Trident Gully and Ridge

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Trident Gully and Ridge
Mewslade trident gully.jpg
Rock Type Natural Carboniferous Limestone
Climbing Style Trad
Approach Time 20 minutes
Area Gower
Sub Area Rhossili
Local Area Fall Bay to Mewslade
Geodata
WGS-84 Location 51.561135, -4.281924
OS Grid Ref. SS 419 871
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 Various
Aspect Partially Sunny
Wind Sheltered Mostly
Climbing Type Normal
Seepage Quick drying
Tidal
Before/After Low Tide 2.0 hours (See Note)
Crags Within 400m

Block Buttress, Catacomb Gully, Cathedral Wall, Conglomerate Cliff, Devil's Truck Area, Eyeball Wall, Four Gullies, Grey Wall, Hairy Dog Wall, Jacky's Tor, Little Block, Mewslade Short Wall, Molar Wall and White Edge, Richards Rock, Rolly Bottom Buttress, The Aisle, The Prows, The Pulpit, Thurba Head, Thurba West, Trident Gully and Ridge, Upper Jacky's Tor, Yellow Wall, Zero Gully


TIDAL STATUS

1½ hours either side of low water.

BOLTING POLICY

No bolting.

PREAMBLE

This is is the deep inlet immediately east (right) of Block Buttress. Trident Ridge is just east again.

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 210 metres. (20 mins from Pitton Farm)

DESCENTS

Scramble down easy ridges to the east.

THE ROUTES

  1. Long Rib - M
    The rib separating Block Buttress and Trident Gully. A second pitch is available (Continuation VD R.Corbett, D.Thomas 1961).

    Inside the gully are some good routes. Just before the 2003 guidebook went to press, however, the sand level had altered radically which made the first two routes harder. In 2018 sand levels are once again higher and grades about accurate. 27m.

  2. The Cloth Eared Brown Mullet - E2,5c *
    Boldly gain the steep cracks on the left side of the west wall of the gully. 12m.

  3. Ground Swell - E3,6a
    This takes the centre of the white wall right of the previous route. Start at the foot of the ramp of West Pillar Corner. Climb sharp rock to twin undercuts at half-height. Tackle the wall above. 15m.

  4. Sharma - E3,5c
    This takes a line of cracks in the right side of the wall. Start as for West Pillar Corner. Climb up to a spike, then climb awkwardly over a bulge onto a steep wall. Climb rightwards then straight up. 15m.

  5. West Pillar Corner - S,4a
    This climbs the ramp running rightward up the left wall of the gully and finishes up the corner above. 24m.

  6. Central Crack - VD
    Just right of the ramp is a chimney. Climb the arête right of this and the broken crack in the wall above. 24m.

  7. Meander - D *
    Start as for Central Crack, climb up and right to the arête overlooking the gully. Follow the arête to the top. A nice juggy romp on good rock. 24m.

  8. Kopf Out - HVS,5b
    At the base of the arête where the gully gets very narrow is a short crack. Climb it and move rightwards to an obvious flake. Move right again and climb the centre of the steep wall. Using the back wall is cheating! (Supersedes Pillar Kopf J.Talbot 1964). 12m.

    At the back of the gully is a smooth pillar in a gloomy recess.

  9. Jiggler's Chimney - HS,4a
    This is the narrow squeeze chimney on the left side of the pillar. Challenging for those of a large stature, though easier than its right hand companion (Wriggler's Chimney). Exit through a hole in the roof to find yourself in the Catacomb Gully area (beneath the the start of Attack The Ghost). 12m.

  10. Balm - VS,4c
    The left edge of the pillar and the crack on the left. 12m.

  11. Malm - VS,4c
    The right edge of the pillar to the roof, move right to a ledge, then take the wall above. 12m.

  12. Wriggler's Chimney - HS,4c *
    The very narrow squeeze chimney right of the pillar is definitely not for the stout! Currently (2018) higher sand levels make the start easier but you now have to crawl to get in! A very entertaining struggle. 12m.

  13. Trident Wall - E1,5b *
    Start at the centre of the concave right wall of the gully by a short water-worn groove. Climb up and left below the bulges before breaking out onto the upper wall and thence to the top. It is possible to cut straight through the bulges at the same grade. 21m.

  14. South West Diedre - HS,4b
    Climb the short groove on the seaward side of the right wall of the gully. Traverse easily along the flake to finish. 21m.

  15. Pillar Crest - M
    An easy pleasant scramble up the crest of the buttress on the right (east) of the gully. 29m.

Trident Ridge Pillar

The following routes lie on the east side of the ridge housing Trident Wall. The left side of the wall is bounded by Pillar Crest. Just right of this is a groove line and the start of the wall proper.

  1. Pillar Groove - VD
    Follow the groove or its right bounding side wall. 9m.

  2. High And Mighty - E1,5b
    Some 5m from the left (seaward) side of the east wall are two lines of weakness. Take the left one. 15m.

  3. Weak and Flabby - E3,5c
    The right-hand weakness. Low in grade. 15m.

    About 15m right of Pillar Crest, the wall enters a small narrow gully. A black bulge is obvious at about 6m.

  4. Questions - HVS,4c ?
    Climb the wall to short cracks just left of the black bulge. Swing left and up the wall on painful rock to the top. 14m.

  5. Answers - VS,4b ?
    Start at the gully entrance and climb the east wall of Trident Pillar easily for 3m or so. Move left to below the black bulge. Swing across leftwards and pull up on enormous, painful holds to the top. 14m.

The next crag to the east (right) at sea level is Fourth Gully (Four Gullies). However above Trident Gully itself is Catacomb Gully.

FIRST ASCENTS

  1. Long Rib - J.Talbot 00.00.1961
  2. The Cloth Eared Brown Mullet - B.Disraeli, R.Cecil, A.Balfour 13.06.1878
  3. Ground Swell - M.Ward, M.Crocker 11.07.1987
  4. Sharma - M.Crocker, M.Ward 11.07.1987
  5. West Pillar Corner - J.Talbot, R.Corbett 00.00.1961
  6. Central Crack - J.Talbot, R.Corbett 00.00.1961
  7. Meander - R.Corbett, J.Talbot 00.00.1961
  8. Kopf Out - A.Richardson, S.Doerr 00.00.1989
  9. Jiggler's Chimney - Nick Taylor solo 09.06.2006
  10. Balm - G.Evans, J.Bullock 00.00.1980
  11. Malm - J.Talbot, B.Talbot 00.00.1966
  12. Wriggler's Chimney - Nick Taylor solo 13.03.2003
  13. Trident Wall - J.Talbot, M.Hicks 00.00.1969
  14. South West Diedre - SUMC 00.00.1967
  15. Pillar Crest - J.Talbot 00.00.1961

Trident Ridge and Pillar

  1. Pillar Groove - J.Harwood, M.Ismail 08.08.1998
  2. High And Mighty - J.Harwood, R.High 16.11.1996
  3. Weak and Flabby - J.Harwood, M.Ismail 08.08.1998
  4. Questions - J Harwood, M. Ismail 08.08.1998
  5. Answers - J.Harwood, M.Ismail 08.08.1998

Notes

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