Witches Tip

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Witches Tip
( Sea Walls )
Rock Type Natural Carboniferous Limestone
Climbing Style Sport
Approach Time 15 minutes
Area South Coast
Sub Area Temple Bay Inlets
Geodata
WGS-84 Location 51.441733,-3.606431
OS Grid Ref. SS 884 726
WGS-84 Parking Location 51.446124 -3.6053771
GR Parking Location SS 885 731
Parking Postcode CF32 0RT
Base Elevation 0 metres (Other)
General Info
Faces Direction South West
Aspect Sunny
Wind Sheltered Mostly
Climbing Type Normal
Midge Problem Never
Seepage Quick drying
Tidal
Before/After Low Tide 3.0 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



PREAMBLE

Immediately below the fishermans ledges on the very tip of witches are a number of walls and overhangs offering short sharp routes. Many of the routes were done decades ago and have remained unreported or unrecorded until now. Some of the old pegs and situ gear have been replaced. A fun place to be in the sun.

ACCESS

Clearly visible from the Dunraven / Southerndown beach carpark. When tides permit walk/ scamper left across the beach. When tides do not permit it's possible to pass over the stile from the lower carpark and walk above the cliff tops to descend sketchily steep grass below Tufa Terrace. Not recommended if you are not familiar with the crag so best to wait until all you risk is wet feet from an ebbing tide.

THE ROUTES

Sea Walls (Left) Topo


  1. Betty Swallocks
    Bulging arête on left of platform.6m

  2. It's just bollocks - E2, 6b
    The overhang, gaining and using the black chert hold.6m

  3. Paternoster - E3, 5c
    The roof,situ threads.10m

  4. Fisherman's friend-E2, 5b
    The roof and final crack.10m

  5. Royle Headache - Fr 6c+*
    Gaining the gaping corner proves problematic,watch your head and a clip stick would be handy.10m

  6. Jilters Wall - Fr 6b+**
    The narrow white wall,10m

  7. Professor's Crack - VS, 4b
    The crozzly ramp and crack.10m

  8. Flintstoner Fr 7a+ *
    Bulge right of crack.You won't have many goes at this in a session.

  9. Leg Over - E4, 6a
    Crozzly chert pulling.Swing left from the platform (TR) and surmount the final roof(PR)Womble to the top.10m

  10. Pull Over - E3, 6a
    More of the same.Climb direct from the platform(TR)to the large ledge,womble up.10m

  11. Hand Over - HVS, 5a
    The faint rounded corner gained awkwardly from the next step up.10m

  12. Gloss Over - E1, 5b
    The right side of the wall left of the long rectangular beam of rock.10m

  13. No push over - E1/2, 5c
    Gain the beam of rock on the left (Protection possibilities)then flail hopefully onto the top of the beam or if slender in girth squirm through,both methods are harrowing. 10m

To the right is an easy escape chimney and a square crinkly block.

  1. Eugene's Over - E1, 5c
    The centre of the block.5m

  2. Cross Over-?, ?
    The right edge of the block. 5m

Around the front again are-

  1. "How Well It Flows" - HVS, 5b
    The short ragged crack,then amble to the top.5m

  2. Arcana E4,5c
    The face right of the ragged crack. 7m.

    Sea Wall - Breakout Area
  3. Lysistrata - E5,6a
    Make first moves of "Arcana" to finger rail then hard moves into short crack.Straight up on two layaways to good finishing hold.7m.

  4. Bridges End - E3,6b *
    Somehow gain the pockets in the hanging arête of Undercut.Proceed past the large rusting DRILLED peg with long moves to gain jugs.7m.

  5. Undercut - E1, 5c
    The obvious hanging corner.Eugene's sitting start is much harder.7m

  6. Up In Smoke - E3 5c
    Gain the first break(painfully)continue directly up the wall via the peg runner(drilled of course).7m.

  7. Step Aside - E2, 5c
    The obvious rightward sloping crack,hard to start painful to continue.10m

  8. Cold Shoulder - HVS, 5b
    Gain the ramp from the left(spike runner in horizontal break.Use pocket in short wall(left) to finish.10m

  9. Breakout - HVS, 5a
    Pull into the hanging groove ,gain the ramp then take crozzly pockets on right.10m

  10. Fast Flow 1 - E1, 5b
    Start just right of the groove,gain and climb the brown flowstone(TR).10m

  11. Fast Flow 2 - E2, 5b
    From the low scoop gain and climb past the drilled thread in the flowstone.10m

  12. Even Faster Flow - E3,5b
    Even more threads,all drilled of course.10m.

  13. The Inexorable March of Time Fr 6b+
    The steep wall R of the tattered threads.10m.

  14. Aristophanes plays with time - Fr 6c
    At the right end of the undercut section are some black chert lumps directly under an old yellow thread.Ensure the integrity of your spine with large numbers of bouldering mats or some "thoughtful stick clipping".Devise and execute the sequence of slaps and pulls to reach the break and continue directly up the wall. Try Eugene's sitting start for full value. 10m

  15. Turn Back Time - E3, 5b
    Joins the two routes on either side.Step up as for next route then take a short traverse left to join the yellow "tat" of the previous route. 10m

  16. Down The Mists of Time - E2, 5b
    Step up just left of the faint line of Surprise and continue direct past the situ tat. 10m

  17. Suprise,Suprise-E1, 5b
    A faint line of flakes then direct above. 10m

  18. Waiting Game - HVS, 5a
    Glaringly obvious layback flake.10m

First Ascents

  1. E.Jones 1996
  2. M.Crocker
  3. R.Thomas G.Royle 1987
  4. D.Meek S.Robinson 1986
  5. R.Thomas G.Royle 1988
  6. R.Thomas G.Royle 1987
  7. Prof John Harwood 1975
  8. R.Thomas G.Royle 1987
  9. R.Thomas G.Royle 1987
  10. Prof J.Harwood 1975
  11. G.Royle 1987
  12. R.Thomas G.Royle 1987


Short Sidewall

  1. E.Jones
  2. EJones

Breakout Wall

  1. R.Thomas M.Learoyd 1986
  2. M.Crocker
  3. M.Crocker
  4. R.Thomas G.Royle(rucsac step)1987.Swinging in L from Undercut at the rusty DRILLED peg Martin Crocker 2000+
  5. S.Robinson M.Learoyd 1986
  6. R.Thomas G.Royle 1987
  7. R.Thomas G.Royle 1987
  8. J.Harwood 1975
  9. J.Harwood 1975
  10. R.T
  11. R.T
  12. R.Thomas G.Royle 1987(sitting start-Eugene Travers Jones 1990's)
  13. M.C
  14. R.T 1987
  15. M.L R.T 1986
  16. R.T M.L 1986

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Notes

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