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Caswell Bay

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By Adrian Berry, Chris Shorrock, Myles Jordan & Goi Ashmore

GR SS 587874 to SS 590874

PREAMBLE

A pleasant slabby series of cliffs with some fine climbing for the lower grade climber. Situated within easy reach of Swansea and only 5 mins from the road, it is Gower's most populated beach in summer and is not the crag for the self conscious climber.

ACCESS

From Swansea go towards Mumbles, at the mini-roundabout in Mumbles (White Rose pub on the corner) turn right and head up the hill. At the top of the hill turn left at signs for Caswell Bay and follow the twisting road (B4593) to the Bay. Park in an obvious "pay or be fined" car park opposite the beach. The climbing is on a series of slabs on the west side of the bay. The most prominent of these is Great Slab, with an obvious through cave at the base. About 50m West is Yellow Flecked Slab and 50m further on is Far South Slab, bounded by a tapering triangular fissure at its West end.

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TIDAL STATUS

2½ hours either side of low water.

BOLTING POLICY

No bolting.

DESCENTS

For the Far South Slab, scramble down either side. For other routes descent is via a path west for a short distance then down easy slabs and corners, or east if the tide is high.

THE ROUTES

Far South Slab

This is the most westerly of the slabs at Caswell and the most seaward. It consists of a slabby wall of fine quality rock, with generally good gear. It is therefore ideal for new leaders or for a pleasant half hour of soloing. The west (left) end is bounded by an obvious triangular fissure, called rather logically, Fissure.

  1. West Slab 15m D
    Gain and climb the slab left of Fissure, with an awkward start.

  2. Fissure 14m D
    The obvious triangular Fissure, starting on its left wall.

  3. White Slab 14m D
    Start at the base of the first proper crack (Curve) right of Fissure, but climb the slab directly.

  4. Curve 14m D
    The first of the diagonal cracks running to the top of the crag.

  5. Central Flake 13m D
    The second of the diagonal cracks running to the top of the crag.

  6. Direct 13m HD
    Follow a thinner diagonal crack right of Central Flake, to join Central Crack at 5m.

  7. Central Crack 12m M
    Climb the central crack of the slab. A contrived variant up the slab to the right is possible (Black Slab VS,4c).

  8. Right Corner 12m HVD
    Easy, but poorly protected. The very faint left facing groove to the right of Central Crack.

  9. Smooth Slab 12m VS,4c
    The smooth black slab to the right of Right Corner.

  10. Left Y Crack 13m D
    Climb the left arm of the y-crack, right of Smooth Slab.

  11. Y Wall 10m D
    Climb the right arm of the y-crack, right of Smooth Slab.

Yellow Flecked Slab

To the east of Far South Slab and west of a prominent inlet leading to the base of the Great Slab, is a yellow stained slab about 20m high. It is bounded on its west (left) side by a diagonal chimney and a loose corner.
Photo: Gareth Tucker
  1. West Fissure 20m VD
    The diagonal chimney on the left side of the wall is vegetated and probably quite lethal.

  2. Coloured Slab 20m S *
    Climb the slab about 5m right of West Fissure.

  3. Direct 21m VD *
    At the base of the slab is a rock step. Start from this and climb the slab about 5m right of Coloured Slab, finishing up a shallow scoop.

  4. Grooved Slab 18m HD
    To the right of Direct is an area of honeycombed rock at the base of the slab. Climb the left side of these combs to gain the left end of a horizontal crack. Finish direct.

  5. Curving Crack 21m D
    Start right of Grooved Slab at a weakness in the honeycombes. Finish slightly left.

  6. Loch 15m D
    The arete to the right of Curving Crack and before a series of shallow corners.

  7. First Corner 21m VD
    Climb the corner to the right of Loch and finish up the slab above.

  8. Second Corner 21m VD
    Climb the shallow groove to the right of First Corner.

  9. Third Corner 21m VD
    The corner right of Second Corner.

  10. East Edge 21m VD
    The arete to the right of Third Corner.

    The rock now drops back into a vague zawn, at the back of which is the obvious Central Slab. The more continuous west (left) side of the zawn has two narrow slabs running up it.

  11. Purple Haze 21m VS,4b
    Start up the first of the two narrow slabs, but break leftwards onto ledges and finish via a short slab.

  12. Kiss the Sky 30m VS,4a
    Work your way up a slanting ramp and then climb the centre of the top slab. Top is run out and poorly protected.

  13. Sibling Arete 27m E2,5b
    Climb the right arete of the first narrow slab in its entirety. No protection.

  14. Once In A Blue Moon 27m HVS,5a
    Gain the second narrow slab from the corner on its left. Take the subsequent corner to finish up the earthy crack.

Great Slab

This is the most obvious and highest slab at Caswell, containing the through-cave at its base.

  1. What Not 22m S
    Start below the Great Slab at a narrow slab leading up to an earthy gully on its left. Climb the narrow slab to its top, then traverse right on obvious pockets to the left edge of the central slab. Follow the edge to the top. This point can also be reached by traversing in from Nat Not at a harder grade (Left Edge VS,4b J.Brown, A.Kyffin 1996).

  2. Pleistocene Dinosaur 22m E1,5b
    Reach the cave apex via the huge block overhang and obvious large hole. Climb the slab to the overlap. Finish up the slab above.

  3. Nat Not 22m VS,4c **
    The best route at Caswell. Start on the rock neck below the Central Slab. Traverse deviously into and climb the right wall of the through-cave to its apex. Pull over this onto the slab above and continue directly.

  4. Bridge Over Troubled Waters 22m E3,6a ?
    The roof of the through-cave in its entirety, starting at its depth and bridging until a finish as for Nat Not is possible.

  5. Great Slab 21m HS,4b *
    Climb the centre of the Great Slab linking up the two obvious holes. Not well protected.

  6. Right Edge 21m VS,4b
    Follow the right side of the slab. Poorly protected.

  7. Mac The Knife 22m E5,6b *
    Painfully attack the overhanging crack in the right wall of the central slab, to finish up the central groove to the top.

  8. Frantic Corner 25m E4,6a
    Start on the block below the lower shelf of Antic Corner, step up onto the slab and using the right edge, move gingerly into the corner and up into the block overhang. Follow a line of flakes left into Mac The Knife at a large 'handle' hold. From here attack the upper wall left of the finish of Mac The Knife.

  9. Antic Corner 20m E1,5b
    Start in the east (right) entrance to the through-cave. Chimney up and pull onto the slab at the foot of the corner. Follow this via an overhang, to the foot of a grass tongue. Climb the rib on the right to the top.

  10. El Condor Pasa 21m E3,6b -
    Provides a logical continuation to the direct start of Antic Corner. Start as for Shufflebottom Crack, then pull over an overlap to gain the pod of Antic Corner. Continue up to the block overhang, which is taken at its right-hand side, then the arete above.

  11. Shufflebottom Crack 22m HVS,5a
    A fun route requiring unique contortions. Start at the foot of a wide smooth crack right of Antic Corner. Climb the crack to the overhang and shuffle up it to the slab. Move up and over to the right edge and finish up this. Belay well back across the path.

  12. Great Gully 24m M
    To the right of the Great Slab routes is a square-cut gap before a prominent yellow raised slab is reached. Gain this gap via the offwidth below and continue up the slabs above.

    The next routes are on the yellow raised slab to the east (right) of The Great Slab proper.

  13. Flake Variation 16m HD
    Start left of the slab and climb up a groove to gain a ledge on the arete. Swing right to finish up a wide crack.

  14. Main Crack 16m D
    The left crack on the front face of the slab, finishing up the wide upper crack of Flake Variation.

  15. Scoop 15m S
    Some 4m up the east (right) arete of the slab is a ledge. Gain this either by the right-hand crack on the front face, or from a scoop round to the right of the arete. Finish up thin cracks.

  16. Direct 12m HS,4a
    Climb jumbled rock to gain a corner right of an arete over to the right.

  17. Right Edge 12m S
    Gain Direct from the diagonal crack down and right. Finish up Direct, or up the arete.

  18. Colorado 5m E4,5c ?
    An exciting micro route that takes the south east arete of the enormous boulder situated right of the main climbing area on small flakes with a tricky finish. No kit.

First Ascents

Far South Slab

  1. Unknown 00.00.1958
  2. Unknown 00.00.1958
  3. Unknown 00.00.1958
  4. Unknown 00.00.1958
  5. Unknown 00.00.1958
  6. Unknown 00.00.1958
  7. Unknown 00.00.1958
  8. Unknown 00.00.1958
  9. Unknown 00.00.1958
  10. Unknown 00.00.1958
  11. Unknown 00.00.1958

Yellow Flecked Slab

  1. Unknown 00.00.1958
  2. Unknown 00.00.1958
  3. Unknown 00.00.1958
  4. Unknown 00.00.1958
  5. Unknown 00.00.1958
  6. Unknown 00.00.1958
  7. Unknown 00.00.1958
  8. Unknown 00.00.1958
  9. Unknown 00.00.1958
  10. Unknown 00.00.1958
  11. P.Thomas, R.Bennett 00.00.1983
  12. T.Boothby 30.05.2012
  13. S.Lewis, G.Lewis 00.00.1982
  14. D.Butler, C.Davies 00.00.1976

Great Slab

  1. G.Evans, etc. 26.04.1977
  2. D.Butler, C.Davies 00.00.1976 A.Berry, J.Preece, D.Naylor - ALCH 00.00.1990
  3. G.Evans, M.Danford, G.Richardson 26.04.1977
  4. A.Berry, D.Thomas 00.00.1997
  5. Unknown 00.00.1958
  6. Unknown 00.00.1958
  7. P.Littlejohn, C.Hurley 02.05.1984
  8. A.Berry 00.00.1992
  9. D.Butler, C.Davies 00.00.1976
  10. A.Berry 19.04.1992
  11. G.Evans, P.Clay 08.08.1981
  12. Unknown 00.00.1958
  13. Unknown 00.00.1958
  14. Unknown 00.00.1958
  15. Unknown 00.00.1958
  16. Unknown 00.00.1958
  17. Unknown 00.00.1958
  18. A.Berry 13.04.1992

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