Tusker Chimney Area

Tusker Chimney Area
Rock Type	Natural Jurassic Limestone
Climbing Style	Trad
Approach Time
Area	South Coast
Sub Area	Ogmore
Geodata
WGS-84 Location	51.452948, -3.621156
OS Grid Ref.	SS 874 739
WGS-84 Parking Location
GR Parking Location
Base Elevation	metres
General Info
Faces Direction
Aspect
Wind Sheltered
Climbing Type
Seepage
Crags Within 2.0 km
Black Zawn, Cave Inlet, Davy Jones' Locker and the Sea Caves, Dirty Harry Walls, Dunraven Cliff, Elephant Wall, Every Persons Wall, First Inlet, Folded Walls, Fools Fantasy Area, Mitzy Wall, Ogmore Popular End, Phaser Wall, Playtime Wall, Right Hand Wall, Second Inlet, Stone Wings Cliff, The Biscuit, The Castle Area, The Long Wall, The Western Crag, Tiger Bay, Tusker Chimney Area, Twinkle Buttress, Witches Cave, Witches Tip

ACCESS

See the Ogmore Crag Familiarisation Page.

The next routes are round the right arête of Elephant Wall, in a recessed bay. The Wet Look Cave high up on the left proves the most troublesome part of the Exposure Explosion traverse due to its damp and dark position.

Nigel Lewis on Flash Harry HS

The Routes

The next routes are round the right arête of Elephant Wall, in a recessed bay.

1. Mind Probe 33m E2,5b *
   Strenuous and bold at the start. Climb the chimney 8m right of Elephant Wall and just left of an arête for 5m. Move left to a diagonal crack in the arête. Climb the crack then traverse left into a groove on the front of Elephant Wall and continue to the horizontal break. Finish up the groove in the arête.
   
   
2. Wet Probe 33m E3,5c *
   As for Mind Probe, but continue straight up from the diagonal crack.
   
   
3. Wet Look 33m HVS,4c,4c *
   This gains the wet cave high up on the crag.
   1. 15m Climb the bulging wall below the left side of the cave to gain the cave.
   2. 18m Traverse left on small holds to reach good horizontal cracks, used to gain and climb a chimney.
      
      2m right is a square-cut chimney taken by Tusker Chimney and a prominent black prow taken by Domestic Bliss.
      
      
4. Tusker Chimney 33m HVS,5a,5b **
   A route of character, with two contrasting pitches. Start below the square-cut chimney in the right part of the bay.
   1. 22m Climb the leftward-slanting crack and square-cut chimney to a roof. Step left onto a small slab and traverse right under the roof, then move up to a belay ledge.
   2. 11m Climb easily up and right, then take a steep wall to a crescent shaped overhang. Make a hard traverse right, then finish up a groove.
      
      
5. Flyover 36m E3,5c,5b **
   Fine positions on the exposed top pitch. Start 2m right of Tusker Chimney.
   1. 18m Climb a capped groove until a traverse left can be made, passing the remains of a PR, to a good hold. Take the edge above then move right to belay as for Tusker Chimney.
   2. 18m Pull up the wall to reach a leftwards traverse above the lip of the cave and beneath a small roof. Follow this to a crack splitting the roof, leading to a ledge and easier ground.
      
      
6. Domestic Bliss 30m E1,5b,5a
   
   1. 18m Up the groove as for Flyover, but swing right onto a prow. Climb up a rib to the Tusker Chimney belay.
   2. 12m Climb the steep wall left of Tusker Chimney. Trend back right after overcoming the bulge.
      
      
7. Domestic Responsibility 30m E2,5a,5c *
   
   1. 18m Start on the right side of the black prow right of Flyover. Step onto a crinkly wall and move up left to good holds on an arête. Pull round left at a horizontal crack and move up to belay as for Tusker Chimney.
   2. 12m Move up and right below the finish of Tusker Chimney. Make a long reach for a hidden jug and finish steeply up the wall above.
      
      
8. Tusker Right Hand 33m MVS,5b
   Climb the chimney and crack 6m right of Tusker Chimney to the horizontal break, then climb directly up the wall 1m left of an obvious crack (Flash Harry).
   
   
9. Flash Harry 24m HS,4a **
   The best route of its grade at Ogmore, taking a proud buttress 13m right of Tusker Chimney. Climb via a groove to an obvious crack 1½m right of Tusker Right Hand, thence to the top.
   
   
10. Yorkshire Pud 24m S
    A slight variant on Tim's Route. Follow the easiest line up the cracked arête right of Flash Harry.
    
    
11. Tim's Route 24m VD
    Start just left of the obvious corner on the right side of the bay and follow the easiest line up the right-hand side of the grooved arête.
    
    
12. Mordred 24m HVS,4c
    The obvious corner right of Tim's Route and 9m right of Flash Harry on the left side of a seaward-facing buttress.
    
    

First Ascents

1. A.Sharp, P.Thomas 00.00.1972
   Climbed direct by S.Lewis, J.Harwood on 17/9/78
2. B.Brewer, A.McCarthy 08.07.1999
3. P.Thomas, C.Horsfield 00.00.1971
4. C.Horsfield, P.Thomas (alt. leads) 00.00.1972
5. R.Thomas, G.Royle 00.05.1986
6. M.Learoyd, R.Thomas, G.Royle 00.00.1984
7. G.Lewis, C.Hurley 00.00.1983
8. C.Horsfield, P.Thomas (alt. leads) 00.00.1972
9. P.Thomas, C.Horsfield 00.00.1972
10. M.Rhodes, J.Harwood 20.01.1980
11. J.Mothersele 00.00.1972
12. B.Davies 00.00.1972