Witches Cave

Witches Cave
Myles Jordan repeating Phlegmatic Solution - Photo: Carl Ryan
Rock Type	Natural Carboniferous Limestone
Climbing Style	Sport
Approach Time	10 minutes
Area	South Coast
Sub Area	Witches Point
Geodata
WGS-84 Location	51.4421271,-3.605996
OS Grid Ref.	SS 884 726
WGS-84 Parking Location	51.446124 -3.6053771
GR Parking Location	SS 885 731
Parking Postcode	CF32 ORT
Base Elevation	0 metres (Other)
General Info
Faces Direction	North West
Aspect	Partially Sunny
Wind Sheltered	Never
Climbing Type	Normal
Midge Problem	Never
Seepage	Needs a short dry spell
Tidal
Before/After Low Tide	2.5 hours (See Note)
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

New Sector

See Black Zawn and Folded Walls

Witches' Cave

Witches Cave

Myles Jordan repeating Phlegmatic Solution. Photo: Carl Ryan

Roy Thomas on his route, Little Wrasse Cull. Photo: Carl Ryan

The following routes start left of the cave on black stratified rock after a short step up.

0. Blaidd Drwg - HS
The arête, topping out to bolt belay. Scramble back down or follow precarious grass path to the headland.

1. Rabbit From The Hat - V.Diff
   Take the most continuous line up the left retaining wall of the bay.
   
   
2. Fatman And Nob In - Fr 3+
   Try hard not to walk up the corner,don't use the creaky dinnerplate,two twizzles.
   
   
3. Gay Batman - Fr. 5
   Second line of bolts(hangers). Use twin P-bolts on ledge to lower-off.
   
   
4. Robins Yoghurt Supper - Fr. 5 *
   Shares a lower-off with the next route.
   
   
5. Abra-Ker-Fucking-Dabra - Fr. 5+ *
   Climb into the V-corner beneath the roof and escape to the right.
   
   
6. Sorcerer's Assistant - Fr. 6a+
   Take care with slippery rock down low and loose rock above the ledge.
   
   
7. Magic Circle - Fr. 6a+
   Has similar health warnings to the previous route if you happen to be here when these conditions prevail i.e high humidity or if low tide is before 3pm when the sun hits the crag.
   
   
8. Smoke and Mirrors - Fr. 6b **
   An excellent steep route. Move quickly leftwards around the hanging arête and climb with interest to the ledge and a flake filled groove line above.
   
   
9. Great Expectorations - Fr. 6b **
   The stepped roof 3m right joining the top groove Pthegthorga Phlem.BB.11.345m.
   
   
10. Phlegmatic Solution - Fr. 6c
    Steep start leads to headwall after crossing the groove.
    
    
11. Pragmatic Resolution-Fr6c+
    Former old trad route which started up Phlem and followed the obvious rising traverse line clipping rusty remnants en route. Now regeared and started up Phlegmatic to the new belay of Willie The Pimp 6c+ or can be extended with an extra rope to Thin Lizzy belay.
    
    
12. Pthegthorga Phlem - E2, 5a
    Just left of Evil Ways, Bridgend Steve's route up the chossy groove. Loose. Are you sold on this one? 12m
    
    And now into the cave proper:
    
    
13. Evil Ways - E5, 6b/c (Fr. 7b) *
    A superbly technical proposition. Start below the left-hand end of the main crag roof. Climb easily to the lip and using a footlock, reach over the roof, crux. Stand up and teeter up the ever so slightly slabby upper wall to a baffling final move. 15m
    
    
14. Evil K'nee Full - Fr. 7a+ **
    Awesome, with a hilarious no hands rest for the short, involving a one leg knee bar at the lip. Start right of Evil Ways, below a prominent jug on the lip of the roof. Climb up to the roof and stretch to the jug. Turn the lip and stand up to a possible no hands head jam rest below the overlap. Move up a faint rib to a tricky crux move up for a sharp edge and finish through the v-groove in the roof. At this grade, possibly the biggest sand-bag in South Wales. 18m
    
    
15. Closed Project
    Line of staples through the middle of the roof.
    
    
16. Open project
    A line of old bolt studs and pegs over the right end of the roof
    
17. White Witch - E5, 6b
    Pull over the roof as for Thin Lizzy or abseil into the little alcove at high tide., then traverse out above the lip, 2 PRs (rusted stumps). Step down following the weakness and then up to finish as for Evil k'nee full. 31m
    
    
18. x Willie The Pimp -Fr 6c+'
    As for Lizzie the traverse L and up.2014 eug
    
    
19. Thin Lizzy - Fr. 6c+ **
    Start below a corner at the right hand end of the roof. Pulling off the ground, is the crux. Once established on spikey holds, lay-away up the tricky crack to get established on the slab. Before reaching the roof, traverse left to the hanging v-groove. Finish over the roof with interest, taking care with some of the flakes. 18m
    
    
20. Wrasse Wipe - Fr. 6c
    Starting up Thin Lizzie then going up obvious groove/corner. (Wrasse Wipe; because its often got a damp bottom).
    
    To the Right of Thin Lizzie is an undercut wall of very spikey wave washed rock. This can be climbed even when wet due to the unbelievable friction and mostly solid embedded nobs of conglomerate.
    
    
21. Wrasse-putins Hypodermic Typewriter - Fr. 6b+
    An exfoliating finger rub. Surmount the overhang on extremely sharp holds. Use same lower-off chain as Wrasse Wipe.
    
    
22. Didymo Clogs Your Tackle - Fr. 6b
    More of the same with a long reach to the first substantial nob..
    
    
23. Fishermen Pump Their Rods - Fr. 6a+
    Even more of the same.
    
    
24. Wrasse Bandit - Fr. 6b+
    More of the same, but harder.
    
    
25. Sore Wrasse - Fr. 6c
    Even harder, but the same.
    
    
26. Wrassetafarian – Fr. 6b+ *
    Much easier than it looks (i.e. the same).
    
    
27. Little Wrasse Cull - Fr. 6a
    A lot easier than most hereabouts.Short boulder type route passing the thread(same old same).
    
    
28. Little Wrasse Turd - H.Severe,4b
    Much easier but same old nob pulling with two good nuts after the first stiff pull.
    
    
29. Little Wrasse Tickler - H.Severe 4b
    1.69m to the right pass a blue thread and faint crack where the angle soon eases.
    
    
30. Chateau LeFat 69 H.Severe 4b
    Gain the spike above the faint hollow with guess what?-a stiff nob pull.
    
    
31. Fishermen Mash Their Bait - H.Severe
    Nothing like the same as little nob pulling and an obvious left sloping crack with nuts involved.
    
    
32. The Bedraggled Trousered Misogynist - Fr. 5+
    A real route at last.Two of life's greatest pleasures, bolts and nobs, above the lowest of the weed encrusted steps.
    
    

FIRST ASCENTS

0 curon

1. R.Thomas(solo) 1986
2. R.Thomas (solo)Aug 2013
3. D Emanuel, R. Thomas, R. Philips 28/06/2009
4. D Emanuel, R. Thomas, R. Philips 28/06/2009
5. D. Emanuel 2009
6. R. Thomas R.Phillips R.Leyshon2009
7. R. Thomas R.Phillips R.Leyshon2009
8. R. Thomas R.Phillips 2009
9. R.Thomas ET Jones 18/06/2013
10. R.Thomas E.T Jones Myles Jordan
11. S.James, E.Travers-Jones 00.00.1996
12. M.Crocker 19.07.1986
13. R.Thomas G.Ashmore 02.09.1996
14. project closed
15. project open
16. R.Thomas, G.Royle 00.07.1986
17. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 19.07.1986
18. R. Thomas 2009
19. D. Emanuel, R. Philips 28/06/2009
20. R.Thomas, N. O'Neill 2007
21. R.Thomas, M. Hirst 2007
22. R. Thomas, G. Ashmore 2006
23. G. Ashmore, R. Thomas 20061
24. G. Ashmore 13.06.2009
25. R.Thomas Myles Jordan july 2013
26. R.Thomas solo 1986
27. R.Thomas solo 1986
28. N.O'Neill R.Thomas 06/08/2013
29. R.Thomas solo 1986
30. R.Thomas N.O'Neill 06/08/2013

Dai Emanuel on Wrass-putins Hypodermic Typewriter. Fr. 6b