groove. Pull straight through this groove and shakeout. The next 8m is devious and continually difficult. Disconcerting BB on the right. 21m - Edge-More - Fr. 7b+
Quite a good route, but uses a bolt on hold, which needs removing. A crucial hold has come off further up, and the route has not been climbed since. Climb the groove right of Edge-Hog to horizontal flakes. Pull up the impending wall via the bolt on, make a horrible jump for a flake out right, thus enabling the BB to be clipped. 15m - Edge-Hog - Fr. 7b+ ***
Low in the grade, with a superbly positioned crux high above the water and well out from the belayer. Start at the BB by a very sharp arête. Climb the arête to the roof and pull out onto the upper wall. Lean right back off a heelhook and enjoy the position, then make three swift and difficult pulls up to reach the top slab. The belay is a little further up. 23m - Grow Up! - Fr. 7c *
A surprising line through very steep territory, that proves remarkably thuggish. Those without a long reach will have problems. Start round to the right of the next arête after Edge-Hog, BB. Climb to the roof, undercut over and space walk out left, with increasing difficulty to somehow gain the finishing groove. Sadly this can be a little greasy, but the positions more than compensate. Lowering off can be exciting, especially at high tide! 21m - Pasty = Man Boobs - Fr. 4
The slab under the roof of Grow Up. A safe way up to The Gantry. BB. - Young, Gifted and Beige - Fr. 4
Another slab route to the same lower off as Pasty.
The Gantry
- The Overlook - Fr.7b+ *
The right side of the huge cave roof at the right side of the crag. From the Gantry ledge, gain a good jam and improvise out to a bucket. Gain the lip easily, but then make a tricky move to finish on the easy upper wall. 14m - Anchors Away - Fr.6b+ *
Start at a BB where the ground drops away from the left end of the Gantry. Climb the exposed wall to a BB. 9m - Cast Adrift - Fr.6b+
The wall to the right of Anchors Away. 9m>br> - Broken On The Rocks - Fr.6b
The wall to the right of Broken On The Rocks. 9m - Marooned - Fr.6b
The wall to the right of Broken On The Rocks, traversing left to the BB of the last route to finish. 9m
First Ascents
Tufa Terrace
- G.Gibson, R.Thomas 05.07.1993
- R.Thomas, G.Gibson 06.06.1993
- G.Gibson, R.Thomas 03.07.1993
- R.Thomas 03.07.1993
Dunraven Cliff
- Gary Gibson & Roy Thomas 5th July 1993
- Roy Thomas & Gary Gibson 6th June 1993
- Gary Gibson & Roy Thomas 3rd July 1993
- Roy Thomas 3rd July 1993
- Dai Emanuel 2009
- Martin Crocker & Roy Thomas 23rd August 1986
- Martin Crocker & Roy Thomas 23rd August 1986
- Gary Gibson 15th May 1993
- Gary Gibson & Roy Thomas 4th July 1993
- Roy Thomas & Gary Gibson 16th May 1993
- Gary Gibson & E.Travers-Jones 30th May 1993
- Roy Thomas & M.Learoyd August 1986
- Gary Gibson & Roy Thomas 3rd July 1994
- Gary Gibson 11th July 1993
- Martin Crocker 14th May 1994
- Dai Emanuel 2009
- Dai Emanuel & Roy Thomas 2009
The Gantry
- Gary Gibson 15th May 1994
- Roy Thomas 15th May 1994
- Roy Thomas & Gary Gibson 11th July 1994
- Roy Thomas & Gary Gibson 11th July 1994
- Roy Thomas & Gary Gibson 11th July 1994
