Graves End East
From South Wales Climbing Wiki
| Graves End East | |
 | |
| Rock Type | Natural Carboniferous Limestone |
|---|---|
| Climbing Style | Trad |
| Approach Time | 35 minutes |
| Area | Gower |
| Sub Area | Heatherslade to Pwll Du |
| Local Area | Pennard and Graves End |
| Geodata | |
| WGS-84 Location | 51.558051, -4.063488 |
| OS Grid Ref. | SS 570 863 |
| WGS-84 Parking Location | 51.566835, -4.087865 |
| GR Parking Location | SS 553873 |
| Parking Postcode | SA3 2DH |
| Base Elevation | 50 metres (SRTM Estimation) |
| General Info | |
| Faces Direction | South |
| Aspect | Sunny |
| Wind Sheltered | Seldomly |
| Climbing Type | Normal |
| Seepage | Quick drying |
| Crags Within 400m | |
|
Graves End East, Graves End Wall, High Pennard, Pennard Buttress, The Great Tower | |
Contents
Tidal Status
Non-tidal.
Bolting Policy
Preamble
A lovely collection of crags and pinnacles with routes at a variety of grades. There is room for more routes.
This area of crags is massively neglected despite having some good routes. On a sunny day the views are spectacular and the area has a nice ambience.
Without frequent traffic, this crag will become overgrown as has happened at both the Western Walls and the eastern end of the crag.
Access
The easiset approach is now via Graves End Wall.
Access by walking from the eastern end of Graves End Wall is no longer possible as the route is completely overgrown.
Take the steep path below the western end of Graves End Wall and follow the path round to the east for around 160m where you can see the crag high up on your left. walk up up steeply through the gap in the lower short crag to reach the Marmolata Area.
Descents
It is possible to scramble down from the top of the climbs at various points.
The Routes
Western Walls
- Baboon Traverse 27m VS,4c
An entertaining traverse following the obvious break line from the foot of Cornel to the end of the buttress. - Cornel 15m VS,4b
This takes the first corner 5m right of the left end of the crag.
To the right are two obvious flake cracks. The right-hand one contains a PR (Restful) the left-hand one is Nettlebed. - Clapham Common 18m E4,6a
The wall left of the flake of Nettlebed. - Nettlebed 15m E1,5b
The leftmost of the two flake cracks is gained via a problem start and some very loose jugs. - Restful 15m E3,5c
To the right of Nettlebed is an obvious curving flake. This is gained via an infamous problem using a corner to reach the break. Make steep moves into the flake and follow it to the top. The PR at 5m is missing. - Ass Over Tit 18m E4,6a
The wall immediately right of Restful, TRs. - The Toboganning Incident 18m E4,6b *
The left curling crack immediately left of the arête right of Ass Over Tit. Bounce up a short hanging crack to reach a break. Pockets above lead into the crack which is followed to an exit right at the top. - Little ‘Un 15m VS,4c
The last corner groove on the buttress.
To the east of the descent gully are some definite pillars. - Where Will It All End? 12m E3,5c
The arête of the left pillar, finishing just left of the capping blocks.
Slab Corner
- Slab Corner - S
Climb the obvious slab. Crux at the top. - Buttress - S
Climb the corner crack, over the slab and then move onto the crest and follow to the top.
Marmolata Area
- Marmite 15m VS,4c *
Supersedes Slab Corner (J.Talbot, G.Jones 1959). Take the obvious groove and bulging flake on the left face of the second pillar. - Taipan 15m E1,5b
A very contrived eliminate up thin cracks right of Marmite, constantly struggling to avoid using holds in that route. - Graves End Arête 15m E4,6a
An exciting, if fragile pitch up the leaning arête of the second buttress. Gain the cracks in the arête directly through the bulges at the start. Follow them with difficulty. Mean and not adequately protected before the upper crack. - Coffin Crack 15m VS,5a *
This takes the wide crack/groove on the east side of the buttress. - Cleansing Agent 12m VS,4c
The thin crack left of the jammed boulder cave. Gain and follow the crack steeply to a ledge, then continue up the groove above. - Marmolata 13m VS,4c
Start right of the jammed boulder cave. Turn the jammed boulder to the right and finish up the crack above. - Dial M for Merthyr 13m E3,5c
The right trending steep flake crack between Marmolata and Breakout. - Breakout 13m E1,5b *
The obvious crack on the front face of the buttress east of Marmolata puts the hard into (Yorkshire) Hard VS. Depending on your strengths it is either a classic test of jamming technique, or the hardest layback on Gower. Either way it proves more difficult than it looks. - A Grave End 15m E5,6a *
The blunt white arête immediately right of Breakout. Clamber up onto a ledge on the right. Grope left round the arête, swing left onto it and finish more easily up cracks in the arête. Watch out for the block in the event of a fall. - Overlapping Wall 12m VS
Right of A Grave End, climb a thin overhanging crack in a wall, gain a right slanting crack, up this to a crack splitting a block and over the block to finish. - White Wall 12m VD
Scramble up the front of the pillar.
End of Affair Area
- The End of the Affair? 14m MS
Right of White Wall is a grass gully then another long buttress which is vegetated. There is much dwarf blackthorn and gorse at its base. There is a prominent skyline pinnacle block. Just right of the gully the route takes a steep, left facing, corner crack to a bulge at half height. The left hand groove above is climbed to the top. Finish on a ledge to the left of the pinnacle.
First Ascents
Western Walls
- Baboon Traverse - N.Williams 00.00.1980
- Cornel - G.Evans, J.Bullock 00.00.1977
- Clapham Common - M.Crocker, J.Clapham 19.03.2000
- Nettlebed - K.Wood, G.Evans 00.00.1974
- Restful - G.Evans, J.Bullock 1pt 00.00.1984
FFA M.Learoyd, R.Thomas 1986 - Ass Over Tit - M.Crocker, J.Clapham 19.03.2000
- The Toboganning Incident - M.Crocker, J.Harwood 02.01.2000
- Little ‘Un - G.Evans 00.00.1980
- Where Will It All End? - M.Crocker solo 19.03.2000
Slab Corner
- Slab Corner - J.Talbot, Gjones 1959
- Buttress - J.Talbot, Gjones 1959
Marmolata Area
- Marmite - G.Evans, J.Bullock 29.06.1977
- Taipan - G.Evans, J.Bullock 15.09.1982
- Graves End Arête - M.Crocker, R.Thomas 05.03.1989
- Coffin Crack - J.Bullock, G.Evans 29.06.1977
- Cleansing Agent - G.Evans, J.Bullock 00.00.1978
- Marmolata - J.Talbot, G.Jones 00.00.1959
- Dial M for Merthyr - J.Roberts, N.Smith 09.04.2010. Gear preplaced. Grade given for onsight.
- Breakout - N.Williams, P.Williams 00.00.1979
- A Grave End - M.Crocker 19.03.2000
- Overlapping Wall - J.White 16.04.1983
- White Wall - J.Talbot, G.Jones 00.00.1959
End of Affair Area
- The End of the Affair? - Nick Smith, Pete Morgan 13.10.2009
Additional Photos
The End of the Affair
