Stone Wings Cliff
From South Wales Climbing Wiki
| Stone Wings Cliff | |
 | |
| Rock Type | Natural Carboniferous Limestone |
|---|---|
| Climbing Style | Sport |
| Approach Time | 10 minutes |
| Area | South Coast |
| Sub Area | Witches Point |
| Geodata | |
| WGS-84 Location | 51.442508, -3.604320 |
| OS Grid Ref. | SS 885 727 |
| WGS-84 Parking Location | 51.446124 -3.6053771 |
| GR Parking Location | SS 885 731 |
| Parking Postcode | CF32 ORT |
| Base Elevation | 2 metres (Other) |
| General Info | |
| Faces Direction | North |
| Aspect | Partially Sunny |
| Wind Sheltered | Mostly |
| 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 | |
| Stone Wings Cliff | |
| Sport Grades | |
| <= 6a+ | 3 |
| 6b - 6c+ | 3 |
| 7a - 7b | 5 |
| >= 7b+ | 5 |
Access
Preamble
The Routes
The routes including and right of 'Staple Diet' are usually seepage free. In contrast routes to the left can suffer with annoyingly prolonged, localised seepage.
- Crime Slunk Scene - Fr. 7b **
Poor looking rock, but a fun climb on good holds. Has a short but powerful sequence through the roof crack. Long extender on the 4th bolt is very helpful. 12m - In Search Of Bedrock - Fr. 7a+
Scary, despite being a clip up. As for Liassic Lark, but then move out left above the bulge, to pumpy, powerful climbing on wobbly holds to the BB. A true anti-classic! 24m - Liassic Lark - Fr. 7a *
The all too obvious overhanging jam crack through the bulge (you don't have to jam). Above the bulge step right to a BB. 14m - Help, Help Me Rhondda - Fr. 7c *
The wall to the right is quite straightforward to the undercuts at the base of the bulge. The next 2m provides a very powerful, but mercifully short sequence. 12m - Dai Vinci Coed Fr 7c+ ***
Break out right from a jug on the previous route. From the pod, move left on small holds to gain the L.O. - This God Is Mine - Fr. 7b+ ***
Super climbing up the obvious bulge containing twin cracks in the upper wall. Unfortunately a couple of the the holds are usually wet. 17m - Masada - Fr. 8a+ **
The undercut wall to the right is hard, sustained and has a powerful crux at the end of an exhausting series of locks and lurches. Has seen a number of recent repeats. 17m - Stone Wings - E5, 6a
The big, bad, trad crack to the right is now free of its rest point. It is still utterly hideous. Tape up. Hexes are essential, Friends have ripped on many ascents and attempts and legs have been broken. 17m - The Uninvited Guest - Fr. 7b+
The wall to the right of Stone Wings, with a hard crux to reach the square-cut groove. From the top of the groove finish up the (easy) top section of Stone Wings. A Friend 3 is required for the top. 17m - SuperSizeMe Fr 7c
Follow Staple Diet to the flake then break out left up the hanging groove.17m. - Staple Diet - Fr. 7b ***
The impressive hanging groove at the right-hand side of the steep overhanging section is climbed with no particular crux, to final powerful moves up and out of a crack. 17m - Tragic Moustache - Fr. 7a
Just to the right is a small boulder, above which are two bolt lines. Climb the left-hand one with some difficulty to the ramp. Step up and climb the wall (poor bolts) to finish blindly over the roof to a monster bucket, which can be wet. 18m - Five O'Clock Shadow - Fr. 6c+ *
From the boulder, climb the right-hand side of the bulge to a big flake and a ramp. Continue up the awkward wall and faint rib to the obvious v-groove in the roof. Finish up this with difficulty. 18m - Pelagic Mush - Fr. 6a
The overlapping wall to the right is followed to ledges and a finish up the groove. 14m - Sideburn - Fr. 6b
A short hard boulder problem type route up the blind flake to the right. 11m - Spear The Bearded Clam - Fr. 6a
Has a tricky move. 11m - Slurp The Savoury Oyster - Fr. 5+
A greasy filler in to the right. The first bolts have no hangers so hook them with wires. 11m - Magic Touch - Fr. 6b *
A rising diagonal line. From the start of Pelagic Mush, traverse out left onto the shelf, and follow a rising traverse line leftwards to a belay above the top of Staple Diet.20m
There is a short break in the crag here, the escape route at high water.The short rock step is equipped with a mini "Via Ferrata" but take care as the ramp is often slippery. There are belays / abseil point at the base of Its Tufa At The Top. Alternatively climb out of PCB on the left of DUNRAVEN CLIFF
Videos
First Ascents
- W.Calvert, 09.07.2021
- R.Thomas, G.Gibson 16.07.1994
- R.Thomas 00.08.1994
- E.Travers-Jones 00.08.1993
- Rob Lamey 2013
- G.Gibson, R.Thomas 06.08.1994
- E.Travers-Jones 00.00.1995
- P.Littlejohn, S.Robinson 1pt 27.07.1979
FFA G.Gibson, R.Thomas 19.06.1994 - G.Gibson, R.Thomas 02.07.1994
- P.Thomas 'The Snark' A1 00.00.1973
FFA G.Gibson, R.Thomas 01.06.1993 - Simon Rawlinson 2013
- G.Gibson, R.Thomas 05.06.1993
- R.Thomas, G.Gibson 30.05.1996
- R.Thomas, G.Gibson 30.05.1993
- R.Thomas 04.06.1993
- R.Thomas 00.00.1998
- R.Thomas 00.00.1998
- P.Littlejohn 05.06.1979
