Fools Fantasy Area

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ACCESS

See the Ogmore Crag Familiarisation Page.

The Routes

An area of hard routes but ending at the popular corner of Pluto VS. A good search of the ledges above will reveal good belays for most routes. The obvious vegetated chimney between the finish of Fools Fantasy and Wipeout is obvious from the top.

File:Fools Fantasy Area Topo 01.jpg

Fools Fantasy Area

To the right of Leprechaun, after a featureless undercut wall is a cave recess, with a large roof running over its back wall. The first route is based around the left arete of the recess.

1. Oedipus 18m E3,6b
   Gymnastic. Climb the left side of the blunt arete right of Leprechaun to bulges, then move up right and back left to gain a ledge above the roof. Move onto the face above and finish.
   
   
2. Astrobrain 18m E6,6b *
   Start just right of Oedipus. Climb steeply up right to a crack and into a pod. Traverse right to a block then up right again until a few moves lead to a PR. Bold moves up and left lead to an exit.
   
   
3. Fools Fantasy 33m E5,6a **
   A spectacularly awkward pitch which follows the lip of the cave. Climb a groove left of the cave to the first roof. Traverse rightwards around this and continue to beneath the main overhangs. Traverse right to pull round the right end of the roof finishing up a groove. The pegs are little more than rust, but good gear can still be placed. Hint: three ropes to start might relieve the drag, if one is dropped above the first lip.
   
   
4. Wipeout 27m E4,5c
   A strenuous and greasy route. Climb the left-hand of the two overhanging grooves right of Fools' Fantasy, past a bulge, until it is possible to swing right and finish up a short wall. Gear is good but exceedingly awkward to place.
   
   
5. Right Little Raver 27m E5,6a *
   Good wall climbing between Wipeout and Nyth. Climb on good holds to a nut where the face is smoother and steeper. Continue to a flat greasy hold, then move up left to good nuts in a thin flake. Make a hard move up to gain the obvious crack out right, then traverse left into Wipeout to finish.
   
   
6. Nyth 27m E3,6a *
   The right-hand of the overhanging grooves right of Fools Fantasy. Climb the wall, keeping left of the crack, until level with the base of the groove. Climb the groove to the top.
   
   
7. Disneyworld 27m E6,6c
   Climb the wall underneath the roof stack left of Pluto. At the roof, swing right onto the wall of Pluto, TRs. Step round left and make problematic moves over the roof, then continue up the wall above, 2 PRs.
   
   
8. Pluto 27m VS,4c ***
   A good line through some spectacular terrain, a must for any aspiring Ogmore leader. Climb the v-chimney 2m right of Nyth. Swing left near the top, to finish up the arete. It is also possible to finish direct at a slightly harder grade.
   
   

First Ascents

1. P.Littlejohn, A.Sharp 25.05.1978
2. P.Littlejohn, R.Thomas 00.07.1986
3. P.Thomas, C.Horsfield 00.00.1974
   FFA P.Littlejohn 06.07.1977
4. P.Thomas, C.Horsfield 00.00.1974
   FFA P.Littlejohn, J.Mothersele 07.05.1977
5. P.Littlejohn, M.Moran 29.04.1984
6. P.Thomas, J.Harwood 1pt 18.06.1975
   FFA P.Littlejohn, J.Mothersele 19.05.1977
7. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 00.00.1990
8. C.Horsfield, P.Thomas 00.00.1972