Little Tor
From South Wales Climbing Wiki
| Little Tor | |
 | |
| Rock Type | Natural Carboniferous Limestone |
|---|---|
| Climbing Style | Trad |
| Approach Time | 20 minutes |
| Area | Gower |
| Sub Area | Tor Bay and Great Tor |
| Geodata | |
| WGS-84 Location | 51.569370, -4.127980 |
| OS Grid Ref. | SS 526 877 |
| WGS-84 Parking Location | 51.575583, -4.127859 |
| GR Parking Location | SS 526 884 |
| Parking Postcode | SA3 2HJ |
| Base Elevation | 0 metres (Other) |
| General Info | |
| Faces Direction | South |
| Aspect | Sunny |
| Wind Sheltered | Seldomly |
| Climbing Type | Family |
| Seepage | Never |
| Tidal | |
| Before/After Low Tide | 4.0 hours (See Note) |
| Crags Within 600m | |
|
Great Tor Proper, High Slab, Little Tor, Monty's Slab, Odin's Cave, Odin's Wall, Second Corner, West Tor | |
Contents
TIDAL STATUS
4 hours either side of low water
BOLTING POLICY
No bolting
ACCESS
From the parking at Penmaen, pass through the gate and follow the rough track. After 200 metres pass an old barn on your right. Here the track makes a sharp right and then a sharp left turn and becomes a narrow concrete path between high hedges. After 300 metres you come to a gate.
Go through the gate and then, after 25 metres take a right turn and follow this path for 200 metres.
From this point follow the path down to Tor Bay (signposted) fairly steeply down for 430 metres until you arrive at the beach.
Walk south-west (right) for 280 metres. Little Tor and Little Star Wall will be on your right.
DESCENTS
Descend down the western flank of the Tor.
THE ROUTES
Cracked Wall
- Wall Climb II - HS,4c
The ragged cracks left of the first proper crack encountered. 7m. - Central Crack - VD
The first crack. 7m. - Wall Climb I - HVS,5b
With blinkes and some pain, climb the wall between Central and Thin Crack. 7m. - Thin Crack - S,4b
The narrow crack right of Central Crack. 9m. - Right Crack - VD
The wider chimney/crack right again. Awkward.
The section of the crag to the right, is set back a little. It previously contained Left Slab VS (J.Talbot, G.Jones 1959) and Quartz S (J.Talbot, G.Jones 1959) which were demolished by a rock fall. Left White replaces these.
Quartz Wall - Little White Pot - HS,4b
The quartz slab on its left hand side (not on topo).[1] 12m - Left White - HVS,5a
Takes the smooth quartz coated slab, keeping 2½m left of the corner (Right Corner)[2] .
The next routes are on the main crag, where the height starts to increase. The obvious proud pillar, Central Flake, is the most obvious feature.
NB Adequate top anchors are now in place at this popular beginners' crag (routes 9-15).
Main Buttress - Right Corner 15m S
The steep corner on the left side of the buttress. - Left Edge (Tri Cornel) 18m D
Start at the left edge of the slab and follow cracks then tiny corners to ledges and the top. - Centre Route 18m VD
Climb the narrow face between Left Edge and Left Flake Corner, stepping left to avoid the bulge at the top. The direct finish through the bulge is worthwhile at VS 4b - Left Flake Corner 18m VD
Follow the corner bounding the left edge of Central Flake. - Central Flake 18m S,4a *
Climb the middle of the raised central slab. You'll find gear placements every 6 inches! - Flake Corner 18m VD
Climb the corner and wall right of Central Flake. - Direct Centre 18m S
Ascend directly up the wall right of Flake Corner. - Right Edge 18m VD *
Climb the right edge of the Tor. - Knee Trembler VS, 4b/4c
Climb the left hand crack line in the east facing wall of Little Tor finishing up the arête. 12m.
A number of vague lines of (M) to (S) take the series of walls and ribs leading inland from Little Tor.
Little Star Wall
Set back from and east (right) of Little Tor, this spot consists of a short steep wall. The first obvious feature is the wide crack on the left of the wall (Scout Crack).
- Blankety Blank 10m E2,5c
The wall 3m left of Scout Crack. - Scout Crack 12m S,4a **
An excellent route providing good crackline fare, though you'll find your self pulling on jugs for the most part!. Even touching the adjacent ledge induces disgrace from some quarters. - Superdirect II 10m E2,5c *
Takes the thin crackline approx 1 m to the right of scout crack - Superdirect 10m E1,5c *
A popular problem up the wall 3m right of Scout Crack. Aim for the slanting letterbox in the middle of the face. - Twinkle 12m S *
Follow the prominent break running up and right across the wall to a finish in Twin Crack Left. A direct variant from the calcite mark goes at 4c. - Stella 10m VS,4c
This takes the wall between Twinkle and Twin Crack Left. - Twin Crack Left 9m VD
The left of two cracks with a peapod recess en route 1m right of Stella. - Twin Crack Right 7m D
The shorter right-hand crack.
Additional Photos
First Ascents
Little Tor
- Wall Climb II - J.Talbot 00.00.1960
- Central Crack - J.Talbot, G.Jones 00.00.1959
- Wall Climb I - J.Talbot 00.00.1960
- Thin Crack - J.Talbot, G.Jones 00.00.1959
- Right Crack - J.Talbot, G.Jones 00.00.1959
- Little White Pot - N.Taylor 26.05.2009 solo
- Left White - C.Wyatt, G.Evans 00.05.20
- Right Corner - J.Talbot, G.Jones 00.00.1959
- Left Edge (Tri Cornel) - J.Brailsford, St.AMRT 1954/55
- Centre Route - J.Talbot, G.Jones 00.00.1959
- Left Flake Corner - J.Brailsford, St.AMRT 1954/5
- Central Flake - J.Brailsford, St.AMRT 1954/55
- Flake Corner - J.Brailsford, St.AMRT 1954/55
- Direct Centre - J.Brailsford, St.AMRT 1954/55
- Right Edge - J.Brailsford, St.AMRT 1954/55
- Knee Trembler - G.Evans, P.Clark 01-08-2018
Little Star Wall
- Blankety Blank - B.Franklin 09.04.1980
- Scout Crack - J.Brailsford, St.AMRT 1954/55
- Superdirect II - Chris Praxmarer, C Wyatt 00.00 1995 (Unless anyone did it before?)
- Superdirect - SUMC 1pt 00.00.1965, FFA J.Perrin, C.Tringham 00.00.1970
- Twinkle - J.Brailsford, St.AMRT1954/55
- Stella - J.Brailsford, St.AMRT 1954/55
- Twin Crack Left - J.Brailsford, St.AMRT 1954/55
- Twin Crack Right - J.Brailsford, StAMRT 1954/55
Notes
- ↑ This route appears to be similar to Left Slab, Gower Peninsula (1970), p. 71.
- ↑ This route appears to be similar to Quartz, Gower Peninsula (1970), p. 71.
