Giant's Cave

Gower

Fall Bay to Mewslade

GR SS 415 872

Giants Cave

Pat Littlejohn & Dave Turnbull enjoying an outing on 'Nick'd'; whilst Neil Foster gets to grips with the fiddly gear on 'Charlie Don't Surf' at Giants Cave, Gower

TIDAL STATUS

2½ hours either side of low water.

BOLTING POLICY

No bolting.

PREAMBLE

The enormous square-cut cave east of Lewes Castle and round the (east) corner from King Wall. It contains a high concentration of Gower’s harder testpieces, along with some of its most spectacular.

DESCENTS

Descent is to the left (west) at the top, passing down the path running down and east of Lewes Castle to the Great Terrace.

THE ROUTES

The first feature is a pile of blocks, the remains of Flake Route (J.Talbot 1963).

1. Flake Corner 9m VD
   The first corner right of the remains of Flake Route.
   
   
2. Wall Climb 9m VD
   The wall right of Flake Corner.
   
   
3. Slight 9m HVS,4c
   Just to the right is a shallow corner with a hairline crack.
   
   
4. Killing Time 10m E2,6a
   To the right of Slight is a vague hanging arete.
   
   
5. Red Admiral 13m E3,6a *
   The more defined arete to the right.
   
   
6. Wierdo 12m E5,6a
   The cracks in the slight wall right of Red Admiral and left of Errant.
   
   
7. Errant 14m E2,5c *
   A good technical pitch up the clean corner just right. Scramble off left at the top.
   
   
8. Super Rock 30m E6,6b **
   The line of old bolt holes up the wall between Errant and Masterpiece. A good nut at three-fifths height and a crucial Super-rock 5 in one of the pockets high up are required.
   
   
9. Masterpiece 31m E6,6b ***
   A fierce route based on the left arete of the cave. Start at the base of the arete and either swing in from the left, or more logically climb thin cracks on its right side to gain a thin, pocketed crack on the arete itself. Move up and use some pockets on the left to gain flat holds higher on the arete, above which more hard moves lead to the horizontal break. Climb the groove and continue straight up to finish.
   
   
10. Napalm In The Morning 31m E7,6c ***
    An impressive route. Start up Masterpiece, but then follow the hairline cracks in the wall to its right on crimps and tinies, to join the traverse of Thriller, up which the route finishes. A Friend ½ may prove useful.
    
    
11. Thriller 31m E4,6a **
    An excellent adventure up the left side of the cave. Start at the wide crack at the seaward end of the left wall of the cave that leads to the roof. Climb the crack to the cave roof, traverse strenuously left to gain a hanging groove and follow this to the top.
    
    
12. A Rush Of Blood To The Head 31m E6,6b **
    As for Thriller to the roof then launch out along the roof, move 1m right to a crack and hole and finish up a groove.
    
    
13. Can't Buy A Thrill 31m E5,6b **
    A strenuous exposed pitch requiring good footwork. As for Thriller to the roof then launch out along the roof, TR, on buckets and jams, pull over the lip and finish rightwards.
    
    
14. The Divine Guiding Light 36m E6,6b ***
    Follow thin cracks 5m right of Thriller and an overhanging flake, PR, to the horizontal break TR. Follow this, then pull up the crack to the roof, cross it on superb jams, TR, to a chimney. Squirm across into the blowhole and follow the light.
    
    
15. Lost Souls 60m A2
    An aid route. Start up the offwidth 12m right of The Divine Guiding Light, then move left to gain the traverse of that route. Finish as for Divine Guiding light.
    
    
16. The Sistine Ceiling 35m E6,6c ***
    Up the wall to the right of The Divine Guiding Light to the traverse. Continue straight up to the roof and work leftwards to gain the blowhole. 5BRs, subsequently removed and not repeated without.
    
    
17. Jesus Wept 36m E6,6b ***
    Gain the back right-hand corner of the cave and a good rest on conglomerate. Pull out rightwards, TR, to gain a jam crack. Follow the crack to a handrail leading out right to the blowhole.
    
    
18. Charlie Don't Surf 18m E4,6a *
    Low in the grade. Start below the hanging corner on the right side of the cave below where the roof ends. A boulder problem start leads to a corner and a steep exit leftwards.
    
    
19. Toejam Football 18m E4,6b *
    The roof to the right of Charlie Don't Surf.
    
    
20. Madame Butterfly 18m E5,6b *
    Climb an awkward narrow crack that widens to a large fissure. Climb the overhanging wall direct to a block overhang. Climb this at its centre and take the steep wall above, old PRs.
    
    
21. Giant's Cave Traverse 50m A3
    Follow Madame Butterfly to the cave roof. Traverse the underside of the lip and finish as for Errant.
    
    
22. Nick'd 50m E2,5b *
    A good, airy climb traversing right to left across the lip of the Giant's Cave. Start on the obvious ledges above the corner on the right side of the cave lip (Charlie Don't Surf). Climb down to the lip where easy climbing leftwards leads to a blank-looking section. Cross this and step down to a large foothold, continue leftwards past the final groove of Thriller to belay at the top of Errant.
    
    On the buttress to the right of the cave are a number of easier routes.
    
    
23. Shannara 15m HS,4a
    Start below and right of the arete. Climb steeply left to reach a groove in the arete. Gain the top via the left edge.
    
    
24. Betst 15m D
    Start right of Shannara to the right of the centre of the pillar, but step left and climb the wall.
    
    
25. Sham 12m D *
    Start as for Betst, but climb the groove to the right.
    
    
26. Ease 12m M
    The corner fissure to the right of Sham.
    
    

The Mushroom

Immediately east of Giant's Cave is a large spike block.

1. Flake 12m HS
   On the east side of the block is an obvious traverse line. Follow it to the end, pull up and finish up the -scoops.
   
   

FIRST ASCENTS

1. J.Talbot 00.00.1963
   
2. J.Talbot 00.00.1963
   
3. J.Talbot, D.Lewis 00.00.1963
   
4. A.Berry. G.Morris 00.00.1997
   
5. A.Sharp, P.Lewis 00.00.1984
   
6. C.Savage, B.Heason 00.00.2000
   
7. FFA Unknown Pre-1978
   
8. J.Talbot etc - Peter Smart’s Route Pre-1977, FFA A.Berry 00.09.1997
   
9. P.Littlejohn, M.Campbell 13.05.1984
   
10. A.Berry 00.02.1998
    
11. J.Talbot, B.Talbot - Twm-Schon-Catti 00.00.1966, FFA P.Littlejohn, C.Hurley 02.05.1984
    
12. M.Richards, A.Sharp 00.00.2001
    
13. A.Sharp, P.Lewis 00.00.1986
    
14. M.Crocker, M.Ward 16.08.1987
    
15. M.Heason, S.Hodges 00.10.1997
    
16. P.Oxley 00.00.1993
    
17. P.Oxley 00.00.1989
    
18. A.Sharp, O.Jones 00.00.1986
    
19. A.Sharp, P.Lewis 28.03.2002
    
20. J.Talbot, R.Corbett - Tablette 00.00.1962, FFA A.Sharp, P.Lewis 00.00.1984
    
21. E.Pardoe, M.Hogge, F.Roberts 00.00.1968
    
22. A Wilson, E.Kellar 00.00.1990
    
23. P.Hornsby, S.Hornsby 00.00.1978
    
24. J.Talbot, D.Lewis 00.00.1963
    
25. J.Talbot 00.00.1960
    
26. J.Talbot 00.00.1960
    

The Mushroom

1. J.Talbot, B.Talbot 00.00.1965