Llandarcy

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Llandarcy
Goi on Bridget Jones' Non Diary.
Goi on Bridget Jones' Non Diary.
Rock Type Quarried Sandstone
Climbing Style Sport
Approach Time 3 minutes
Area Sandstone
Sub Area Sandstone Far Western Valleys
Geodata
WGS-84 Location 51.644697, -3.8581428
OS Grid Ref. SS 715 956
WGS-84 Parking Location 51.645577, -3.8568892
GR Parking Location SS 716 957
Parking Postcode SA10 6FS
Base Elevation 64 metres (SRTM Estimation)
General Info
Faces Direction South
Aspect Sunny
Wind Sheltered Mostly
Climbing Type Normal
Midge Problem Mild
Seepage Quick drying
Crags Within 5.0 km

Cilfrew Main Crag, Cilfrew Outlying Areas, Cilfrew Ravens Cliff, Craig y Pal-Glais, Drumau Road, Dyffryn Woods Crag, Kilvey Quarry, Llandarcy, Neath Abbey Quarry, Red Jacket Pill, Seacombe Slab

BMC RAD
RAD Notice/Restriction Llandarcy@BMC RAD



Llandarcy
Sport Grades
<= 6a+ 21
6b - 6c+ 16
7a - 7b 4
>= 7b+ 2


BOLTING POLICY

Quarried Sandstone rules apply.

PREAMBLE

Now a housing estate, sadly the crag has been lost to infill and netting before becoming private gardens.

It was a sunny roadside crag that contains one of the best sandstone walls around. An excellent find by Gary Lewis and Pete Wardman in 2015[1].

ACCESS

Access is no longer possible.

Climbing is not allowed at this old quarry and houses have been built right up to the quarry face.[2]

Turn off M4 at Jct.43 (Neath A465). Turn south (B4290) toward Llandarcy. DO NOT take a left at the first set of traffic lights, then first (immediate) right (passing the Osprey Training Centre), then 2nd right onto Tank Farm Road as this will alert the site manager who will ask you to leave and you will also have to pass the fence and NO CLIMBING signage.

DESCENTS

Routes are equipped with lower off points.

THE ROUTES

For historical interest only...

Entrance Bays

A nu Start Fr. 6b+

North-east facing walls, shady and take seepage so best in summer. The first three routes start on the far right up a short bank.

  1. Darcy Bussell - Fr. 5+
    First short arête with rusty bracket.

  2. Strictly Cum Dancing - Fr. 6a
    Right side of arête.

  3. One Small Bob - Fr. 6b+
    2 cracks after.

    After a vegetated patch is an obvious square arête.

  4. Darcy's Oozing Crack - Fr. 6a+
    Left side of wall, never dry crack to start, towel and stick clip prevailed.

  5. Darcy Dribbles Daintily - Fr. 6b
    Centre of wall, steep start.

  6. A nu Start - Fr. 6c *
    Left side of square arête. L.O.

  7. Str8 off tha Streetz - Fr. 6b+ *
    Right side of square arête. L.O. on the left side of the arête.

  8. Darcy's Moon - Fr. 6b
    Contrived but cheap, the wall right of the arête to join the next route at the ledge, share bolts on right.Careful of loose rock near the top.

  9. Darcy's Strawberry Kiss - Fr. 6b
    Stepped crack to ledge then green wall above.

    Past a vegetated ledge system is a 90 degree corner.

  10. She Played the Slots - Fr. 7a+ *
    The centre of the black wall, no bridging or crack at this grade. Move left at the 4th bolt to finish up the atête. L.O. 10m

  11. Bridge Over Troublesome Waters - Fr. 6b+
    Some bridging up the corner permits relatively easy access to the pocketed headwall, track left across this to finish up the arête. 10 m.

  12. The Art of Garfunkeling - Fr. 6b
    Right side of corner with some tricky bridging and a commiting finish. 10 m.

  13. Darcy Does Due Justice to Dale's Donation - Fr. 6a
    Often wet, tricky step R to belay.

    Llandarcy - Entrance Bays
  14. Darcy Darling - Fr. 5+
    Crack and flake to shared belay on L, often wet.

  15. Nick's Feb Half Term Route - Fr. 6a
    Slab move right to share belay with Gentleman Darcy.

  16. Gentleman Darcy - Fr. 6a *
    Steep central bulge, ledgy steps to top, belay on tree.

    There is now a long black wall leading to an acute corner.

  17. Darcy's In The Groove - Fr. 6b *
    Excellent groove, in-situ quickdraw on belay.

    Str8 off tha Streetz Fr. 6b+
  18. Darcy's Old Rope Trick - Fr. 6b
    Frequently wet, crack, possibly the last route added here.

  19. Darcy Meets Mr Mowdem - Fr. 5+
    Meaty glue in at start,twizzle belay,get it quick while it's dry

  20. Darcy's Wet Dirty Encounter - Fr. 5+
    Former bramble patch, best sampled in summer.

  21. Nick's Jenga Jaunt - Fr. 5+
    Former vertical forest,rubble removal completed as much as possible, character building experience.

  22. Darcy Meets the Brass Monkey - Fr. 6a+
    Acute corner of wet bay, catch it when dry. Staple belay low on R wall.

Gary Lewis Buttress

Broken section of south-east facing walls.

  1. Darcy's Due Diligence - Fr. 6b+ *
    Wall starting 1m right of corner, thin start, steep finish.

  2. Darcey Diddles Daintily - Fr. 6a+
    Wall starting up faint crack left of stepped groove.

    Richie Phillps on Flying Arête
  3. Gary's - Fr. 5+
    Low bolt in groove then move left. May need cleaning.

  4. Get Slotted - Fr. 6b
    Crack left of arête, to join route on right above ledge.

  5. Mr. Darcy - Fr. 5+
    Right of arête, steepens, belay on tree ledge. Care when lowering, only one krab and rope runs on edge - abseil recommended.

    There is a gap now with some vegetated ledges, until the obvious high Flying Arête.

  6. Flying Arête - Fr. 5+
    High arête on right after a slabby start.

  7. Darcy Juggles Jugs - Fr 6a+ **
    A romp on jugs, finally dry, avoid the block of doom, touch at your own peril.

  8. Darcy's Detour - Fr. 5
    Left hand start to next route.

  9. Dick Darcy - Fr. 5
    Ledgy climbing leads to high corner, three borehole threads supplement bolts so take 3 long slings.

  10. Darcy Takes it Easy - Fr. 4+ *
    Steep but juggy, nice climbing through the roof.

Gary Lewis Buttress and Red Walls

Red Walls

South facing walls, unbroken 14 m vertical height. A large puddle lurks directly beneath the first few climbs.

  1. Darcy Likes it Wet - Fr. 6b **
    Layback above left side of puddle.

  2. Darcy's Dark Delights - Fr. 7c *
    Stiff line directly above puddle to shared belay R.

  3. Darcy's Discharge Velocity - Fr. 7b+ **
    Stiff line following tramline cracks above right side of puddle.

  4. Closed project
    works in progress,closed

    Richie Phillips on Good Morning Mr Darcy Fr. 6b+
  5. Darcy Gets Arsey - Fr. 6b+ ***
    Fine looking groove right of the puddle. One tough move to exit layback.

  6. Bridget Jones’ Non Diary - Fr. 6c+ *
    Bolts up wall left of arˆte.

  7. Good Morning Mr Darcy - Fr. 6b+ *
    Excellent looking arête right of small pool. Will improve as it sheds uncleaned holds.

  8. Darcy's Done Drilling - Fr. 6c *
    Just right of arête to same belay, use the crack.

  9. Darcy Despairs of Procrastinators - Fr. 6b ***
    Sinuous crack leading to upper wall. Probably the best Fr. 6b sports climb in S.E.Wales

  10. Dozy Darcy - Fr. 6b *
    Groove and roof shared belay with Lower Life.

  11. Darcy Dallies with Lower Life Forms - Fr. 6a+ **
    Steep L wall of arête.

  12. The Destiny of Darcy Dancer - Fr. 5+ *
    Final arête before the rubble.

FIRST ASCENTS

Entrance Bays

  1. G.Gibson, R.Thomas 10 May 2018
  2. G.Gibson, R.Thomas June 2018
  3. G.Gibson, R.Thomas June 2018
  4. R.Thomas, N.O'Neil 14 April 2018
  5. R.Thomas, N.O'Neil 14 April 2018
  6. A.Rosier, W.Calvert, R.McAllister 10 May 2018
  7. A.Rosier, W.Calvert, R.McAllister, R.Thomas 10 May 2018
  8. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 09 June 2018
  9. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 09 June 2018
  10. A.Rosier, R.McAllister 17 July 2018
  11. A.Rosier, R.McAllister 23 May 2018
  12. R.McAllister, A.Rosier 23 May 2018
  13. R.Thomas D.Davies March 2018
  14. R.Thomas G.Leyshon February 2018
  15. N.O'Neil R.Thomas 22 February 2018
  16. R.Thomas D.Davies 01.2018
  17. R.Thomas R.Phillips, G.Ashmore May 2018
  18. R.Thomas G.Gibson June 2018
  19. R.Thomas G.Ashmore June 2018
  20. R.Thomas, R.McAllister, R.Dighton 12 April 2018
  21. R.Thomas N.O'Neil 14 April 2018
  22. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 26 February 2018


Gary Lewis Buttress

  1. R.Thomas G.Leyshon 08 March 2018
  2. R.Thomas G.Leyshon 06 March 2018
  3. G.Lewis 2015
  4. R.Thomas E.T.Jones 07 January 2018
  5. G.Lewis 2015
  6. R.Thomas E.T Jones 2018
  7. R.Thomas G.Gibson 10 May 2018
  8. R.Thomas R.Phillips May 2018
  9. R.Thomas G.Ashmore January 2018
  10. R.Thomas A.Rosier 28 February 2018

Red Walls

  1. R.Thomas, G.Leyshon 12 March 2018
  2. G.Leyshon, R.Thomas 16 March 2018
  3. G.Ashmore 23 March 2018
  4. Project
  5. R.Thomas N.O'Neil 22 February 2018
  6. E.T.Jones 31 March 2017
  7. P. Wardman 2015
  8. R.Phillips, R.Leyshon 12 April 2018
  9. R.Thomas, G.Morris 19 March 2018
  10. R.Thomas, N.O'Neil 04 January 2018
  11. R.Thomas, G.Ashmore January 2018
  12. R.Thomas N.O'Neil January 2018

Additional Photos

Notes

  1. ↑ This crag was a subject of a BMC Local Area Meeting discussion in 2012. https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/crag_access/south_wales_area_meeting_4th_sept-516502
  2. ↑ https://community.thebmc.co.uk/GetFile.ashx?did=3287
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