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Cwmaman Main
GR SS 995 992
Contents
PREAMBLE
Also see Cwmaman West.
Seepage aside, Cwmaman will always be well worth a visit come what may. It was certainly regarded it as one of the better sandstone crags in SE.Wales in the late eighties. It is seen as a positive attribute rather than an impediment that local wisdom retains traditional routes alongside sport/clip-up climbs, thus preserving the true nature of a place and its history. This is primarily an E3-E5 sports climbing crag that gets the evening sun. The left wall is steep and very fingery even for sandstone. It is a good suntrap, although seepage is generally quite bad, so take a blow torch. Most of the routes were in the process of being re-equipped as the guide went to press. There are some belay stakes for a back up rope if required, although they are set well back in the bracken and consequently are hard to find.
ACCESS
From the A4059 Mountain Ash to Aberdare road take the Cwmaman (Aberaman) turn off and follow this road to a T-Junction. Turn left and follow this road to The Shepard’s Arms on the left. Take the obvious side road forking off left (Llanwonno Rd) just before the estate. Follow this past a prominent row of houses, until a gravel track leads off left, by a substation, to two houses. This is by a triangular island in the road. Follow a narrow dirt track off left and park, taking care not to block the forestry road bending back right. Walk down the track for 100m, then take a steep path up the hill to arrive in the quarry.
If on foot, regular buses run to Cwmaman itself; from Aberdare and Mountain Ash.
THE ROUTES
Left Wall
1. Rab/The Numbers Game E5,6a (Fr7a) **
A long and exhausting traverse. Start up Good Tradition, and move across to the break on Mother Of Pearl. Move up and across to Two For Tuesday and across the loose corner onto the arete. Climb this for a few feet, then traverse the obvious break as far as Innuendo, which is followed to finish. BB. 30m
A.Sharp, P.Lewis 05.11.1988
2. 30' is the new 20' Fr7a *, 9m
The first route on the left wall from the left. Independently follow the four BR's to the lower off ring & bolt. Contains a low and high crux using holds to the left of the bolted line.
Steven Delaney (after 30th B'day) & Gareth Jones 26.04.2010
3. Good Tradition - Fr.6a+, 9m
The leftmost line on the small left hand section of the wall.
P.Lewis, A.Sharp 05.11.1988
4. A Clear Head And A Blow Lamp - Fr6c, 11m *
The crackline to the right has a superb starting move and is hard higher up.
A.Sharp, P.Lewis 05.11.1988
5. A Clear Conscience And A Blow Job - E3,6a
As for A Clear Head And A Blowlamp until just below the top, then step out right onto the wall to finish. 14m
N.Davies, A.Meek 00.00.1994
6. Maybe Tomorrow - Fr7b+
A direct approach to the finish of A Clear Head And A Blow Job. 14m
A.Sharp 00.00.1995
7. Mother Of Pearl - Fr.7a+ **
The centre of the wall to the right with a bold start and very thin crank at half-height. 14m
A.Sharp, P.Lewis 05.11.1988
8. Two For Tuesday - Fr.6c+
A reasonable line just left of the arete of the higher section of the main wall. 14m
A.Sharp, P.Lewis, J.Harwood 08.05.1989
9. The World Is My Lobster - Fr.6c+ *
The right-hand side of the aforementioned arete. 17m
A.Sharp, P.Lewis, J.Harwood 08.05.1989
10. Propaganda - Fr.7a+ ***
Start right of the arete, and make a hard move up past a two finger pocket. Continue up the wall between breaks to join The World Is My Lobster at its final bolt(?), BB. 17m
A.Sharp, P.Lewis 07.11.1988
11. Science Friction - Fr.7a+ *
A harder proposition to the right of Propaganda. At the high bong, move left to the BB of Propaganda. 16m
A.Sharp, P.Lewis 05.11.1988
12. La Rage - Fr.7b **
An utterly desperate move from the lower break gives way to sustained climbing and a hard move near the top. Start by a step in the banking, below a PR. Pass this BR, to a very hard move up to a sloping jug and the break. Continue direct to a BB. 15m
A.Sharp, P.Lewis 16.05.1989
13. Innuendo - Fr7b+ *
The final line of in-situ gear on the wall. It rarely dries out. 14m
M.Crocker, R.Thomas 14.05.1989
The Left of the Back Wall
The following short routes are good and last three share an immense pigtail lower off (plus the wreck of the original belay for the paranoid):
14. Looking for Leather Fr 5
The first route to the right of the obvious corner. Follow the bolts on the left of 'Instead Of...' to an independent belay.
Myles and Nicola Jordan 12.06.2010
15. Instead Of This 12m Fr5+
The cleaned wall on the back wall past a line of twizzle bolts, to the shared pigtail lower off.
G.Gibson, R.Thomas 16.06.1990
16. Circus Clowns Fr6a
The line immediately to the right to the same belay follows more twizzles, to the shared pigtail lower off.
R.Thomas, 00.06.2010
16.5 Zoo Time 12m Fr5+
Climb straight up the wall, following the twizzles, to the shared pigtail lower off.
R Thomas June 2010
17. Crack Line Man 12m VS,4c
The crack line in the loose blocky buttress to the right.
SWMC 00.00.1989
The Right of the Back Wall
This is the loose looking section of rock to the right of the previous routes.
1. Cilly Arete Fr6a
Climb the left arete with a tricky move at the top.
G.Lewis & S.Delaney 20.04.2010
2. Sam Sparrow Fr5+
Starting just to the left the words 'Tich 93' climb the line of bolts.
G.Lewis & Ollie Burrows 00.03.2010
3. Alys Rook Fr5
Climbs the line of bolts to the arête just by the words 'Tich 93'.
G.Lewis & Ollie Burrows 00.03.2010
4. Alys Rook Direct Fr6b/c
As the last route but with a bouldery start via the lower right wall to the empty bolt hole.
S.Delaney 15.06.10
The Right Side Walls and Arête
On the right is a slightly slabby square-cut buttress. The left wall faces back towards the main left-hand wall of the quarry.
16. Hot Beef Injection 12m E3,6a Fr6c *
The left-hand route on this slab is tricky. A wire is needed to thread the first ROTTEN PR. Follow BRs to an old BB.
M.Crocker, R.Thomas 13.11.1988
17. Spam Javelin 14m Fr5
A poor route that may improve with traffic. Follow the central crack line with a crux located low down.
R.Thomas, E.Travers-Jones 00.00.1990
18. Neo Maxie Zoom Weenie 14m E3,6a Fr6b+ *
Just to the right is a short thin crack (wires). Follow this up onto the slab and climb the slab past two rotten pegs to a BB. It may be possible to top rope from the belay of Pork Sword.
M.Crocker, R.Thomas 13.11.1988
19. Le Pork Sword 15m Fr6b
Starting on the right-hand side of the arete. Your aiming for the BB on Neo Maxie Zoom Weenie at the top of the left wall. Contains one tricky move on route up the arete.
R.Thomas 15.03.1998
The following routes are all located of the fingery right wall of the crag:
19a. Turkey Twizzler 15m Fr6a+
The wall right of the arete to the shared belay of Anniversary Walk. Start as for Anniversary walk then move left to the shallow cave. Pull steeply out of this and continue up the wall.
R Thomas ,Nand M Jordan .Giulia
20. 'Unnamed 6a
Follow the spaced bolts to the first lower off located to the right of 'Turkey Twizzler'. Great technical climbing at the grade.
Unnamed 00.00.0000
21. Anniversary Walk 15m HVS,5b Fr5+ *
The wall just right of the arete, BB.
R.Thomas, M.Crocker 13.11.1988
22. 'The forgotten route 10m Fr6a
A bit of an eliminate. Climb the tricky start to a bolt below the big/loose recess above. The lower off is situated just below the recess.
G.Lewis and S.Delaney 01.09.2009
23. Hey Mister 15m E1,5c Fr6a
The wall right again, BB.
R.Thomas, M.Crocker 13.11.1988
24. Buff The Happy Lamp 15m E1,5c Fr6a
The wall right again, then follow a rising traverse to the belay of Pork Sword, BB.
R.Thomas, P.Hadley 00.08.1999
25. Yank the Plank 15m E1,5b Fr6a
The wall right again to a BB.
R.Thomas, P.Hadley 00.08.1999
26. Evil Ways 15m E1,5b Fr6a
The wall right again to a BB.
P.Hadley, R.Thomas 00.08.1999
