Horses Cliff
| Horses Cliff | |
 Horses Cliff | |
| Rock Type | Natural Carboniferous Limestone |
|---|---|
| Climbing Style | Trad |
| Approach Time | 35 minutes |
| Area | Gower |
| Sub Area | Thurba to Overton |
| Local Area | Hollow Top to White Pillar |
| Geodata | |
| WGS-84 Location | 51.548562, -4.250826 |
| OS Grid Ref. | SS 440 856 |
| WGS-84 Parking Location | 51.561586, -4.242797 |
| GR Parking Location | SS 446871 |
| Parking Postcode | SA3 1PE |
| Base Elevation | 10 metres (Other) |
| General Info | |
| Faces Direction | South West |
| Aspect | Sunny |
| Wind Sheltered | Seldomly |
| Climbing Type | Normal |
| Seepage | Quick drying |
| Crags Within 600m | |
|
Above Freelunchers Zawn, Below East Gully Groove, Blackhole Gut, Devil's Cwm, Eos Zawn, Fetlock Zawn, Hollow Top, Horses Cliff, Juniper Wall, Liberty Zawn, Paviland Far Far Far West, Paviland Far Far West, Paviland Far West, Paviland Main Cliff, Paviland Way Out West, Stalking Horse Zawn, Stallion Cove, White Pillar, Yellow Buttress | |
Contents
TIDAL STATUS
Horses Cliff is non-tidal.
BOLTING POLICY
No-bolting.
ACCESS
This is not the crag identified by "Horse Cliff" on the OS 1:25K.
Horses Cliff is the second of the ridges east of Juniper Wall (Hollow Top being the first). It has a prominent tower at the seaward end.
Talbot says that this place is, "A distinctive rock feature but with little resemblance to a horse". [1]. It certainly does look like a horse! Stand 100 yards west and look at it. You should see a horse head in profile.
Access from the free parking at Pilton Green, (SS 446 871 or 51.561586, -4.242797). On the right-hand side of the B4247, approx. 2 miles before Rhossili. Park on the grass at the edge of the track leading to a farm. Cross the road, bear left and take the public footpath (signposted to Foxhole Slade) through the 'kissing-gate' on the left of the sandy-coloured house (Clifflands). Reach the top of a dry valley after about 20 minutes and numerous gates. (1.34km). At the landward end of the valley is a wooden kissing-gate (SS 438860).
Go through the kissing gate, descend a short way (to the Wales Coast Path) and then turn left (east - signposted to Port Eynon) up the steep side of the valley and then head east for 160m on the path until you get to a broad vague valley leading down to the sea. Follow the valley downwards (for 200m) on a narrow path.
From the bottom of the dry valley, head east along a precarious (in places) path for 130m. You should see the horse head in profile.
DESCENTS
Walk down west from Horses Cliff.
THE ROUTES
West Side
- South West Wall 45m M
Scramble up a diagonal line to reach South Ridge from the left. - The Corner 45m S
Take the short corner on the west flank via a steep overhang, to reach and finish up South Ridge. - A Night in the West 40m HS 4a
Start mid way between The Corner and South Ridge. Head for small corner with capping roof, passing this on the right. Up to hanging slab trending left to finish to left of skyline promentary joining South Ridge and The Corner, finish up South Ridge. - South Ridge 45m D
A mountaineering route following the ridge of Horses Cliff.
East Side
On the eastern side of the Horses Cliff arête is a clean(ish) slab topped by an overlap. There are two routes recorded here.
- Dropped the Bug
- Got the Bug 25m VDiff
Start at the base of the slab and aim for a break in the overlap just left of the large crack in it. Surmount the overlap and trend rightwards to the top.
First Ascents
- South West Wall - J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- The Corner - J.Talbot 00.00.1969
- A Night in the West - I.Goudge & G.Burkhardt 28.05.14
- South Ridge - J.Talbot 00.00.1963
East Side
- Dropped the Bug - G. Burkhardt, G. Anderson 13.09.2014
- Got the Bug - P.Leeder, R,Hall 13.09.2014
Additional Photos
From the bottom of South Ridge
From the west.
From the east. Swine Cliff?
Notes
- ↑ Talbot. J. O.. Gower Peninsula, 1970, p. 83. Perhaps Talbot had a crease in his map for hereabouts. Horse Cliff, on OS maps, is the cliff at Paviland. Also what we now call "Hollow Top" is labelled (incorrectly) as "Yellow Top" on old maps. Or maybe the OS got the location wrong of what the locals may have called, "Horse Cliff."
