WITCHES CAVE
From SWMC Guidebook
The first routes start left of the cave on black stratified rock.
- Gay Batman - Fr. 5
First line of bolts. Use twin P-bolts on ledge to lower-off.
- Robins Yoghurt Supper - Fr. 5 *
Shares a lower-off with the next route.
- Abra-Ker-Fucking-Dabra - Fr. 5+ *
Climb into the V-corner beneath the roof and escape to the right.
- Sorcerer's Assistant - Fr. 6a+
Take care with slippery rock down low and loose rock above the ledge.
- Magic Circle - Fr. 6a+
Has similar health warnings to the previous route.
- Smoke and Mirrors - Fr. 6b **
An excellent steep route. Move quickly leftwards around the hanging arete and climb with interest to the ledge and a flake filled groove line above.
- 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:
- 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
- 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
- White Witch - E5, 6b
Pull over the roof as for Thin Lizzy, then traverse out above the lip, 2 PRs (rusted stumps). Step down following the weakness and then up to finish as for Evil Ways. 31m
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Didymo Clogs Your Tackle - Fr. 6a+
More of the same.
- Fishermen Pump Their Rods - Fr. 6a+
Even more of the same.
- Wrasse Bandit - Fr. 6b+
More of the same, but harder.
- Sore Wrasse - Fr. 6c
Even harder, but the same.
- Wrassetafarian – Fr. 6b+ *
Much easier than it looks (i.e. the same).
FIRST ASCENTS
- D Emanuel, R. Thomas, R. Philips 28/06/2009
- D Emanuel, R. Thomas, R. Philips 28/06/2009
- D. Emanuel 2009
- R. Thomas 2009
- R. Thomas 2009
- R. Thomas 2009
- S.James, E.Travers-Jones 00.00.1996
- M.Crocker 19.07.1986
- R.Thomas 02.09.1996
- R.Thomas, M.Crocker 19.07.1986
- M.Crocker, R.Thomas 19.07.1986
- R. Thomas 2009
- D. Emanuel, R. Philips 28/06/2009
- R.Thomas, N. O'Neill 2007
- R.Thomas, M. Hirst 2007
- R. Thomas, G. Ashmore 2006
- G. Ashmore, R. Thomas 2006
- G. Ashmore 13.06.2009
