The Lonely Shepherd
| The Lonely Shepherd | |
| Rock Type | Quarried Carboniferous Limestone |
|---|---|
| Climbing Style | Trad |
| Approach Time | 5 minutes |
| Area | Inland Limestone |
| Sub Area | Llangattock |
| Geodata | |
| WGS-84 Location | 51.82264082, -3.1343896 |
| OS Grid Ref. | SO 21904 14377 |
| WGS-84 Parking Location | 51.817333, -3.13283604 |
| GR Parking Location | SO 22010 13796 |
| Base Elevation | 440 metres (OS Estimation) |
| General Info | |
| Faces Direction | East |
| Aspect | Partially Sunny |
| Wind Sheltered | |
| Climbing Type | |
| Seepage | |
| Crags Within 10.0 km | |
|
Abertysswg, Buckland Hill, Craig Y Castell, Craig Y Castell Western Extension, Cwm, Eastern Edge, Gilwern East, Gilwern Hill - Crag X, Gimp Cliff, Llangattock, Llangynidr Quarry, The Lonely Shepherd | |
Contents
PREAMBLE
A few little quarries close to the road, centred around the stop pillar of "The Lonely Shepherd", worth seeking out to climb in its own right.
ACCESS
Park with care neat the junction of the Llanelly road onto the tramroad. Walk up the track opposite this junction, then strike out right to reach the Pillar.
THE ROUTES
Roadside Quarry
Roadside highball bouldering with enough gear about to rig a top rope. Exit to the left. The quarry is located 400m east of the junction.
The First Arête
Sustained like Sustrans 6m E2 6b (V5) MC 7.10.07 Gain the large hold in the smooth wall left of the arête from the left, and continue with another hard move.
Green Mind, Atomic Heart 6m E2 6b (V5) MC 7.10.07
Tackle the front of the blunt arête – the best route here. The Second Arête
5c Problem (V1) MC7.10.07
Mantel onto a hand-ledge 4m left of the arête and use edges on the left to pull out on trees.
5c No Problem (V1) MC 7.10.07
Climb the face past a sharp, hollow flake and pull past an aged tree-trunk lying prostrate on the ledge.
Crowded by Ghosts 7m E5 5c (V2) MC 7.10.07 Very bold – attaching a V grade is plain silly. Start as for the previous route, but trend right on good fingeredges to reach the obvious stuck-on pudding left of the arête. Step up and right to exit on the arête.
Agorophobia 7m E5 5c (V2) (7.10.07) The crux is near the top – don’t fall off that V2 bit! Take the arête to a hand-ledge 5m up. Precarious moves lead to the top. (There appears to be some gear and a thread at the crux which could make this route a not unpleasant E3.)
The Third Arête
High on a Cone of Grass 6m E1 5c (V1) (7.10.07)
From the top of the cone left of the arête, enter the slight right-facing groove and pull past a scrawny hawthorn at the edge.
Box Jelly Fish 7m E3 5b (V0+) (7.10.07)
Follow the arête, finishing delicately on fragile holds.
Tentative Master 7m E5 5c/6a (V3) (7.10.07)
Climb the sheer wall 2m right of the arête. The crux is gaining the top, at which a swing left leads to the exit.
The Fourth Arête
Wonder Glue 6m HVS 5a (V0) Romp up the final arête on chunky glued-on flakes; then reverse it to escape!
Fence Quarry
A small quarry with a nice view, except the abandoned fencing, 200m north of the of The Lonely Shepherd pinnacle, just follow the escaprment.
Crack Attak 5m S (14.4.07) The striking hand-jam crack in the small left-hand bay.
Defensive 6m E1 5a (14.4.07)
The fine arête on the left of the main bay: only one tricky move.
Barbed Wire Boobs 6m VS 4c (14.4.07) Follow the crack 2m right of Defensive past two threads.
Maccaferri 6m E2 5c (14.4.07) Immediately right of an unclimbed v-groove (right of Defensive) boulder straight up a calcite covered rib to a series of good holds.
Herris 6m E2 6a (14.4.07) Much easier than it looks – once you get started. Two metres left of En Guarde! make a powerful move to a good hold. Follow spaced good holds up the wall onto a grass terrace.
En Guarde! 6m E1 5b *(14.4.07) The route of the quarry: the off-width succumbs to laybacking, squeeze tactics, Don Whillans, or not at all.
Old Fashioned Prayer Meeting 5m E1 5a (14.4.07) Climb stuck-on fragments on the wall right of En Guarde! – a tentative exit cupping grass-holds.
First Ascents
M.Crocker 2007
