Red Chamber
| Red Chamber | |
 | |
| Rock Type | Natural Carboniferous Limestone |
|---|---|
| Climbing Style | Trad |
| Approach Time | 20 minutes |
| Area | Gower |
| Sub Area | Thurba to Overton |
| Geodata | |
| WGS-84 Location | 51.557349, -4.271506 |
| OS Grid Ref. | SS 426 867 |
| WGS-84 Parking Location | 51.565848, -4.270856 |
| GR Parking Location | SS 427 876 |
| Parking Postcode | SA3 1PH |
| Base Elevation | 2 metres (Other) |
| General Info | |
| Faces Direction | South West |
| Aspect | Sunny |
| Wind Sheltered | Mostly |
| Climbing Type | Normal |
| Seepage | |
| Tidal | |
| Before/After Low Tide | 2.0 hours (See Note) |
| Crags Within 400m | |
|
First Sister, Rams Grove Crag, Rams Grove Seaward Crag, Red Chamber, The Crag That Time Forgot, Thurba East, Thurba East Gully | |
| Red Chamber | |
| Trad Grades | |
| <= HVS | 10 |
| E1 - E3 | 2 |
| E4 - E5 | 0 |
| >= E6 | 0 |
Contents
BOLTING POLICY
PREAMBLE
The Red Chamber itself is an impressive deep cave. The climbs are mainly on the east side of the gully in front of the cave, and on the undercut sea-ward face up to the right, which is accessible from mid-tide. A New find. A short distance west is Thurba East Gully which can be visited in combination. This is reached by scrambling / boulder-hopping at mid to low tide.
ACCESS
From the main Rhossili road, turn left in Pitton (south) to Great Pitton Farm (SS 427 876 or 51.556076, -4.267799) where there is a car park. The honesty box no longer exists and a system of seasonal tariffs is now in operation. Payment is made via a machine or paybyphone Ⓡ. See Pitton Parking for information on charges. Currently a maximum of £5.00 is charged for parking from 06.00 to 22.00.
Turn left when coming out of the car park and follow the road, past some houses and farm buildings, until it then becomes an unsurfaced track. At this point, the main track appears to veer off to the right. You should take the left fork (public footpath but marked, "Private Road"). Follow the track uphill for 75m passing through two gates. Then follow the track further (for 350m) until you come to another gate. Go through the gate and either follow the sign-posted footpath directions directing you via the edges of the field or strike out diagonally rightwards across the field for 260m to reach yet another gate.
Pass through this gate to head down a shallow grassy valley towards the sea to reach another gate on the Wales Coast Path after about 50 metres. This is the top end of Rams Grove (SS 430868). 1 km. (15 mins. from parking).
Pass through the gate and then immediately turn right and go up the stepped path and then follow the grassy track for 350m to a gate. Go through the gate and then descend the grassy valley to the base of an eastfacing buttress (Thurba East).
Find the steep path (directly in front of the buttress) that descends to a broken rock platform above hightide level. The main gully, containing most of the climbs (Thurba East Gully), is about 40m west but the scramble down is after about 20m. The gully is recognised by a blow hole in the roof at the back and a chimney, just right, which leads up to another hole. (25 minutes from Pitton Farm).
To reach Red Chamber you can boulderhop across at low tide from Thurba East Gully by heading first towards the sea and then going east.
THE ROUTES
- Hello Me Time HVS 5a *
The first route is on the west side of the gully at the sea-ward end. Start below the highest point of the wall. Follow a line of weakness up the lower wall past a flake to a ledge. Step left and tackle the centre of the overhanging headwall. Optional tangled ship's rope belay. 9m.
The routes are now described left to right, starting on the left side of the east wall of gully. - Grass Tickle D
Just next to a boulder, the left side of the wall via an easy crack / runnel. 7m. - Fly Tickle VD
Start up the right leaning crack just to the right then finish direct. Pleasant. 7m. - Knockus Nobbilus HS 4a
The unprotected crozzly wall right again. 8m. - No Naked Jacuzzi-ness VD
The cracks just right again. 8m. - Am I Your Boss Now? VD *
Starting below the arête climb the front face to a ledge, then a crack just left of the undercut arête which leads up to a flake. 9m.
The seaward front face of the buttress has an undercut roof and a base which slopes up beneath so is less tidal as you go further to the right. - Bad News List E1 5b **
Start 3m right of the undercut arête, swing up to a ledge on the right below the overhang. Difficult moves lead left and up onto the left side of the arête, then finish more easily up a jamming crack. Excellent rock and climbing. 10m. - Egg Bound E1 5b
About 4m left of where the roof ends, pull through the overhang leftwards then continue with determination up the nose above to a ledge. Step left into an easy hanging corner to finish. 9m. - No Need To Hit Dogs & Cats HS 4b
Pull through the right hand side of the roof at a crack. Continue directly with limited protection. 8m. - No Dirty Hands on Rabbits HS 4a
The corner which bounds the right side of the wall has limited protection. 8m.
(If the starts and finishes of the above two routes are transposed they offer more balanced climbs of grades HS if starting on left stepping right to corner, or VD if starting on right then stepping left to climb the wall left of the corner) - Spike Milligan's Tape Recorder S 4a
The recessed groove in the right side wall of the corner. 7m. - Staircase M
The easy angled pillar. 7m.
First Ascents
- Hello Me Time - Nick Taylor 13th August 2019
- Grass Tickle - Nick Taylor solo 17th August 2018
- Fly Tickle - Nick Taylor solo 17th August 2018
- Knockus Nobbilus - Nick Taylor solo 17th August 2018
- No Naked Jacuzzi-ness - Nick Taylor solo 17th August 2018
- Am I Your Boss Now? - Nick Taylor solo 17th August 2018
- Bad News List - Nick Taylor, John Allen 14th September 2018
- Egg Bound - Nick Taylor, John Allen 14th September 2018
- No Need To Hit Dogs & Cats - Nick Taylor solo 17th August 2018
- No Dirty Hands on Rabbits - Nick Taylor solo 17th August 2018
- Spike Milligan's Tape Recorder - Nick Taylor solo 17th August 2018
- Staircase - Nick Taylor solo 17th August 2018
