The Prows

The Prows
Rock Type	Natural Carboniferous Limestone
Climbing Style	Trad
Approach Time	25 minutes
Area	Gower
Sub Area	Rhossili
Local Area	Fall Bay to Mewslade
Geodata
WGS-84 Location	51.561468, -4.284275
OS Grid Ref.	SS 417 872
WGS-84 Parking Location	51.565848, -4.270856
GR Parking Location	SS 427 876
Parking Postcode	SA3 1PH
Base Elevation	0 metres (Other)
General Info
Faces Direction	South
Aspect	Sunny
Wind Sheltered
Climbing Type	Normal
Seepage
Tidal
Before/After Low Tide	1.5 hours (See Note)
Crags Within 400m
Block Buttress, Catacomb Gully, Cathedral Wall, Conglomerate Cliff, Devil's Truck Area, Eyeball Wall, Four Gullies, Giant's Cave, Grey Wall, Hairy Dog Wall, Jacky's Tor, King Wall, Lewes Castle, Little Block, Molar Wall and White Edge, Rolly Bottom Buttress, The Aisle, The Prows, The Pulpit, Thurba Head, Trident Gully and Ridge, Upper Jacky's Tor, Yellow Wall, Zero Gully

TIDAL STATUS

Tidal

BOLTING POLICY

No bolting.

PREAMBLE

These are the rocky fins to the right (east) of The Pulpit.

ACCESS

From Pitton Farm Car Park.

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 at the entrance to the car park. Walk a short distance down a farm track then bear right past farm buildings to gain the path leading through a narrow valley to the eastern end of Mewslade Bay (12 mins walk).

From the bottom of the path, continue onto the beach and head westward across the beach for about 340 metres. (25 mins from Pitton Farm)

THE ROUTES

1. Back Chimney 12m M
   The chimney separating the left-hand prow from the Pulpit.
   
   
2. South West Corner 12m S
   Climbs the right side of the right wall of Back Chimney.
   
   
3. Flying Buttress 16m M
   Climbs the front (seaward) face of the left prow. A route that spawned at least two less famous imitations.
   
   
4. Right Edge 12m M
   The wall to the right of Flying Buttress.
   
   
5. Divide 12m M
   The chimney separating the two prows.
   
   
6. Cheat 13m VD
   Start up Divide, but move out and climb the wall to the right.
   
   
7. Central Crack 12m S
   The front of the right-hand prow.
   
   
8. Right Curving Crack 8m M
   The crack to the right of Central Crack.
   
   
9. The Old Man 6m HS,4c
   A few metres to the right is a finlike feature. Climb its seaward face.
   
   

FIRST ASCENTS

1. J.Talbot, R.Corbett 00.00.1962
   
2. J.Talbot, R.Corbett 00.00.1962
   
3. J.Talbot 00.00.1964
   
4. J.Talbot 00.00.1962
   
5. J.Talbot 00.00.1962
   
6. J.Talbot 00.00.1962
   
7. J.Talbot 00.00.1962
   
8. J.Talbot 00.00.1962
   
9. J.Talbot 00.00.1962