Thurba East Gully
| Thurba East Gully | |
 John Allen, soloing Melt Banana | |
| Rock Type | Natural Carboniferous Limestone |
|---|---|
| Climbing Style | Trad |
| Approach Time | 20 minutes |
| Area | Gower |
| Sub Area | Thurba to Overton |
| Geodata | |
| WGS-84 Location | 51.557709, -4.272306 |
| OS Grid Ref. | SS 425 867 |
| 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 |
| Aspect | Sunny |
| Wind Sheltered | Mostly |
| Climbing Type | Normal |
| Seepage | |
| Tidal | |
| Before/After Low Tide | 2.0 hours (See Note) |
| Crags Within 400m | |
|
Rams Grove Crag, Rams Grove Seaward Crag, Red Chamber, Thurba East, Thurba East Gully | |
| Thurba East Gully | |
| Trad Grades | |
| <= HVS | 10 |
| E1 - E3 | 2 |
| E4 - E5 | 0 |
| >= E6 | 0 |
Contents
BOLTING POLICY
PREAMBLE
Sea level gully east of Thurba Head. A new find. A short distance east is Red Chamber 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).
THE ROUTES
Routes described left to right:
- Turkey Burglar - HS 4b
An isolated route 50m west at the left side of the beach starting inside a smooth sculpted bowl-shaped inlet. A gymnastic start leads to an easy wall with a conglomerate layer at the op, skirted on the right or direct which is solid but harder. (not on topo). 10m. - Goggle Boggle - S 4a
On the left side of the gully, the first corner with a protruding block, heave over this to a ledge. Continue up the corner crack above. 10m. - Time of Porridge - HS 4b
Just right, climb to a ledge then the steep corner to a small capping roof, pull right past a hole and up the cracked seaward facing sidewall. 11m. - Man Shot By Shed - HVS 5a
Where the gully wall steepens follow cracks then, after a brief shake out, the hanging arête. A good sustained route. 11m. - Sorry I Ate Too Much Bread - E2 5c **
Climbs through the obvious hole in the roof at the back of the gully. Start below and left of this, climb the steep wall to a ledge then bridge across, undercut and launch, then use peristalsis to progress up the tube. 12m. - Mayor Too Fat To Sky-dive - HVS 5a **
At the back of the gully on the right hand side is an undercut alcove with a chimney exit into another tube. A difficult start from the right gains the chimney, a jammed buoy provides protection. Continue into the tube which proves easier than it looks. 12m. - Slap My Elbow - HS 4b
On the right side of the gully start 3m right at a wide crack. Climb this then a short slab. 11m. - Whack My Knee - VS 4c *
Just to the right, climb the wall directly to the arête, follow this steeply. High in the grade. 10m. - Minkihub - E1, 5a *
Climbs a direct line up the centre of the wall to the right, with a tricky move onto the sloping ledge below the final steeper wall. Low in the grade. 9m. - Melt Banana - HS 4a
Follow the right side of the wall with a steep section at half height and easier finish. 8m. - Hotty Potty - VD
Starting cracks at the seaward end of the wall, then step left to follow flake edge and shellow groove. 9m. - Phallic Fossil - VD
Begin up the fin on the arete by an interesting fossil, just left of Ladder. Head up the crack in the wall to finish more easily. 9m. - Ladder - D
About 8m right at a slightly higher level and above a rock pool is a small cracked pillar facing the sea. Climb the front face with good protection. 8m.
First Ascents
- Turkey Burglar - Nick Taylor solo 14th July 2018
- Goggle Boggle - Nick Taylor solo 14th July 2018
- Time of Porridge - Nick Taylor, John Allen 14th July 2018
- Man Shot By Shed - Nick Taylor, John Allen 14th July 2018
- Sorry I Ate Too Much Bread - Nick Taylor 14th July 2018
- Mayor Too Fat To Sky-dive - Nick Taylor 14th July 2018
- Slap My Elbow - Nick Taylor, Lesley Burgess 14th July 2018
- Whack My Knee - Nick Taylor 14th July 2018
- Minkihub - Nick Taylor 14th July 2018
- Melt Banana - Nick Taylor, Lesley Burgess 14th July 2018
- Hotty Potty - Nick Taylor, Lesley Burgess 14th July 2018
- Phallic Fossil - Matt Woodfield, Steffan Jacob 11th December 2023
- Ladder - Lesley Burgess, Nick Taylor 14th July 2018
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
Nick Taylor on the first ascent of, Sorry I Ate Too Much Bread, E2 5c **
Nick Taylor on the first ascent of, "Mayor Too Fat to Skydive", HVS, 5a*, Thurba East Gully
Lesley Burgess on the FA of Slap My Elbow, HS, 4b
Nick Taylor on the FA of, Whack My Knee, VS, 4c *
Lesley Bugess, on the FA of, Ladder, M.
Nick Taylor on the FA of Man Shot By Shed, HVS, 5a
