Treherbert Quarry

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Treherbert Quarry
( Rhondda Pillar )
Rhondda.jpg
Rock Type Quarried Sandstone
Climbing Style Sport
Approach Time 25 minutes
Area Sandstone
Sub Area Sandstone Western Valleys
Geodata
WGS-84 Location 51.667596, -3.538399
OS Grid Ref. SS 937 976
WGS-84 Parking Location 51.671962, -3.535428
GR Parking Location SS 939 981
Parking Postcode CF42 5HU
Base Elevation 312 metres (SRTM Estimation)
General Info
Faces Direction Various
Aspect Partially Sunny
Wind Sheltered Seldomly
Climbing Type Normal
Midge Problem Mild
Seepage Quick drying
Crags Within 5.0 km

Blaengwynfi, Bwlch Mountain Road, Clydach Vale Bogmonster Quarry, Clydach Vale Cambrian Quarry, Craig Tyle-Cam, Darren Fawr (Garw Valley), Gelli, Maerdy - Rhondda Fach, Pen Pych, Sheriff Quarry - Maerdy, Space Mountain, The Farm, Ton Pentre, Treherbert Quarry




BOLTING POLICY

As for all sandstone quarries, bolting of new sport routes allowed.

PREAMBLE

A great crag in a stunning position, almost a mountain crag feel. Can be bracing in winter due to its exposed position but less seepage than you would expect as seperate from the main mountain. The old pegs and bolts have been refreshed and there are over 30 new routes of varied grades in sun or shade so take your pick.

The Back Crag is sunny most of the day with little seepage. The Towers receive the afternoon and evening sun. This make it an all day venue well worth the 15 min. uphill stroll if only encumbered with a few quick draws. This and over 30 excellent routes of varied grades make it a top notch venue.

There are also two impressive bouldering blocks with excellent highball problems (almost route status). The first is behind Jammed Boulder Tower, the second in the main bay under the overhangs of Little Big Ego on the far left of the crag (details on UKC crag logbooks).

ACCESS

The crag lies up the mountainside above Treherbert railway station - a convenient way of arriving if on train/foot. If coming by car drive to the same place and park. Cross over to the far side of the railway turn left and follow a track for 100m until a short cut up and left across a stream, then take the track up right. Continue up this for 1/4 mile, until a trail breaks off left at a wooden seat. This trail leads directly up to the crag in about 10 minutes if you are lucky enough to be only carrying a few quickdraws maybe 15 if heavily laden. Take your time and enjoy the scenic walk!

DESCENTS

Most routes have lower offs,some of the shorter towers require long slings to fix top ropes if desired as indicated in the text.

THE ROUTES

The Leaning Towers Of Herbert

As one leaves the steep path to contour into the quarry there are a number of towers with rifts seperating them from the main mountain slope. They get more sun as they face west so the rock is cleaner. It is possible to hop from tower to tower across the intervening rifts.

The First Tower

The first short wall on the first tower facing west. Long slings needed if you wish to set up a lower-off then retrieve later. From R to L are:-

  1. Brush Down - HS
    The very short arête just L of the rift. 2 m.

  2. Burning Brush - Fr. 6b+
    The centre of the wall, belay (shared) on old bolt stubs then hop over rift to descend. Short but tough climbing now upgraded following the loss of several flakes. 3 m.

  3. The Day The Drill Conked Out - Fr. 5a
    The left arête, belay and descend as others. 3 m.

  4. OMG She's a Squirter - Fr. 5+ *
    Short but fun, long sling for belay, the left side of the arête. 4 m.

  5. Crescent Wanker - Fr. 5+
    The wall to the left, comes to a conclusion all too soon. 4 m.

The Second Tower

Third Pillar

The top is easily gained by scrambling over a series of jammed blocks from the first tower. From R to L are...

  1. A Fish Called Rhondda - Fr. 5+
    Short 2 bolter, top out or fix L.O. sling from ledge. Not quite as stunning as it's namesake - a Treorchy chip shop.

  2. Mickey's Monkey Spunk Moped - VS, 4c
    The first shorter dog leg crack. Long sling for belay and big hexes/friends handy.

  3. Powered By Simian Love Fuel - HVS, 5a
    The second longer/wider dog leg crack, similar advice to previous.

  4. Buster Gonads - Fr. 5+
    Have faith in the beam of starting rock then good jugs up the walll left of the crack. Belay bolt on top of tower, long sling L.O.

The Third (Jammed Boulder) Tower

The Third (Jammed Boulder) Tower

Described right to left.

  1. Norbert Colon Meets The Fat Slags - Fr. 6a
    The right arête of the front face. 15 m.

  2. Terry Forkwit - Fr. 6b **
    Aim for the crack and shared chain, quality steep climbing. 15 m.

  3. Crock Licker - Fr. 6b **
    The red arête, continuously entertaining. 15 m.

  4. Clock Sucker - Fr. 4+
    The arête just right of the chimney, a good looking line marred only by the nearby chimney. 15 m.

  5. Billy The Fish - HVS, 4c
    The grubby chimney crack, no sly bolt clipping on the left. Probably not worth hauling your big nuts up that hill unless you're a trad super hero. 12 m.

  6. Drinks At "The Dog And Hammer" - Fr. 5+
    The wall left of the chimnney. 13 m.

Stand Alone Boulder

Under the tower is a large boulder with some excellent highball problems

  1. Erection Fever E3 6b
    The awesome L arête of "the lonesome pine boulder"

Rhondda Pillar

Topo RhonddaPillar-cropped.jpg

Described from right to left (as approached) and left of a free standing blocky pillar.

  1. Nailbiter - Fr. 7a
    The leaning wall right of the obvious crack in the wall. Some hollow rock. Double bolt belay. 18 m.

  2. Thumbsucker - E5, 6a ***
    The classic finger jamming crack. The Mau Mau and the Heaven Crack of sandstone! Now has a belay avoiding earthy top out. 18 m.

  3. Nosepicker - Fr. 7a **
    The right side of the arête; steady but with a tricky move past the second bolt. Shares a belay with Thumbsucker. 18 m.

  4. Bizarre Geetar - E3, 5c
    The crack and wall on the left side of the arête. Currently, the lower PR is missing and needs a wire brushing. 18m .

  5. Lamb Leer Disease - E2, 5c **
    The excellent diagonal crack on the front face of the pillar. One of the best sandstone trad routes. Chain belay. 18 m.

  6. Mint Sauce Dressing - Fr. 6a+ *
    A hard start then veer left onto the arête. 18 m.

  7. Rowan Jelly - Fr. 5+ *
    The left arête via the Rowan tree a pleasant airy excursion.

Main Bay

Main Bay

Described from right to left.

  1. Baker Day - HS, 4b
    Over left from the pillar is a short wall rising from a ditch at the top of the banking. This route takes the chimney on the right-hand side. 9 m.

  2. Scrotal Scratch Mix - Fr. 6a
    The crack and roof to the left. 8 m.

  3. SBB Evil Brother E1 5c
    Green gloomy crack to shared LO on R.An ascent by Tom Plaine G.U?? 2020 oct.

  4. Submerged By Blubber - E2, 5b
    The fist crack to the left, fierce jamming over the roof. 9 m.

  5. Johnny Fartpants - Fr .6b
    The lower wall left of the crack into the chimney then bridge up the right wall to shared LO with Submerged. Use of the block strictly forbidden. 8 m.

  6. Biffa Bacon - Fr. 6b+
    The short jam crack,chimney and hard moves round the L arête. No stepping off the boulder, as all these routes beware your back/arse whacking the boulder if you fall off.

  7. Little Big Ego - E2, 6a
    Now on the floor after a rockfall. The thin crack stepping off the boulder.

  8. Student Grant - Fr. 6a
    The (now collapsed) wall and arête L of the thin crack, use(d to use) holds on the arête moving right at the top to shared belay.

    The blood red block has several bold highball boulder problems before thankfully the bolts start again, good effort on the local bouldering teams part! The highballs on the right, just before Tally Whore, are:

  9. Litter All Louts - V0/1
    The L arête using anything to top out on gently shelving ledges.

  10. Blood Dread - V1/2
    One metre right of the arête.

  11. Tally Whore! - Fr. 5+
    Just left of the blood red block starting from a grove of rowan saplings. Don furry breechs, tap out your pipe, then squirm and bridge the chimney before moving left onto the face. Staples.

  12. Norman's Knob - Fr. 6b
    The face, starting L of the chimney, to shared staple belay. Good climbing in the lower half.

  13. Uncle Eddie Meets Modern Parents - Fr. 6a+
    Entertaining overhang to start, then up the tower to a tricky finish on the arête.

  14. Spoilt Bastard - Fr. 6a **
    Take arête on the far left the quarry. Stunning position, reasonable climbing in early evening sun.

Back Crag

Round the back of the quarry, and over a small col is another wall under a holly tree. Approach by going up and off to the right past the "lonesome pine" on seeing the first short wall on the First Tower. One of the old routes has been regeared and there are several good short new additions.. This will be a good part of the crag as it receives sun morning and early afternoon.

Back Crag
  1. The Thin Drum - Fr. 4+
    The arête on the L of the wall. Lash out big spender take a spare belay crab/maillon as previous stolen.

  2. Gallow's Step - Fr. 5+
    Step off the tombstone block, hand traverse the ledge then up the arête. Chain and quick draw belay to replace stolen one. 12 m.

  3. Grunter Ass - Fr. 6b+
    L side of wall and arête above as per previous route.

  4. Lynch ‘Em - E5, 6a
    Takes the leaning, unprotected groove in the south face of the pillar topped by a triangular block. Climb out or lower off a preplaced rope or the string on twiglet + rusty maillon original. 12 m

  5. Exterminate All Bolt Thieves - Fr. 6c+ **
    A still bold line to the right. Lower off the twig and a good bolt. "PR". 12 m.

  6. String 'Em Up - Fr. 5
    The R arête then traverse ledges L to the string and twig belay of previous route. 12 m.

  7. Exhumate All Trad Beliefs? - VS, 4b
    The crack then either dig the top out yourself or traverse L to belay of previous routes. Clipping any bolts en route will condemn you to eternal purgatory. 12 m.

  8. Seb Eats Sh**e - Fr. 6a+
    Avoiding coprophagus canines below haul on the creaky dinner plate pull gingerly on the levitating block making a final tricky move to the belay. 10 m

  9. Coprophagic Canine - Fr. 6a+
    Another creaky start leads to good jugs, a tricky lay away and belay on the right. 8 m.

  10. Do Doo It - VS, 4b
    A bit of a mucky start, but you are a trad adventurer. No sneaky clipping until you get to the shared belay then be a sport and give it an extra digging on the way down. TR. 8 m.

  11. The Faecal Finger Of Fate - Fr. 6a+ *
    Direct up the pockety wall. 8 m.

  12. Double Or Squits - Fr. 6b *
    Step of the block direct up the faint arête, no sneaking left, pumpy. 8 m.

MAP



To find your desired crag, type the name in to the Filter Markers box (top right corner of the map).

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FIRST ASCENTS

The slightly overhanging Terry Forkwit Fr.6b


The First Tower

  1. R.Thomas, 25.09.2013
  2. R.Thomas, 25.09.2013
  3. R.Thomas, 25.09.2013
  4. R.Thomas, R.Phillips 06.10.2013
  5. R.Thomas, R.Phillips 06.10.2013

The Second Tower

  1. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 22.06.2014
  2. R.Phillips R.Thomas 06.10.2013
  3. R.Phillips R.Thomas 06.10.2013
  4. R.Thomas D Emanuel 18.05.2014

The Third Jammed Boulder) Tower

  1. R.Thomas D Emanuel 18.05.2014
  2. R.Thomas, G.Ashmore 24.03.2014
  3. R.Thomas, G Ashmore 12.10.2013
  4. R.Thomas, G.Ashmore 12.10.2013
  5. R.Thomas D.Emanuel 00.06.2014
  6. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 08.06.2014

Rhonda Pillar

  1. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 02.07.1989
  2. M.Crocker, M.Ward 31.12.1988
  3. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 02.07.1989
  4. M.Crocker, M.Ward 31.12.1988
  5. M.Ward, M.Crocker 31.12.1988
  6. R.Thomas R.Phillips 06.10.2013
  7. R.Thomas R.Phillips 06.10.2013

Main Bay

  1. R.Thomas, M.Learoyd 00.00.1989
  2. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 02.07.1989
  3. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 02.07.1989
  4. D Emanuel R.Thomas 18.05.2014
  5. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 08.06.2014
  6. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 22.06.2014

Back Crag

  1. R.Thomas, G.Ashmore 14.04.2014
  2. R.Thomas E.T Jones 23.04.2014
  3. R Thomas Richie Leyshan 21.05.2014
  4. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 02.07.1989
  5. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 02.07.1989
  6. R.Thomas, G.Ashmore 14.04.2014
  7. R.Thomas, G.Ashmore 14.04.2014
  8. R.Thomas, G.Ashmore 14.04.2014
  9. R.Thomas, G.Ashmore 21.04.2014
  10. R.Thomas
  11. R.Thomas, G.Ashmore 21.04.2014
  12. R.Thomas, G.Ashmore 21.04.2014

Additional Photos