Upper Jacky's Tor

Upper Jacky's Tor
Upper Jacky's Tor
Rock Type	Natural Carboniferous Limestone
Climbing Style	Trad
Approach Time	20 minutes
Area	Gower
Sub Area	Rhossili
Local Area	Upper Crags Fall Bay To Mewslade
Geodata
WGS-84 Location	51.561781, -4.284720
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	16 metres (SRTM Estimation)
General Info
Faces Direction	South East
Aspect	Sunny
Wind Sheltered	Mostly
Climbing Type	Normal
Seepage
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

Non-tidal.

Bolting Policy

No bolting.

Preamble

A lovely little non-tidal crag situated high above Mewslade.

Access

See Upper Crags Fall Bay To Mewslade access notes.

Descents

This crag is approached from the top. It is easiest to scramble down the ridge at its southern end.

Alternatively, there is a way to scramble in from the east by skirting around Rolly Bottom Buttress and then scrambling up to the base of the crag.

The Routes

Above and behind Cathedral Wall is an extensive, non-tidal, upper tier of cliffs with a grass ramp at its foot. It provides a number of worthwhile climbs. At the foot of the cliff, towards the centre, is a detached pinnacle about 2m high, above and right of which, in the middle of the wall, is a large shield of rock bounded on the left by a crack. About 22m right of the pinnacle is a small cave. Right again is a distinct bulging buttress, Rolly Bottom Buttress. Access is best from the top of the cliff via a grassy slope to the east of the cliffs.

Upper Jacky's Tor

1. Leftovers - E1, 5b
   Start on a small slab just left of codpiece, climb this to a smooth groove/wall which is taken on the right avoiding moving into Codpiece. Move to a left slanting breakline then up a groove until nice moves out to the right take the blob or rock to the right of the finish of Thanksgiving. Contrived and escapable but worth doing nonetheless. 20m.
   
   
2. Codpiece - HS,4a.
   Start 11m right of the detached pinnacle. Climb a crack leading up and right to a ledge at half-height, traverse right to the detached shield and gain its top. Finish leftwards up the wall. 21m.
   
   
3. Thanksgiving - HVS,5a *.
   Start at a groove 3m right of the detached pinnacle. Climb the groove leftwards to the overhangs, passing a ledge at half-height (Codpiece). Now take the continuation groove through the left side of the overhangs to finish. 21m.
   
   
4. Praise Be - HVS,5a
   Start at the 2m detatched flake below a shield. Step right off the top of the flake and climb directly to a sloping break. Continue straight up the centre of the shield to a ledge on top. Finish up the wall and crack of Raindrops. 20m.
   
   
5. Raindrops - HVS,5a
   Start 2m right of Thanksgiving, directly below the shield. Climb cracks bearing rightwards for 3m, then continue direct to the right side of the shield. Surmount the shield and continue rightwards up the wall above. Finish up the wide crack in the left side of the bulges. A direct finish through the bulges is worthwhile at E1 5b 21m.
   
   
6. All There - VS,4c *
   Start as for Raindrops. Climb cracks bearing rightwards to gain a shallow niche. Climb a crack leading to a bulge below the right side of the highest overhangs, traverse right and break through at the weakest point. Finish direct. It is possible to finish left from the bulge at a slightly harder standard. 24m.
   
   
7. A Bit On The Side - VS,4b *
   Start 4m right of Thanksgiving, below a crack leading to a shallow recess at 6m. From the recess climb the broken cracks above to a small line of overhangs, traverse right and finish up a steep groove. 26m.
   
   
8. Unplanned - VS,4b
   Start just to the left of the cave at the right end of the cliff (it has a tube heading skywards at the back). Climb the face of the pillar and head up over apparently unstable rock to the finishing corner of A Bit on the Side.
   
   

First Ascents

1. Leftovers - C Wyatt, M Winder, 14.05.2010
2. Codpiece - A.Beaton, G.Richardson etc 00.00.1982
3. Thanksgiving - P.Littlejohn, A.N.Other 22.11.1982
4. Praise Be - M.Crocker 05.12.1998
5. Raindrops - G.Evans, G.Richardson 00.00.1981
   Direct Finish : C Wyatt, Steve Hill 12.06.09
6. All There - G. Evans, R. Thomas, J. Bullock 00.00.1982
7. A Bit On The Side - G.Richardson, M.Danford 00.00.1982
8. Unplanned - Gwyn Evans, Martin Robini,& Parisa Eslambolchilar 08 06 2016