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Abbey Buttress
GR 078 958
BOLTING POLICY
Retro-bolting permissible with first ascensionist's permission. Replacement of worn fixed gear on a point for point basis with bolts is permissible. New sports routes allowed.
PREAMBLE
This the obvious crag above the steelworks, easily visible from the M4. It has awesome views of one of the last remaining pieces of heavy industrialisation in South Wales, somewhat akin to a 1960s black and white film about the working man. It is exposed but has a sunny aspect from 11am onwards (though you would not know this if you turned up after sunset, when it looks like something out of 'blade runner' .. or was it road runner?) Seepage is only a problem on the extreme left-hand side of he main wall. The rock quality is exceptional. For routes without lower-offs, stake belays are i place, sensibly at the top of the crag.
ACCESS
Approach by leaving the M4 at junction 40 to find a round-a-bout and travel towards the sea. Turn left at the first traffic lights you find and continue to the Old Surgery pub. Take the left turning opposite the pub and follow a road back under the motorway to some bungalows. Park here, treating the grass with care. Left of the first bungalow is a gate. Pass through this and proceed up the hill to a track. Turn right and continue until below the crag, finding a suitable way up.
DESCENTS
Almost all routes are equipped with abseil bolts. For other routes, it is straightforward to walk down either side of the crag.
THE ROUTES
1. Bargaining Counter 25m E1,5b
A left to right girdle along the horizontal break. Start up Closed Shop and finish up Writings On The Wall.
2. Closed Shop 16m E2,5c
Start up a left trending ramp 3m right of the left hand corner of the main face. Proceed up the ramp to a horizontal break. Pull onto the upper wall to gain and finish up a thin crack.
3. Restrictive Practice 16m E3,5c *
The thinner crack line left of Crack Basher. As for closed shop but pull out right to gain a break. Once on the headwall move right to a good nut placement, then move back left to finish.
4. Crack Basher 18m E2,5c ***
A CLASSIC! with a couple of hard moves. From the foot of the left-trending ramp, climb up a niche to a glacés. Pull onto this and plod easily to a hard move up the final crack, TR.
5. Sign Of The Times 18m E4,6a *
Start slightly right and pass a PR to gain a prominent crack. Follow this to a big, bendy PR and make a hard move up and slighty right to gain the break. Finish more or less direct, PR.
6. PR Job 18m E4,6b
A route which sports several RPs of some form, not all of which are runners! Start just right of Sign Of The Times under the initials 'PR'. Climb the crack past a real RP and move left. Move slightly back right to gain the finish of Urban Development.
7. Urban Development 18m E4,6b **
Start to the right of PR Job and slightly left of a slanting groove at half-height. Climb past 2PRs to a hard move out left to a flake. From the horizontal break follow the crack on the left to the top.
8. Writings On The Wall 18m E3,5c
Start as for Urban Development. at the first PR move right to gain the base of a hanging groove. Climb this to the break, passing a leaf of rock on the way to the top. Can also be started direct.
9. Split The Equity 16m E2,5b
The steep flake line down and to the right. Reach the small cave below and right to the small tree. Now pull out and follow the flake.
10. Hot Mill 16m E5,6b (Fr 7a+) *
S.E Wales answer to The Quarryman. Between the last route and the tower of Industrial Relations is an innocuous looking groove starting at 6m. Gain, then battle up this! The gear is OK after the first clip, which can be protected by a couple of small friends. The BB is set well back.
11. Pig Iron - Fr.6c+
New line
12. Industrial Relations 18m E1,5b
Start below the tower toward the right-hand end of the crag. Climb the corner and follow a crack splitting the tower to a small ledge and the final wall. PB and stake.
13. Cold Rolled 10m E3,6b (Fr6c+) *
A tricky little boulder problem up the slab/wall at the right-hand side of the crag.
14. Nether Edge 9m E3,6c (Fr7b)
The arête to the BB of Cold Rolled with a desperate moce at half height.
First Ascents
1. G.Evans, L.Morgan (26.10.1986)
2. R.Thomas, J.Bullock, G.Evans, L.Moran (26.10.1986)
3. R.Thomas, G.Royle (30.09.1986)
4. R.Thomas, G.Royle (28.09.1986)
5. FFA M.Crocker (18.10.1986)
6. M.Crocker, R.Thomas (18.10.1986)
7. FFA M.Crocker, R.Thomas (18.10.1986)
8. G.Royal, R.Thomas (00.09.1988)
9. R.Thomas, G.Royal, J.Bullock (00.04.1988)
10. R.Thomas (00.00.1995)
11. R. Thomas (2009)
12. G.Royal, R.Thomas (00.09.1986)
13. R.Thomas (00.00.1995)
14. E.Travers-Jones (00.00.1997)
