Cathedral Wall

Gower

Fall Bay to Mewslade

GR SS418872

TIDAL STATUS

1½ hours either side of low water.

BOLTING POLICY

Natural crags = no bolting.

PREAMBLE

Located in the sand below Upper Jacky's Tor are some good routes that start from the beach and rock pools.

ACCESS

To the right (east) of Jacky's Tor are a number of prows and gullies. The most popular of these is Cathedral Wall, the incut to the immediate east of the Tor. To the right is the blunt ridge of the 'The Pulpit' with another gully just right. Right (east) again are the small promontory of 'The Prows' and the area terminates at the obvious long low promontory of The Aisle which runs out to sea.

DESCENTS

Scramble off to the right and down through the rocks to the beach.

THE ROUTES

The following routes are described from left to right:

1. Prima 15m S
   The corner at the left end of the steep left wall.
   
   
2. Hades 15m HS,4b
   The crack 1m right of Prima.
   
   
3. Kalk 18m S
   Start up the prominent crack in the wall 3m right of Prima, but move left as soon as possible and climb the centre of the wall.
   
   
4. Owch 15m HS,4a
   The name says it all! As for Kalk, but continue directly up the crack.
   
   
5. Avoiding the sog 15m HS, 4b
   A squeezed in eliminate between the two cracks of Owch and Dulfer, better than either when the sea has been up and the cracks are still soggy.
   
   
6. Dulfer 18m S,4a *
   The bulging groove and crack 3m right of Owch. Climb a steep wall on jugs to the groove, surmount a bulge, step left to a recess and follow the crack to the top.
   
   
7. Dolce Vita 18m HVS,4c
   As for Dulfer to the bulge, then follow a steep and shallow groove up right. Climb the wall passing some spikes and finish slightly left.
   
   
8. Cyntaff 18m HVS,5a **
   A certain amount of determination is needed to climb this living corner right of Dolce Vita.
   
   
9. Faint White Hope 18m E3,6a *
   The boldness of this route will depend on the level of the sand which changes often. Start at a short groove in the right wall of Cyntaff. Climb it to an overhang, make bold moves leftward and finish steeply up the wall above.
   
   
10. Giant Potamus 18m E3, 5c **
    Just right of “Faint White Hope” is a sculpted cleft, from which a crack on the left leads to a hanging pod in the side-wall of the tower. Climb this crack strenuously, barnacled at first, with good protection to a desperate entry into the pod (a span to the wall behind you and use of a helmeted head as another point of contact may assist). After getting your breath back continue more easily up the crozzly wall above the pod. A great route - physical, technical and then bold.
    
    At the back of the gully are two obvious grooves at a higher level, reached by easy scrambling.'
    
    
11. Adam 12m S,4a
    The left-hand groove.
    
    
12. Kaos 12m VS,4c
    From the foot of Eve, move out left and climb the3 central rib direct.
    
    
13. Eve 12m S,4a
    The right-hand groove.
    
    
14. Eva 12m VS,4c
    The crack in the wall right of Eve.
    
    

Notre Dame (J.Talbot 1963), The End (J.Talbot 1963), Mitre (J.Talbot 1963), Five Cracks (R.Corbett, P.Dyer 1961), Left Crack (J.Talbot 1963), Left Corner (J.Talbot 1963), and Steps (J.Talbot 1963) cover much of the same ground as routes already described.

First Ascents

1. J.Talbot, R.Corbett 00.00.1961
   
2. J.Talbot, R.Corbett 00.00.1962
   
3. J.Talbot 00.00.1962
   
4. J.Talbot, R.Corbett 00.00.1961
   
5. C Wyatt, Steve Hill, Melinda Morrell 20.2.2011
   
6. J.Talbot, R.Corbett 00.00.1962
   
7. R.Corbett, J.Talbot 00.00.1962
   
8. P.Dyer, R.Corbett 00.00.1962
   
9. A.Sharp, J.Harwood 21.12.1980
   
10. Nick Taylor 25.5.09
    
11. J.Talbot, R.Corbett 00.00.1962
    
12. R.Corbett, J.Talbot 00.00.1962
    
13. R.Corbett, J.Talbot 00.00.1962
    
14. J.Talbot, R.Corbett 00.00.1962