Box Bay
From SWMC Guidebook
GR GR804775 to 810768
Contents |
TIDAL STATUS
3 hours either side of low water.
BOLTING POLICY
No Bolting
PREAMBLE
This is a newly rediscovered crag of very good quality sea-washed and chemically weathered limestone in a pleasant situation. The routes are mostly in the S-VS range with good gear and good lines. There is also the most extensive and worthwhile bouldering in the guidebook area, concentrated in the zawns and on the walls about 300m west of the crag, as well on as the frozen wave of rock some 200m to the east. Many of the routes on the Main Face have been previously climbed by Mick Reynolds (the BBC cameraman on Everest) and Dave Hillman, but details are not available, so ascents are credited to the first to record them.
ACCESS
Leave the M4 at J37 for Porthcawl and follow the A4229 towards the town. At the third roundabout follow the signs to Nottage and Rest Bay. Follow the road for about a mile to a minor road junction overlooking the sea. Bear left, then turn left up a minor road 100m further on. Park on the grass to the left. The crag is more or less due south of this parking spot, although on the first visit it is best to approach from the west. To get to this point, cross the main road and follow the minor road beyond it towards the very obvious golf club building, passing a bluff on the seaward side. About 100m after the bluff, drop down to the sea and then strike back westwards (away from the direction of approach). About 200m on, after some low cliffs with some excellent bouldering, is the long incut of China Zawn, also called The Long Geo, the first area where the rocks are 10m high. Some 25m right from this is Death Zawn and round the corner is the largest (17m) of the walls, the square-cut Main Face.
DESCENTS
Descents are by obvious scrambles down gullies at various points.
THE ROUTES
The China Zawn / Long Geo
The rock is sound on both the overhanging left wall (Mao Wall) and the longer slabby right-hand face.
Mao Wall
1. Chairman Mao - HS,4a
The corner at the left end of the wall. 10m
2. Roy Sauce - E1,5b
From the base of the wall, climb flake cracks in the arete directly to the top. 10m
3. Harrowed Ground - HVS,5a
From the base of the wall climb the right trending crack to good jugs and the top. 12m
4. No Spring Chicken - E3,6a
Start 2m right of Harrowed Ground. Rock over onto the ledge, make a long reach,then storm directly up the wall, 2PRs. 12m
5. Porthcawl Beach Party - E5,6a *
Right of No Spring Chicken is an overhanging groove. Climb this for 4m, then swing left and climb up via small holds either side of the thin crack in the left wall. Gain the wider crack and finish spectacularly. 12m
6. A Quest For The Truth Of The Origin Of….. The Innards Of A Pancake Roll - E3,5c *
Start at the back of the zawn and follow a rightward-trending ramp for 4m. Move onto the steep face on the left and gain a pancake. Finish direct. Good on the rare occaisions that it dries out. 12m
The Right Wall
7. Witches And Bitches - HS,4a
Traverse the obvious break from the highest boulder at the back of the zawn to finish over the central overlap. 20m
8. Limpet Slot - E1,6a
Start opposite Quest etc. Pull up to a slot and finish direct. 12m
9. Barnacles Have No Soles - E2,6a
Start 2m right of Limpet Slot. Stick clip the PR and make difficult moves upto the break. Finish Direct. 12m
10. Pre-Placing Barnacles - E6,6b
Short and nasty. Start below the central of three runnels at the top of the cliff. Pull desperately up on a chicken head above a terrible landing and make a hard move up to the break. Finish easily. 12m
11. Lemon Grass - E1,5c
Start opposite Spring Chicken at a polished right-facing layaway. Make thin moves up and finish via the v-cleft. 12m
12. Sir Psychosexy - HVS,5b *
Start 1m right of Lemon Grass below a chicken head chert knobble in the blank wall. Use it to gain a break and better holds, then follow solution cavities to the top. 12m
13. Wide Eyed And Glueless - E1,5b
Start 1m right of Sir Psychosexy at a runnel and make thin moves up. Finish direct from the ledge. 12m
14. Pie Eyed And Clueless - HVS,5a
To the right a shelf at 3m peters out. Climb to the shelf, then move left from a layaway. Finish direct. 12m
15. Wide Legged And Crotchless - E1,5a
Climb the bold, blank wall 2m to the right of Pie Eyed And Glueless. 12m
16. Lemon Chicken - VS,4c
Start 3m right of Wide Eyed etc. below a spike of rock. Climb to this and continue direct. 12m
17. Johnny And His Chinese Eye - HS,4b
Climb the wall 1m right of Lemon Chicken, through the left-hand quartzite sheet. 12m
18. Soy Sauce - HS,4b
Climb the wall 1m right of Lemon Chicken. 12m
19. Orange Duck - HS,4b
Climb just left of the arete of the easy descent staircase. 12m
20. Palm Pain - VS,4c
To the right of the staircase is a rectangular recess. Climb up to the left-hand side of the recess and finish direct. 8m
21. Cato And The Hunchback Disguise - VS,4c *
Climb straight through the centre of the rectangular recess on spectacularly good holds. 8m
22. Sunday Outing - VS,4c
Start below the right-hand end of the recess. Climb to it, then swing right and continue up on big jugs. 8m
23. Prowl In The Evening Sun’s Rays - HVS,5a
Start 3m right of the recess and make a bold move up to gain jugs and some good moves. 8m
24. Bitches And Witches - HS,4a *
Start from the ledge 7m to the right of the staircase descent. Climb across left with feet at the level of the bottom of the recess and continue roughly at the same level, to finish just left of Lemon Grass. 20m
Death Zawn
This is the square-cut zawn about 25m east of Chinese Wall (The Long Geo). It has a steep left-hand wall. The following two routes replace Do It In 517s (J.Crocker, D.Jones 1993).
25. Sunbleached - HS,4b
Start just left of the base of the arete and climb a groove to finish through a big cleft. 12m
26. SanctiMoanious - HVS,5b
Climb the arete, starting on the right and moving to the left at half-height. 12m
27. Brittle Bone Syndrome - E1,5a
Climb off a boulder on the right of the arete. Follow a crack trending right until it opens out into a giant orifice. Reach strenuously back left and finish up the headwall. 12m
28. Chee Tor Girdle Traverse - E2,5c *
Climb the vague crack to the right of Brittle Bone Syndrome, moan about the TRs and finish up the tower. 12m
29. Stone Washed - E1,5b *
Start 4m right of Brittle Bone Syndrome and climb the obvious crack. 12m
30. Sustentaculum Tali - E1,5c *
The thin wall to the right, PR. 12m
31. Herpisimplex 10 - E1,5b
Just next to a large chimney climb the thin crack without touching the far wall. 12m
32. In Sickness And In Health - HS,4a
Bridge up the chimney, with protection placed in Herpisimplex 10. 12m
There is a short route (The Geo Graduate 4b, C.Shorrock 1995).
The Main Face
Round to the right (east) is the obvious main face, a 17m high rectangular wall with various prominent cracks. To its west (left) is a narrow zawn containing a pool and a boulder. Left of the zawn is an area with a raised pavement at its base.
33. The Gas Filled Dolphin Carcass - VD
Climb the wall above the pavement. 8m
34. Where’s Me Spinach? - VS,4c
From the toe block above the pool at the right end of the pavement, reach out and thug strenuously onto the arete. Climb this directly to the top. 8m
35. Howard’s Way - HVS,5a
A fine and surprisingly exposed traverse around the arete onto the steep wall above the pool. Start at the right end of the pavement and climb the left ramp of the block. From here traverse deviously around Spinach arete on good holds to the ledge of Don’t Snog etc. Finish directly up the crack or continue right to the end of the wall. 15m
36. Bikinis Are Yum - E3,6b
From the boulder in the pool, make desperate moves up using the evil vertical slot. Use holds on the left to gain the break. Continue to the ledge. The route remained unrepeated for nearly ten years and there is some local scepticism about the first ascent. 9m
37. Plutonic Plankton - E2,5c
From the boulder in the pool, lean accross and pull into the smooth crack. Follow this to easier ground. 10m
38. Don’t Snog The Labrador - HS,4c
Gain the prominent right-hand crack in the left wall of the zawn, by traversing in from the back of the zawn. 9m
The next three routes are on the right-hand wall of the zawn.
39. Junk - VD
Climb the wall towards the back of the zawn following a crack line and a small overlap. 9m
40. Rise Above the Water - HS,4b *
From the boulder in the pool, step rightward into a smooth corner and gain a ledge at 4m. Step left and follow the arete to the top. 8m
41. Cow Eyed Arete - HS,4b
To the right of the pool and bounding the left-hand end of the main wall is a square-cut recess. The left wall of the recess is formed by a pillar. This route takes the left arete of the pillar. 8m
42. My Friend Shep - HVS,5a
Climb the groove in the left arete of the square-cut recess left of the gully bounding the left side of the main wall. 8m
43. Left Corner - VD
The obvious corner at the left side of the main cliff. 12m
44. Aah-ck-ak-ak-ak - VD
The first crack right of Left Corner. 14m
45. Jellyfish Tickler - HS,4b
The wall just to the right, starting by an obvious pocket. 14m
46. Peaceful Easy Feeling - S *
To the right is an obvious crack, which forks at 5m. Climb this taking the left-hand fork. 14m
47. Jack’s Noisy Squealing - S
As for Peaceful Easy Feeling, but climb the right-hand fork. 14m
48. Valley Girls - S
The wall right of Jack’s Noisy Squealing finishing up the right edge of Up And Down. 14m
49. Up And Down - D
The obvious groove toward the centre of the crag. 14m
To the right is an obvious rectangular cut-out at 4m.
50. Olive Oyle - S
The wall to the left of the left crack rising out of the letterbox. 14m
51. Popeye - S
The left-hand crack rising from the letterbox. 14m
52. Sweet Pea Souper - VS,4c *
Climb the wall between the two cracks rising from the letterbox. 14m
53. Bluto - S
The right-hand crack rising from the letterbox. 14m
54. Estuary Scum On The Welsh Riviera - HVS,5b
Climb the tricky wall down and right of Bluto, finishing more easily. 14m
55. Surf's Up - HS
The faint scoop in the "tricky wall" and left trending deep crack above. 14m
56. Slingshot - VD
The groove about 5m right. 14m
57. Mill Pond - S *
Traverse the face at two-thirds height from the ledge right of Slingshot, finish up the crack of Aah-ck-ak-ak-ak. Best done at the end of a summer day at high tide, with the sun setting over the sea and a beer waiting at the top. 20m
Right of Slingshot is a black buttress.
58. Black Buttress - S
The front of the buttress. 10m
59. Prickly Bulge - S,4b
The gully wall of the buttress. 10m
60. Injector Chimney - D
The chimney to the right of Prickly Bulge. 10m
To the right is a series of blocky overlaps.
61. Strapadictome - E1,5b
Pull straight up the juggy blocks. 8m
62. The Overhangs - E2,5c *
At the east end of the main face, set further back is a cave. Climb up a groove in the cave to the roof, then pull through the roof, using the cracks to the left. 7m
Little Zawn
This is the square-cut rift just to the east of the main face, which provides a convenient descent. The left wall can be climbed at about Moderate (The Slab, C.Shorrock solo 1995). The routes described are on the steeper right-hand wall.
63. Belayers Folly - VS,4c
Climb the central jam crack, taking care with the finishing holds. 7m
64. Dead In The Water - VS,5a
The thin crack right of Jacob’s Ladder. 7m
65. The Electrician - E1,5b
Climb the wall between Dead In The Water and the arete on its right. 7m
66. The Drowning Man - D
The arete itself. 8m
First Ascents
THE CHINA ZAWN
1. E.Rees, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
2. M.Crocker, J.Harwood 26.05.2002
3. P.Smith, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
4. R.Thomas, P.Smith 00.00.1999
5. M.Crocker, J.Harwood 21.07.2002
6. M.Crocker, J.Harwood 26.05.2002
7. N.O’Neill, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
8. M.Crocker, J.Harwood 22.06.2002
9. G.Ashmore 16.08.2002
10. M.Crocker solo 21.07.2002
11. R.Thomas 00.00.1999
12. J.Crocker, D.Jones 02.07.1993
13. R.Thomas 00.00.1999
14. R.Thomas 00.00.1999
15. R.Thomas 00.00.1999
16. P.Smith, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
17. E.Rees, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
18. N.O’Neill, K.O’Neill 00.00.1999
19. R.Thomas 00.00.1999
20. J.Harwood 23.06.2002
21. N.O’Neill, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
22. J.Harwood 23.06.2002
23. G.Ashmore 16.07.2002
24. E.Rees, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
DEATH ZAWN
25. C.Shorrock, A.Glawe 13.04.1995
26. G.Ashmore, R.Thomas 21.07.2002
27. P.Smith, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
28. G.Ashmore, R.Thomas, M.Jordan 18.07.2002
29. M.Jordan, C.Shorrock 14.12.1997
30. R.Thomas 00.00.1999
31. N.O’Neill, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
32. E.Rees and The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
THE MAIN FACE
33. C.Shorrock, A.Glawe 07.04.1995
34. J.Crocker solo 02.05.1993
35. M.Jordan, C.Shorrock 14.12.1997
36. J.Crocker 18.05.1993
37. J.Crocker 14.05.1993
38. J.Crocker, T.Pearce 02.05.1993
39. J.Crocker solo 02.05.1993
40. M.O’Neill, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
41. P.Smith, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
42. E.Rees, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
43. Unknown Pre-1995
44. T.Pearce, J.Crocker 11.05.1993
45. G.Ashmore 01.04.1995
46. T.Pearce, J.Crocker 11.05.1993
47. C.Shorrock, A.Glawe, D.Herbert 07.04.1995
48. A.Glawe, C.Shorrock 13.04.1995
49. T.Pearce, J.Crocker 11.05.1993
50. J.Crocker solo 02.05.1993
51. J.Crocker solo 02.05.1993
52. C.Shorrock, A.Glawe 13.04.1995
53. J.Crocker solo 02.05.1993
54. G.Ashmore solo 02.07.2002
55. Nick Smith (solo) 03.08.07
56. J.Crocker, T.Pearce 00.00.1993
57. E.Rees, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
58. C.Shorrock, A.Glawe 13.04.1995
59. C.Shorrock solo 13.04.1995
60. C.Shorrock solo 13.04.1995
61. E.Rees, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
62. R.Mogridge, R.O’Brien 00.00.1999
LITTLE ZAWN
63. C.Shorrock, A.Glawe, D.Herbert 07.04.1995
64. E.Rees, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
65. E.Rees, The Old Harrovians 00.00.1999
66. Unknown Pre-1998
