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Great Tor East
GR SS
Contents
TIDAL STATUS
Obscenities is Non-tidal. The other routes 1½ to 3 hours either side of low water, increasing towards the end of the section.
BOLTING POLICY
No bolting.
PREAMBLE
Another pleasant area with many easy routes. Worthy of description, if only to help take some pressure off Three Cliffs and Little Tor.
The cliffs are described moving landwards (left to right facing away from the sea) along the eastern coastline of the Great Tor headland, which forms the west side of Three Cliffs Bay. Although the area is liberally covered with rock a series of inlets and bays provide the main interest, the first encountered being Shallow Cut.
DESCENTS
Descents are by scrambling down various grooves in the area.
THE ROUTES
Shallow Cut
About 25m right of the starting platform of East Ridge is a shallow recess with a chimney in the back.
1. Stefan Hermann And The Mothers Of Invention 10m HS,4a
Climb the chimney and subsequent corner forming the left side of the recess.
D.Dilligence Pre-2003
2. Careless McGee 10m HVD
Scramble up to the ledge half-way up the right corner of the recess and finish up the corner crack.
D.Dilligence Pre-2003
3. Another Brixius In The Wall 10m M
The right-hand arete of the recess.
D.Dilligence Pre-2003
Deep Cut
This distinctive gash lies below a prominent subsidiary ridge to the east of East Ridge. Climbing is only possible around low water.
4. Left Edge 15m VD
The left edge of Deep Cut contains two corners. Follow the first over a bulge to a slabby finish.
J.Talbot 00.00.1960
5. The Camille Wester Fan Club 15m VS,4c
The right-hand corner.
D.Dilligence Pre-2003
6. Chasm 18m HVD
The right wall of Deep Cut contains a leftward rising ledge. Gain and follow this from the right of a bulge. Chimney up the back wall, to gain a ledge on the right. Finish up the crack above.
J.Talbot 00.00.1960
7. Left Crack 15m S *
Follow Chasm to the ledge, then take a short corner to a ledge. Choose from a cluster of cracks to finish.
J.Talbot 00.00.1960
8. Right Edge 18m M
The right edge of Deep Cut.
J.Talbot 00.00.1960
9. Arcelor Bandit 18m VD
The arete 3m right of Right Edge.
D.Dilligence Pre-2003
10. LEG And Jakob's Triple Trigger ABS Restructuring 18m D
The shallow corner immediately right of Arcelor Bandit.
G.Ashmore 15.03.2003
The next 2 routes lie above the beach level line of outcrops, in a conspicuous recess.
Odin's Cave
11. Obscenities 12m E4 6b
The right wall and rib of the cave. Climb the rib, TR, 2PRs, to the roof. Pull through into the groove via very thin moves until a "thank God" hold can be reached. Continue direct to the top (a pre-placed rope belay is advisable).
E.Kellar, A.Wilson 00.00.1990
Not actually in Odin's Cave, but on the broken slabs to the right is the following route:-
11a. Another Fine Mess 14m Severe
Take a line on the slabs to the right of the Obscenities. Some loose rock here.
Mark Winder, A. N. Other 27.04.2011
Odin's Wall
The most attractive of the crags lying on the west side of Three Cliffs Bay, Odin's Wall, is composed of the best Gower Limestone and provides a variety of well protected quality lines. It is the wall at right angles to the last few routes described, some 70m back from the headland. Accessible approximately 2½ hours either side of low tide.
12. Left Corner And Crack 18m HVS,5a
The left end of the wall forms a corner. Climb this to a big ledge and follow the crack above.
J.Talbot 00.00.1961
13. Cave Crack Direct 20m VS,4b *
Follow Left Corner And Crack to the ledge. Traverse delicately right into a hollow and finish up the crack above.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
14. Cave Crack 18m HS,4b
Follow Cave Crack Direct to the hollow, but finish up the diagonal crack on the right.
R.Owen, D.Jones, A.Bevan 00.00.1959
15. Direct 21m VS,5a
Start at a recess to the right of a cave. Step over the pool to use the recess to gain the cracks above. Climb these with conviction, to a rest and an easier finish.
J.Talbot, D.Thomas 00.00.1959
16. Fiechtl 18m S
A niche forms the start of the next pronounced crack to the right. Follow this until a horizontal break leads to a series of cracks forming the right side of the main wall.
J.Talbot, D.Thomas 00.00.1959
17. Wide Crack 18m D
Start as for Fiechtl. Climb the tricky wide crack, chimney and corner to the top.
R.Owen, D.Jones 00.00.1959
18. Happy Feet 17m S,4a
Start at the second barnacle covered crack to the right of Wide Crack, climb to a small ledge then follow the obvious thin crack line to a second ledge, climb straight up the smoother slab to the top.
C.Evans, P.Leeder 20.08.2014
19. Pillar Crack 15m D
The chimney right of Wide Crack often has a pool at its barnacle-ridden base. A preferable start lies 1m left, before joining the chimney at a ledge.
R.Owen, D.Jones 00.00.1959
20. Girdle Traverse 18m VS,4c
Start as for Fiechtl and continue leftwards at mid height to finish on the ledge of Left Corner and Crack.
Odin's Wall East Facet
Slightly right and up from Odin's Wall lie a series of pillars and corners. The first pillar of note is called the Second Pillar.
Second Pillar
The first route here follows the obvious South East facing cracked corner at the top left of the bay.
20. Left Corner 12m D
Follow the crack, with good jams past a bulge.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
21. South Wall 12m D
From the base of the crack Left Corner, step right and climb the narrow wall.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
22. East Edge 15m D
Follow the arete to the right of South Wall, taking care with the rock near the top.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
23. Wall And Corner 15m VD
The wall just before Left Crack.
J.Talbot 00.00.1960
24. Left Crack 15m D
Set back from the last route is a gashed feature. Climb this.
J.Talbot 00.00.1960
First Pillar
Is nothing more than a continuation of the rock.
25. South Face 15m D
The steep juggy face just to the right of Left Crack.
J.Talbot 00.00.1960
26. Left Edge 15m S
Take the arete with little in the way of protection.
J.Talbot 00.00.1960
27. Left Pillar Direct 15m VD
Takes the narrow east face of the First Pillar.
J.Talbot 00.00.1960
28. East Corner Crack 16m D
A good line up the cracked corner, bounding the right side of the pillar.
J.Talbot, D.Thomas 00.00.1959
The rest of this recessed bay can be climbed anywhere at less than Moderate standard. The cliff now becomes more broken. The next bay, 150m on is known as Third Corner, Which may house a route up some grooves on the left wall (Living Wall HVS,5a, L.Cole, M.Condick 09.04.2002). The next area to be encountered, 100m past Third Bay houses a number of good lines.
First Pillar
Second Corner
The left wall of the Second Corner is marked by a v-shaped nose at its centre. Left of this nose lie two corners.
29. Left Corner 8m D
The left of the two corners.
J.Talbot 1959
30. Buttress 8m M
The rock between Left Corner and Sharp Edge.
J.Talbot 1959)
31. Sharp Edge 10m VD
Takes the short slab followed by the corner above, which provides good laybacking.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
32. The Nose 10m HS,4a
Start in a hollow just right of the slab of Sharp Edge. Climb up left to a ledge on that route, before swinging right onto the nose which is taken to the top.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
33. Quartz Slab 10m VD
Attain the quartz flecked slab just right of The Nose. Follow this with help from the crack to the right, to a bulge. Surmount this to follow the edge above.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
34. Right Block Buttress 8m S
The wall right of Quartz Slab, is climbed by moving firstly a little right and then back into the centre of the wall to finish.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
The South Wall
This buttress forms the right face of the Second Corner. It is notable for the chimney that splits it.
35. Dr. Focke’s Pension Fund 7m HVS,5b
A problem up a vague groove in the left arete of the chimney recess.
G.Ashmore 15.03.2003
36. South Chimney And Slab 15m VD *
From the back of the chimney, back and footing gains a ledge, from where a crack leads to a steepening. Step up and left over this, to finish up the slab above. Entertaining.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
37. Left Arete 7m S,4c
Climb the slabby right face of the arete to the right. Delicate.
J.Kerry, A. Randall 00.00.1970
38. RIP Norman 7m D
Off to the right is a hole. Crawl in through this and climb the chimney above.
L.Cole 16.03.2003
39. Taste Of Spring Chicken 7m S
Off to the right is a platform. Follow the corner up from this and the crack above.
L.Cole 07.03.2002
40. Scary Cow Don’t Jump 7m E1,5c
Climb the arete from a small boulder.
L.Cole 07.03.2002
Monty's Slab
Just before the First Corner is reached you reach a small slabby zawn.
41. Master Bates Smear HVS,5b
Climb the slab direct.
(LM.Condick, L.Cole 2002)
42. Monty's Slab HS,5a
Follow a vague crack diagonally left after a hard start.
(J.Kerry, A.March 1971)
First Corner
100 metres along the coast lies another bay of cliffs. The left wall leans gently and is full of cracks, the right wall being composed of an hectic arrangement of pillars.
The gently leaning east wall contains a number of routes. Cherry grove is the corner on the left end of this wall.
Here's a bit of a story : The next two climbs waited 50 years for a first ascent . When it finally did come two totally independent parties bagged them on the same day. Steve and Will climbed them at 2pm whereas Chris and Cherry climbed them at 4pm. Chris and Cherry were understandably gutted!
43a shoulda brought a beer towel 9m HVS, 5b * The crack in the left of cherry grove with a tricky start . Turn the overhang to the left. Sustained
Steve Grigg 01.10.2015
43b Steve Get Naked 9m S, 4a *
The corner. Move right towartds the top
Will Nicholson 01.10.2015
43c The Road to Azerbajan 9m E1, 5b *
The crack in the left of the wall with a tricky start and a fierce lay-back to finish. Sustained
Chris Wyatt 01.07.2014
44. Onion Crack (Weeping Crack) 9m VS,5a *
The last crack on the right end of the wall is the most obvious.
J.Talbot 00.00.1962
Block Corner D (J.Talbot 1959) bounds the right end of the leaning wall. Right of this is a pillar and a cave entrance.
45. Left Corner Block Wall 12m D
Ascend the groove on the left of the cave. At half-height, move right around a flake, then step back up left to a narrow corner and a conglomerate top out.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
A cave at its left-hand end is followed rightwards by a series of pillars of varying height, to another through cave and
a holed slab.
46. Block Wall 12m S,4a
Bridge the cave just right of Left Corner Block Wall. Pull up into the crack above. From the crack an obvious foothold is used to cross the wall leftwards to a crack. Follow this to a small conglomerate overhang, then move right and up to the top.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
47. Central Pillar 13m HS,4b
A corner just right of the cave leads to a ledge beneath an arete. Swing left onto the face along a horizontal crack, to join Block Wall.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
The corner right of Central Pillar is Stalactite HD (J.Talbot 1959), whose right arete is Commitment 4b (J.Talbot 1959).
Stepping down and right is a through cave with a slab to its right.
48. Cave and Balcony Blow-Hole 9m VD
Climb damp cracks into the back of the cave and a balcony ledge, step across and make an exposed exit through the blow-hole.
Nick Taylor o/s solo 23.05.2009
49. Hole Slab 8m D
Begin at a shallow corner at the right side of the slab (the corner itself is Right Corner M (J.Talbot 1959). Step left as soon as possible onto the slab. Move up to the distinct hole, exiting up the slab above.
J.Talbot 00.00.1959
50. Proud Slab 7m D
The proud slab right of Right Corner.
Unknown Pre-1978'
High Slab
This is the steep slab set behind the climbs at south wall (visible in the photo). Currently slightly vegetated but good quality bold routes await those who are willing to give this piece of esoterica a go
50. Gardeners Question time 12m E2 5c *
Takes a slightly wondering line up the most compact and highest part of the slab . Start below a horizontal crack /notch. Find a way up to this, step left then take a rising line on micro cracks rightwards eventually reaching a small downward pointing tooth/flake in the upper part of the wall. From here tend slightly left to the top. Reasonable block belays. A good, bold and technically demanding climb
Chris Wyatt 7/7/2014
Ramp Zawn
A narrow zawn whose left wall lies at about 40 degrees and whose right wall is composed of boulders. It is due north from the Rock Island and has a steep slab at its back.
49. Cracked Slab 12m VD
Follow the crack in the slab.
S.Jacques 00.00.1998
51. Lucy Slab 12m VD
On the tidal island itself, climb the centre of the main face.
L.Cole 07.03.2002
52. Look-out Lucy 12m D
Climb the crack to the right of Lucy Slab.
L.Cole 07.03.2002
