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Craig y Pal-Glais

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South East Wales Sandstone

Postcode district: SA7 9

Grid ref: SN706005 (Landranger 170 Vale of Glamorgan)

Lat: 51:41:20N (51.68884)

Lon: 3:52:19W (-3.87197)

Preamble

Recently developed quarried sandstone outcrop overlooking the town of Clydach and Glais village. Pleasant sunny outlook should provide a welcome escape from the local climbing wall. This is the first of the new west frontier expansion to come on-line and the Swansea Valley's best crag to date.

Directions (1)

Leave the M4 at junction 45 and head north along the A4067 towards Pontardawe.

At the first roundabout take the third exit, crossing the river. Take the second left and the then the second right, Craig y Pal.

Follow this road steeply for about 1/4 mile to parking areas on the left and right of the road.

Walk up left through the trees for a few minutes on a track which is becoming more obvious, the first buttress is on your right distinguished by its "bum" bulges near the top and a clean trad crack line left of centre.

Access to the top of the buttress, with its abseil stake (it is a long way back from the edge) and small birch tree for back up, is by scrambling steeply up right from the base to a small outcropping. There is a white paint splash on one of the blocks, scramble up the chimney to the right

A few minutes walk further left brings you to a second buttress with a wide crack at its left and some very old pegs going up a vertical crack and across a horizontal break (these pegs were old when I first went there in the mid 70s!).

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The Routes (1)

Submitted by Gwyn Evans.

First Buttress

Friends on high HVS 5a 10m

Climbs the hanging groove left of centre before pulling out left into the flake crack to finish. Belay on the fixed gear for the adjacent bolted route.

FA Gwyn Evans, Roy Thomas, Gareth Tucker 2 May 2007


Second Buttress

Crackin' Saw HVS 5a 12m

Climbs the obvious wide crack left of the pegs. Belay on a massive thread just below the top, under the capping overhang*. Go right or left to get over the final wall onto the bilberry slopes where you may be lucky and find the abseil post before deciding not to use it.

FA Gwyn Evans, Rob Eagle 5 June 2007

  • I may place a situ thread to ease descent from this point if I can find some old rope. From the abseil post walk back to find a wide path which runs down towards the village. Follow this to a left hand bend where it turns away from the village. At the apex continue on vague paths towards the village until you arrive at the top of the chimney described earlier.

Directions (2)

How to get there-buy a map and work it out from the information already provided OR follow these directions. Westbound M4, junction 45 follow signs for Pontardawe A 46073 until roundabout then right sign for Glais. Up hill, left after Globe Inn by the Post Office/Shop, 2nd right at Craig Pal road up hill 2 mins. Park on left in obvious spot(beware busy body stones placed by locals to deter tokers and doggers). Walk 3 mins through woods to first section, another 5 mins to oak tree section.

The Routes (2)

Submitted by Roy Thomas.

Oak Tree Section

Walk past first section keeping below crag until a faint path leads up again to base of crag behind large oaks.

  1. Crackin Saw HVS 5a
    Crack with final capstone, womble through bushes on slope above to belay on rusty stake and oak twig.Large thread belay not yet materialised.12m.

  2. Actuarial Reduction Fr 6a+
    Up faint crack bearing stumps of old aid pegs.12m.

  3. Six Year Enhancement Fr 6a+
    Up right side of wall to same lower off.12m.<br

First section

On the left hand side of this section at a slightly higher level is the under cut block with the crags three hardest routes.

  1. Tuckers Route Fr 6b
    Left side of block to common lower off after topping out (Big sling handy).7m.

  2. Out to Pasture Fr 6a+
    On the right passing industrial size staple.8.69m.

  3. Golden Handshake Fr 6b+
    Tricky little number be sensible use a stick and stay mobile for longer.10m.

Short wall above tree stump.

  1. Nice in Glais Fr 6a
    Short but sharp. Watch that stump if you get it wrong.9.69m.

  2. Ice In Glais Fr 6b
    Tricky to gain footledge then as for previous route.9.69m

  3. Spare The Birch Fr 4+
    The crack then arete pulling over the small roof past the silver birch.12m.

  4. Confidently Clipping The Corroded Contents of Goi's Grandads Cabin Fr 5+
    No longer the easiest route on the crag, up the rounded arete.Chorro railway metal at its best for first runner(c**t hook to the uninitiated)12m.

  5. Creaking Flake Fr 5+
    Climb the remains of the flake then move left to belay ofCofidentally Clipping...12m.

  6. Friends in High Places HVS 5a
    Chimney to start then crack through roof. Jambs obligatory. Belay in trees.(Brambles to start,Ivy to finish).13.69m

  7. Ass Bandit Fr 6a+
    Head for and jamb through the crack in the buttocks above.12m.

  8. Pension Fund Fr 6a Follow more heavy metal with a glorious jug through the roof.12m.

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