Odin's Wall
| Odin's Wall | |
 | |
| Rock Type | Natural Carboniferous Limestone |
|---|---|
| Climbing Style | Trad |
| Approach Time | 20 minutes |
| Area | Gower |
| Sub Area | Tor Bay and Great Tor |
| Local Area | Great Tor East |
| Geodata | |
| WGS-84 Location | 51.5689669, -4.1217401 |
| OS Grid Ref. | SS 530 876 |
| 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 | Partially Sunny |
| Wind Sheltered | Mostly |
| Climbing Type | Normal |
| Seepage | Never |
| Tidal | |
| Before/After Low Tide | 2.0 hours (See Note) |
| Crags Within 400m | |
|
First Corner, Great Tor Proper, High Slab, Monty's Slab, Odin's Cave, Odin's Wall, Ramp Zawn, Second Corner | |
Contents
Tidal Status
2 hours either side of low tide.
Bolting Policy
No bolting.
Preamble
The most attractive of the crags lying on the west side of Three Cliffs Bay, Odin's Wall, is composed of the best Gower Limestone and provides a variety of well-protected quality lines. It is the wall some 70m back from the headland. Accessible approximately 2½ hours either side of low tide.
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.
Pass through the gate and then follow the path for 200m from where the path's surface turns to sand. Follow the (now) wide path for 100 metres until you see a steep sandy path branching off on your left.
Follow this narrow path downwards for 120m to arrive at the back of Three Cliffs Bay.
Follow the cliff line rightwards (west) for 700m. Odin's Wall is at the 3rd large inlet.
Descents
It's possible to scramble down either side. Scrambling off the east (right as you look at the wall) is probably the easiest.
The Routes
- Left Corner And Crack - HVS,5a
The left end of the wall forms a corner. Climb this to a big ledge and follow the crack above. 18m. - Cave Crack Direct - VS,4b *
Follow Left Corner And Crack to the ledge. Traverse delicately right into a hollow and finish up the crack above. 20m. - Cave Crack - HS,4b
Follow Cave Crack Direct to the hollow, but finish up the diagonal crack on the right. 18m. - Direct - VS,5a
Start at a recess to the right of a cave. Step over the pool to use the recess to gain the cracks above. Climb these with conviction, to a rest and an easier finish. 21m. - Overlooked - VS,4c
- Fiechtl - S
A niche forms the start of the next pronounced crack to the right. Follow this until a horizontal break leads to a series of cracks forming the right side of the main wall. 18m. - Wide Crack - D
Start as for Fiechtl. Climb the tricky wide crack, chimney and corner to the top. 18m. - Happy Feet - S,4a
Start at the second barnacle covered crack to the right of Wide Crack, climb to a small ledge then follow the obvious thin crack line to a second ledge, climb straight up the smoother slab to the top. 17m. - Pillar Crack -D
The chimney right of Wide Crack often has a pool at its barnacle-ridden base. A preferable start lies 1m left, before joining the chimney at a ledge. 15m. - Girdle Traverse - VS,4c
Start as for Fiechtl and continue leftwards at mid height to finish on the ledge of Left Corner and Crack. 18m.
Odin's Wall East Facet
Slightly right and up from Odin's Wall lie a series of pillars and corners. The first pillar of note is called the Second Pillar.
Second Pillar
The first route here follows the obvious South East facing cracked corner at the top left of the bay.
- Left Corner - D
Follow the crack, with good jams past a bulge. 18m. - South Wall - D
From the base of the crack Left Corner, step right and climb the narrow wall. 12m. - East Edge - D
Follow the arête to the right of South Wall, taking care with the rock near the top. 15m. - Wall And Corner - VD
The wall just before Left Crack. 15m. - Left Crack - D
Set back from the last route is a gashed feature. Climb this. 15m.
First Pillar
Is nothing more than a continuation of the rock.
- South Face - D
The steep juggy face just to the right of Left Crack. 15m. - Left Edge - S
Take the arête with little in the way of protection. 15m. - Left Pillar Direct - VD
Takes the narrow east face of the First Pillar. 15m. - East Corner Crack - D
A good line up the cracked corner, bounding the right side of the pillar. 16m.
The rest of this recessed bay can be climbed anywhere at less than Moderate standard. The cliff now becomes more broken. The next bay, 150m on is known as Third Corner, Which may house a route up some grooves on the left wall (Living Wall HVS,5a, L.Cole, M.Condick 09.04.2002).
First Ascents
- Left Corner And Crack - J.Talbot 00.00.1961
- Cave Crack Direct - J.Talbot 00.00.1959
- Cave Crack - R.Owen, D.Jones, A.Bevan 00.00.1959
- Direct - J.Talbot, D.Thomas 00.00.1959
- Overlooked -
- Fiechtl - J.Talbot, D.Thomas 00.00.1959
- Wide Crack - R.Owen, D.Jones 00.00.1959
- Happy Feet - C.Evans, P.Leeder 20.08.2014
- Pillar Crack - R.Owen, D.Jones 00.00.1959
- Girdle Traverse - Unknown Pre-1991
Second Pillar
- Left Corner - J.Talbot 00.00.1959
- South Wall - J.Talbot 00.00.1959
- East Edge - J.Talbot 00.00.1959
- Wall And Corner - J.Talbot 00.00.1960
- Left Crack - J.Talbot 00.00.1960
First Pillar
- South Face - J.Talbot 00.00.1960
- Left Edge - J.Talbot 00.00.1960
- Left Pillar Direct - J.Talbot 00.00.1960
- East Corner Crack - J.Talbot, D.Thomas 00.00.1959
Additional Photos
Alex on Cave Crack Direct
Chris Beyon on Fiechtl, Odin's Wall
