Mitzy Wall

Mitzy Wall
Mitzy Wall
Rock Type	Natural Jurassic Limestone
Climbing Style	Trad
Approach Time
Area	South Coast
Sub Area	Ogmore
Geodata
WGS-84 Location	51.450330, -3.614387
OS Grid Ref.	SS 879 736
WGS-84 Parking Location
GR Parking Location
Base Elevation	0 metres (SRTM Estimation)
General Info
Faces Direction
Aspect
Wind Sheltered
Climbing Type	Serious
Seepage
Crags Within 2.0 km
Black Zawn, Cave Inlet, Davy Jones' Locker and the Sea Caves, Dirty Harry Walls, Dunraven Cliff, Elephant Wall, Every Persons Wall, First Inlet, Folded Walls, Fools Fantasy Area, Mitzy Wall, Ogmore Popular End, Phaser Wall, Playtime Wall, Right Hand Wall, Second Inlet, Stone Wings Cliff, The Biscuit, The Castle Area, The Long Wall, The Western Crag, Tiger Bay, Tusker Chimney Area, Twinkle Buttress, Witches Cave, Witches Tip

ACCESS

See the Ogmore Crag Familiarisation Page.

The cliff now turns through a right angle and provides better rock and routes. At the left side of this section is a set of huge overhangs split by two vertical breaks. Storms have virtually destroyed The Hunchback, E1 (http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.html?id=73257) and The Bills, The Bills. Some roofs have been lost and a few grades are now speculative.

The Routes

Isolation

1. Isolation - HVS,5a
   Start at a blank light grey corner and follow the obvious crack upwards and traverse rightward under the small roofs then trend leftwards up easier but poorly protected moves. Either pull out on a fixed rope or scuttle 10m R to a fixed belay and lower/ abseil off.
   
   
2. Panic Buyer E2 5a
   The obvious layback/ corner crack at the junction of the two wall. R.Thomas 2020.
   
   
3. 2 Metres Apart - A2
   Up the steep grooves left of Covids Grip past a few pegs, one being poor. At 2 tied off pegs go right into Covids Grip and finish up this. The intention was to carry on up the groove to join Covid at the notch in the roof but heat, discomfort and a lack in belief saw me bottle it. English 6a free maybe, no idea.
   
   
4. Covids Grip - E4,6a/b A1/2
   Start to the left of Hunchback of Mistras under the very steep bulging wall at a groove. Up the groove then right to a peg, then a jammed wire. Now up past a second peg and some assorted gear to a third peg. Somehow move up left under the first big roof where 2 pegs sit on the lip. Now up left steeply to slots under the bigger roof and grope over left to a cramped groove and a final peg. Out left on breaks to the notch in the roof and over to a nut abseil station. I roped solo aid climbed the entire pitch it’s very steep. A free ascent I’m guessing very conservatively at E4 6a/b but I really don’t know. I got lucky and just managed to lasso the pegs on the lip of the first roof as I couldn’t climb to them. The pegs are good I’ve bounced up and down on every single one this morning ( for 3 hours )and there is a fair bit of other gear. 30m.
   
   
5. Hunchback of Mistras - A1/2
   Start 5 metres left of The Bills The Bills. Up the overhanging pea pod chimney then up the steep flake crack above to a nut abseil station under the first roof.
   
   
6. The Bills, The Bills - E3,6b
   
   
   

   Mitzy Wall - Right
   
   
   
7. Mitzy - 15m E5,6b
   Start beneath an obvious split in the roof to the right of the overhangs. This has lost yet more of its roof in recent storms, so the grade is highly speculative. Climb to the roof and struggle over it to a second roof. Abseil. 15m
   
   To the right is a deep depression starting from a small, flat platform. On its right side is an obvious arête. It is possible to traverse right along a large ledge to descend from these routes. A preplaced abseil rope would be the thinking man’s option.
   
   
8. The Love Finder General - E2 5b
   Climb up Workers Rights ( which takes the start of Night Games ) until at the ledge rest. Traverse left to the corner with the vertical flake crack. Bridge left, step down a little and hand traverse the break and holds left to the arête. Pull up and left round the arête which cramps you under a little roof with a vertical flake crack above. Drop down a little and hand traverse the breaks and holds left ( passing above Mitzy ), until a pumpy move up left gains a large hold under a vertical flake crack in the wall above. Layback up the crack past a peg, to a horizontal break. Move up slightly right then back left taking care with the rock to a multiple nut lower off to the right of the top of The Bills The Bills. 28m
   
   
9. Workers Rights - E2 5b
   Basically an alternative finish to Night Games. Start up Night Games for about 6 metres but instead of going right to the thin crack go up left to a ledge and some big holds. Move up right over the small bulge into the obvious groove and climb this until it steepens, small wire. Now step down slightly and make an exposed hand traverse left on flakey rock past 2 stacked pegs to the blunt arête. Up again then continue left round the arête to a groove. Move up and right to a peg and nut abseil station. 28 metres.
   
   
10. Night Games E3,5c
    Start from the platform and climb an undercut wall to gain a thin crack in the wall left of the arête. Climb this to a belay ledge. Abseil. 21m
    
    
11. To Mitzy a Pup - E3,6a *
    This takes the arête. Climb the wall to a ledge, traverse left and climb the arête to its top (Hex 10 belay). Traverse right or abseil. A direct start from the platform above the pool was added by Martin Crocker E4 6a.25m.
    
    
12. The Pod - VS,4b *
    Climb the obvious pod-shaped chimney until a traverse right leads to the arête. Belay on the right. 27m.
    
    
13. Two Peas - E1 5a
    Gain the arête by a rightward hand traverse and finish direct. 25m.
    
    
14. Philosan - VS,4b
    Climb a crack, swing right to the arête and continue to a fault, which is followed to ledges. Move right to descend. 21m.
    
    
15. Fly Power - VS,4b
    t just left of Duff. Climb a leftward-leaning crack to a ledge. Continue to another leftward-leaning crack, then the belay. Traverse right to descend. 21m.
    
    
16. Duff - S,4a
    Start 3m left of the right edge of the next wall. Climb the wall via a crack to a ledge. Continue rightwards to a ledge and traverse right to descend. 21m.
    
    

Gavin Cytlau on at the end of the hand traverse on Workers Rights
Photo: Natalie Mullen

Additional Photos and Video

Hunchback of Mistras 1 Approach, Ogmore
Gavin Cytlau 17/12/19

Hunchback of Mistras 2 Wet Pea Pod Misery, Ogmore
Gavin Cytlau 17/12/19

Hunchback of Mistras 3 Flake Crack, Ogmore
Gavin Cytlau 17/12/19

Hunchback of Mistras 4 Flake Crack, Ogmore
Gavin Cytlau 17/12/19

Hunchback of Mistras 5 Flake Crack, Ogmore
Gavin Cytlau 17/12/19

Hunchback of Mistras 6 Escape, Ogmore
Gavin Cytlau 17/12/19

First Ascents

1. George Hawksworth & Gavin Cytlau, 16th March 2020
2. Roy Thomas 2020
3. Gavin Cytlau - 12/07/20 (solo aid)
4. Gavin Cytlau. 20/03/20 (roped solo + aid)
5. Gavin Cytlau. 17/12/19 (roped solo)
6. P. Littlejohn, C.Brooks 1984
7. A.Sharp, P.Lewis 28.10.1978
8. Gavin Cytlau and Roy Thomas 1st December 2019
9. Gavin Cytlau, 27th October 2019 (roped solo)
10. M.Learoyd, R.Thomas 00.07.1985
11. A.Sharp, P.Lewis 22.07.1979
12. J.Harwood, C.Horsfield 23/3/1977
13. R.Thomas, S.Coles 00.05.1994
14. C.Horsfield, J.Harwood 23.03.1977
15. J.Harwood, C.Horsfield 23.03.1977
16. J.Harwood 20.07.1977