Sewerpipe
From SWMC Guidebook
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TIDAL STATUS
The entire sewerpipe area is above water 2.5 hours either side of low tide. However at neap high tides it is possible to do the problems on the back walls
PREAMBLE
Sewerpipe Area
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The Lion
 | Take the narrow path down the sewerpipe
At high tide in summer, swimming is a viable alternative to bouldering and it is great fun jumping in from the top of the lion. The lions den is submerged but it is possible to swim through taking advantage of the mid way air pocket. This is also an ideal venue for bouldering with dogs and/or children as the various walls keep things fairly managable. There is much exploring to be done. The area lies 200m east of Rotherslade bay
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ACCESS
Drive up through Mumbles High Street and turn left at the Baptist church. As the road nears the top of the hill take the second of three adjacent left turns and park in the road.
Walk down to Rotherslade and take the coastal path East. After a couple of hundred yards a path right leads to an earth canyon containing an old Sewerpipe - Follow this to the sea and tun left. An alternative approach is to boulder hop from the beach.
Warning : Do not be distracted by the delights of the cafe - you can visit that later.
MAP OF AREA
THE BOULDERING
The Minging Cave
 | On arrival at the site the first thing you will see is the minging cave. Although this is usually wet, most of the holds are positive and the problems are actually quite good. Most of the friable holds appear to be have broken off already
1. Straight up through the overhangs 2. Through the overhangs further right 3. Takes the obvious diagonal crack line 4. Sit start (depending on pebble level) start with hands in the hole at the back of the cave, pull out via a sloper 5. The overhang at its left end 6. The overhang at its right end. |
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Darth Vader Area
 | Follow the wall down from the cave. This is the scooped area of smooth stone and the overhang to its left
2. Darth Vader V3: Start with your left hand in a smallish pocket in the break, smear the smooth rock and launch to a crimpy pocket/crack up right. From this tenuous position smoothly reach up for the high break and move up slightly rightwards to the top. A very good problem which should soon be barnacle free if enough people have a go! 3. Find a way up the smooth teflon slab. Better for the flexible |
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The Elephant
 | There are rumours that this is a cousin of the more famous one last seen in Fontainebleau.
1. Start round the back then up a meter or so, traverse right round the front and up to a highball finish |
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Two Arretes
 | 1. Smooth Arrete V2 a slopey body tension smeary type thing - most unlike limestone
2 The left arrete - traverse in from the left and up the arrete. A harder sit start direct variant is also possible at V3 |
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The Canyon
 | The climbing is on the right wall of the Canyon (facing in). Starting on the right
1) Up the Right hand wall 2) Straight up and over the bulge from sit/crouch start jug 3) Leftwards rising traverse under overhang - some long reaches 4) Si's traverse - a left to right low traverse. This finishes up Pac Man's Face .
There are numerous variations |
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Pac Man
 | 5) Start on low jugs then a couple of big swings up right to the top
6) Sit or crouch with your right hand on the end of the lower protrusion (pack man's lower lip) and with feet in the slot. Work up via a hard heel hook and RH slap in the crack to gain a standing position on the lip. Finish easily 7) (Not shown) Work into the overhang from the right (about V1) |
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The bat Cave
 | Very Steep climbing. The rock high on route 1 has some rickety holds but is generally much better than it looks! The ground level varies quite a lot in these parts
1. Louis Armstong (V3) Start at the back, traverse leftwards on the steep wall via an obvious sloper. Make a long reach horizontally leftwards to a side pull. From here negotiate your way to a left facing layback position on good holds further left. Pull vertically upwards to a letterbox and up and right again to a reasonable hold on top of a hanging block. Holds improve while the rock gets more worrying for a few moves to the top. 2. (V3) This shares the start with route but carry on traversing instead of going upwards to the letterbox. The ground eases so you can make your way to the top |
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The Python
 | This feature makes for a bit of fun
1. Sit start on the left of the python and hook either side. Shimmy up to the face on the right and exit on sharp crimps |
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The Lion
 | This wonderful feature dominates the area. The problems are bold but not desperate
1. Lions Face V2 The left wall avoiding either arrete 2. The easy way up on jugs 3. The right side of the wall 4. A short jamming problem |
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The Lion's Den
 | There are a couple of deceptively hard problems here
1. Lions Cave V3 From under-clings inside the cave make your way up the middle of the head-wall to the top. No bridging left allowed! 2. The right hand wall via a jug (holds on the right wall are forbidden) |
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The Axe
 | 1. Chris' traverse V3 Chris Allen's sit start and up the left arrete. Uses some exquisite slopers.
2. Start in the cave, move on to the arrete and then up the seemingly fragile cemented area 3. A packet of crimps V3/4 Start using a finger tip crimp 30 cm left of the large crack for the right hand. Power up to an even smaller (but positive) edge and from there to a slightly more secure crimp/pocket midway up the wall. Head for a small right facing edge and then to the block protruding from the top of the wall. Superb if you like small, spaced holds and careful footwork. 4. Entrance exam V0+ Start up the crack then on good hidden holds to the top. Necky. 5. A right tending variation is harder 6. The right arrete 7. Danny's traverse V3 low traverse via a baffling sloper also used in (1). Start in the cave. A higher line is significantly easier
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The Back of the axe
 | Usually wet but this thuggy and delicate traverse is worth waiting for
1. From Easy ground on the right use holds under the lip to bridge across the cave, From there traverse leftwards to the Axe arete |
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The HB Wall
 | This slightly impending wall gets a bit bold at the top
1-3 Various ways up the wall |
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The Easy Wall
 | This wall has a a number of easier problems (and one hard one) but the landings need careful padding.
1. Take the Bulge Direct 2. A route going up right of the bulge 3. Take the wall between the bulge and the smooth area 4. The smooth area. Sit start with feet on small ledges - not the big one. Work up on undercuts and crimps to a sloper out left then up to a right crimp and a hard pull to easier ground. A good problem 5. The right side of the wall |
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On the East Side of the sewerpipe area there is a headland which contains some climbable rock. One little gem can be found at low tide slightly west of the end of the headland
Headland Gully
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1. A Sit start with feet on the left hand side, move right and up the nose. Alternatively traverse around the end of the overhang To the right of this is a good looking V too difficult for me through the roof |
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to the east of this there is a another bay which in general does not have the quality of the sewerpipe area. However, the problems it does have are brilliant. At the top of the bay there is a large cave with some futuristic lines if it ever dries. Bender Wall is to the left of the cave. Red roof starts at the large pillar on the right hand side of the cave. A little further to the right, around a block you will find the pillar forming the outside wall of a narrow zawn.
Bender Wall
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1. On the town V2 Deep within the small cave left of bender wall jam out to a line of slopers. At the Apex climb up to the ledge. Brilliant 2. A shorter version, sit start and work your way up to the slopers via a good sidepull at 5 feet 3. The right hand line yields to strong fingers or a great dyno from the break to a jug - sit start 4. The right hand crystaline line
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Red roof
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1. Hole Hanger: V3, From a jug at the back of the pillar work up to jugs then to a large crystal hole. Using brute strength or exquisite footwork/body tension reach up to the lip and on to the top. 2. The wimpy version 3. The jump onto the wall - reminiscent of cliffhanger? 4. The Arc V6/7. The much admired and now completed link from 1 to 3. Chris Allen, 31/3/11 |
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The Pillar
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1. From a sit start work your way directly up the pillar. Those with strong arms and fingers will pull straight up, those with core strength will use the RH wall for feet. 2. The bulge on the RH wall
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