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Barland Quarry

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Barland Quarry
Name Barland Quarry
Rock Type Quarried Limestone
Parent Crag
Climbing Type Sport
Located Gower
Lat/Long 51° 35' 9", -4° 3' 29"
Approach Time (mins) 5
Faces North
Seepage Yes
Suitable Weather Dry Weather
Midges No
Tidal No
Climbing Possible
Access Notes
Access Restricted
Start Bird Ban
Bird Ban End
Bird Ban Notes
Restriction Notes Private quarry. Please keep a low profile.
Crag List Barland Quarry


File:Barland topo.jpg
Barland Quarry
Contents

Gower

GR575895

TIDAL STATUS

Non-tidal.

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.

Hangers,bolts and a drill are available from the SWBF for any one with the "nouse" or inclination to use them for installing the missing bolts on the 7b+ and regearing the adjacent routes.

PREAMBLE

Smooth low-angled slab. Allegedly the "most technical slabs in South Wales". Quarried limestone but mostly slate-like climbing on tiny edges. Some of the harder climbs have a preponderance of desperate smeary moves. Dries very quickly; one of the more accessible sport crags on Gower. Scope for one or two new routes.

This large slab has seen a recent re-equipment on some of the routes 'vandalised' by the Site Manager's JCB. The first pitch of Don't' Jis on my Sofa is now fully equipped.

Climbs to the left of Miss You are subject to frequent rockfall.

If you want to climb the harder routes then you may need to give some of the more delicate smears a light soft brushing (no wire brushing as this will only polish the rock).

ACCESS

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This is the quarry on the right (north) hand side of the big bend coming out of Bishopston on the B4436, immediately past the turn off to Pwll Du.

Park in Kittle either at the Beaufort Arms or in the little lay-by opposite the small grocers. If you park at the Beaufort Arms remember to drop in for a pint afterwards. The food at the Beaufort is good too.

Be warned that you should not park in the gravel lay-by just north of the quarry. If you do so, you will alert the Site Manager whose house overlooks this spot, and who may then come down and ask you to leave. If he does, do so without a fuss. You can always come back another day.

Enter the quarry and follow the gravel track round and down to the left to reach the very obvious main slab.

Some of the 1st bolts have recently (June 2013) been vandalised with a JCB bucket.

DESCENTS

All routes descend by lowering off or abseil. The two long routes require more than one abseil even with a 60m rope.

Barland Quarry. Photo by Oli Buxton

THE ROUTES

After a short initial slab, a superb low angled 60m slab dominates the quarry. Some of the lowest bolt hangers on a couple of routes have been smashed off by a rogue JCB bucket. You can always climb adjacent routes first and clip the second lowest bolt on lowering off. Routes described from left to right.

  1. Jap’s Eye 12m Fr.6a
    The first short route up the slab has a tricky finish.

  2. Cheesy Flaps 13m Fr.5
    The line to the right of Jap’s Eye. Easy climbing to a slightly harder finish.

  3. Double Dutch 15m Fr.6c+
    The slab to the right of Cheesy Flaps has a very hard start and a hard finish. The holes are off route!

  4. Mister Polite Goad 15m Fr.6c+
    A hard move up to the first hole with easier climbing at the finish.

    File:Barland quarry climbing.jpg
    Dan Cook on Miss You
  5. Miss You 17m Fr.6b+
    The start of the quality climbing on the slab. A tricky move at the start, an easier middle section with some interesting moves at the last two staples.

  6. Rotbeest 17m Fr.7b+
    The first route on the continuous area of slab has a hideous move at two-thirds height which may prove even more stressful as the route has "lost" its bolt hangers.

  7. Wandelanden Tak 17m Fr.7a *
    The next line on the slab, starting above a pile of stones and a big stick. A technical start leads to a tricky section to gain the fifth BR, then step right from the good edge to join Geef Onze Fietsen Terug. Lower off the twin BB.

  8. Geef Onze Fietsen Terug! 50m Fr.6c+ **
    The first long long route that swaggers up the biggest section of unbroken slabs. Take a lot of quickdraws. Startwhere a pile of bicycles used to be (!) at the base of the crag (about 4m right of Wandelanden Tak) and make this and continue up to the BB by the long hole at 50m. Abseil off. N.B. The second pitch has seen some re-equipping of the crumbled bolt hangers and final belay. Watch rope length when lowering off!!

  9. Stoeipoesje 18m Fr.6c+ *
    Marginally more run out than the other routes - the slab right of Geef Onze Fietsen Terug to a BB at18m.

  10. Wij Zitten Nog In Een Sneeuwstorm 18m Fr.6b+ *
    The slab to the right of Stoeipoesje and left of the groove, to a scoop at 18m. Step right to the belay of the next route. Sustained at this grade with some quality moves!

  11. Stinking Of Fish 18m Fr.6a+
    The crack in the slab right of Wij Zitten Nog In Een Sneeuwstorm to join and finish up Telefunken U47. A Rock 8 is no longer needed to protect the entry to the groove. Now fully bolted, no one will "tell" if you take some wires for practice.

  12. Telefunken U47 18m Fr.4+
    The obvious groove to a BB at 18m.

  13. Don’t Jis On My Sofa 50m Fr.6a+ *
    As for Telefunken U47 to the BB, then continue up to a vague corner in the roof. Swing left to a good jug and finish up the slightly tricky slab above BB. Abseil off. N.B. The second pitch has seen re-equipping of some hangers and a double bolt belay. Take care with rope length when lowering

  14. Ik Kan Mijn Ei Niet Kwijt 18m Fr.7a+
    Recently regained it's hangers and double bolt belay. Totally hideous, the hardest off vertical moves in SE Wales. The slab to the right of Don’t Jis On My Sofa has a hard start. If successful, continue more easily, to a totally vile series of huge rock ups on smears, stepping left to reach the BB.
Barland Quarry. Photo by Oli Buxton

First Ascents

  1. R.Thomas 00.01.1998
  2. R.Thomas 20.03.1999
  3. G.Gibson 00.01.1998
  4. G.Gibson 1998
  5. G.Gibson 00.00.1998
  6. G.Ashmore 25.08.1997
  7. G.Ashmore 17.08.1997
  8. G.Ashmore, J.Tracey 16.08.1997
  9. G.Ashmore 25.08.1997
  10. G.Ashmore 13.04.1998
  11. R.Thomas 07.06.1998
  12. R.Thomas 07.06.1998
  13. R.Thomas 00.08.1998
  14. G.Ashmore 14.09.1998

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Facts about "Barland Quarry"
RDF feed
AccessStatusRestricted +
ApproachTime5 +
ClimbingTypeSport +
ClimbingWeatherDry Weather +
CragNameBarland Quarry +
FacingNorth +
Lat/Long51° 35' 9", -4° 3' 29"Latitude: 51.5861193
Longitude: -4.0580303 +
LocatedInAreaGower +
Midgesfalse +
RestrictionTextPrivate quarry. Please keep a low profile. +
RockTypeQuarried Limestone +
Seepagetrue +
Tidalfalse +