Mermaid Wall

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Mermaid Wall
Mermaid pano.jpg
Rock Type Natural Carboniferous Limestone
Climbing Style Sport
Approach Time 25 minutes
Area Gower
Sub Area Rhossili
Local Area Rhossili Sea Level Crags
Geodata
WGS-84 Location 51.568416, -4.298232
OS Grid Ref. SS 408 880
WGS-84 Parking Location 51.569301, -4.28840
GR Parking Location SS 415 880
Parking Postcode SA3 1PP
Base Elevation 0 metres (Other)
General Info
Faces Direction North West
Aspect Partially Sunny
Wind Sheltered Mostly
Climbing Type Normal
Seepage Needs a short dry spell
Tidal
Before/After Low Tide 1.0 hours (See Note)
Crags Within 400m

Black Buttress, Black Wall, Castaway Cove, Evening Wall, Keel Buttress, Lifebuoy Buttress, Mermaid Wall, Retribution Wall, Seamen Wall, Sheepbone Wall, Shipwreck Cove, Silent Fright Buttress, Silent Walls, Sinister Sister Zawn, Trial Wall, Wedge Wall



Mermaid Wall
Sport Grades
<= 6a+ 30
6b - 6c+ 8
7a - 7b 0
>= 7b+ 0

Tidal Status

1 hour before/after low tide.

Bolting Policy

Preamble

Only a 2 hr tidal window (varies with neaps and springs) so take care not to get cut off (common sense really). Escape is possible up the easy scramble and vertical grass but not advisable for the uninitiated.

Access

From the bottom of the descent path from Rhossili, walk 680 metres.

Descents

The Routes

  1. Crass Word Pizzle - Fr. 4
    The most L of the routes. A bit of an exposed walk from the last bolt to the shared belay on the right.

  2. Landlubber - Fr. 4
    Shared belay.

  3. The Naughty Corner - Fr. 4
    A slab with traces of corner moving R to shared belay.

  4. Ursula - Fr. 4
    Shares belay.

  5. Ceasg - Fr. 4
    Your guess is as good as mine re. nomeclature.

  6. Turtle Apocalypse - Fr. 4
    More of the same.

  7. No Father Day - Fr. 5+
    Almost the same except a crystal pocket mono by slightly tricky move.

  8. Lara - Fr. 5
    Edge R of slender groove.

  9. Scurvy Dog - Fr. 5+
    L of the cave.

    On the right of this gentle slabby section is an obvious square roofed cave and a white pillar.

  10. Crimp Paddle - Fr. 6b+*
    Start as for following but move right over cave roof.

  11. Paternal Love - Fr. 6b*
    The left arête of the pillar.

  12. Bye Dad - Fr. 6b **
    Harder, centre of pillar to same LO.

  13. Filial Duty - Fr. 5 *
    The R arête.

  14. Fought To The End - Fr. 5+
    Hanging crozzly groove.

  15. This Vicar's Tea Party - Fr. 6b+
    Gnarly start stepping across from large boulder, then join route on right.

  16. Stingray - Fr. 6c*
    From the top of the block move L and over the roof.

  17. Lemon Soul - Fr. 6a*
    From the block follow the arête then L.

  18. A Mermaid Tale - Fr. 5+*
    Wall R of block and arête.

  19. Dawsons Corner - Fr. 5*
    Juggy corner.

  20. Dawsons Creek - Fr. 5*
    Break R at second bolt of previous.

  21. Fistful of Tenners - Fr. 4*
    Outstanding pillar.

  22. Under the Mattress - Fr. 6a+*
    Wall R of pillar then roof direct to shared belay.

  23. Cash in the Attic - Fr. 5*
    Slight bulge then on to upper wall and shared LO.

  24. Holds May Spin - Fr. 5*
    As previous then slightly R moving back to same LO.

  25. Probate Pending - Fr. 3+*
    Easily to step R onto ledge and common chain LO.

  26. Pysgod Wibblywobbly - Fr. 5*
    Climb the wall to shared belay above ledge.

  27. Names from Rogers Profanisorous - Fr. 5+*
    Wall to ledge ,shared belay on L.

  28. Scarfish - Fr. 6a*
    Isolated pitch high above the ledge systems.

  29. Al Perchino - Fr. 4+*
    Short black wall to shared LO.

  30. Scuttle - Fr4+*
    Another short wall to same LO.

  31. The Trevena Fish Hotel - Fr. 4+*
    Long slab to isolated chain.

Right Hand Pillars

Above and R of the deep cave are a series of pillars with atmospheric routes

  1. Project with working rope -
    NOT GLUED.

  2. The Naughty Step - Fr. 6a**
    Can be done when tide in from high ledge, gained easily from the Trevenna Fish Hotel or harder direct start. Step R from ledge ascend atmospheric groove.(leave the working rope alone!!)

  3. A Mermaids Footwork - Fr. 6b*
    Pick your barnacle (R hand easier) start then a deceptive crack to upper wall. Shared LO.

  4. Flounder - Fr. 6b*
    Barnacle start leads to L or R variant over the roof which join on upper wall and shared LO.

  5. Somewhere in her Smile She Knows - Fr. 6b+*
    The central leaning pillar on pockets then the face above. If your hung-over use the cave instead of the pockets.

  6. Besetting Fears - Fr. 6a*
    The right-hand pocketed pillar to joint the previous route.

  7. Horse Flavoured Shadows - Fr. 5*
    Arête left of large ledge.

  8. Triton Left - Fr. 5*
    Up to the large ledge and left-hand finish.

  9. Triton Right - Fr. 5*
    Right hand finish.

First Ascents

  1. Crass Word Pizzle - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  2. Landlubber - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  3. The Naughty Corner - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  4. Ursula - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  5. Ceasg - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  6. Turtle Apocalypse - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  7. No Father Day - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  8. Lara - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  9. Scurvy Dog - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  10. Crimp Paddle - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  11. Paternal Love - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  12. Bye Dad - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  13. Filial Duty - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  14. Fought To The End - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  15. This Vicar's Tea Party - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  16. Stingray - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  17. Lemon Soul - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  18. A Mermaid Tale - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  19. Dawsons Corner - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  20. Dawsons Creek - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  21. Fistful of Tenners - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  22. Under the Mattress - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  23. Cash in the Attic - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  24. Holds May Spin - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  25. Probate Pending - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  26. Pysgod Wibblywobbly - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  27. Names from Rogers Profanisorous - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  28. Scarfish - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  29. Al Perchino - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  30. Scuttle - X.XXXX 00.06.2014
  31. The Trevena Fish Hotel - X.XXXX 00.06.2014

Right Hand Pillars

  1. Project with working rope - R.Thomas 00.06.2014
  2. The Naughty Step - R.Thomas Richie Phillips 00.06.2014
  3. A Mermaids Footwork - R.Thomas Richie Phillips 00.06.2014
  4. Flounder - R.Thomas 00.06.2014
  5. Somewhere in her Smile She Knows - R.Thomas 00.06.2014
  6. Besetting Fears - D. Emanuel, R.Thomas 00.06.2014
  7. Horse Flavoured Shadows - D. Emanuel, R.Thomas 00.06.2014
  8. Triton Left - D. Emanuel, R.Thomas 00.06.2014
  9. Triton Right - D. Emanuel, R.Thomas 00.06.2014

Additional Photos

Notes