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King Wall
From SWMC Wiki
GR SS 414 873
File:King Wall.jpg
King Wall
TIDAL STATUS
2½ hours either side of low water.
BOLTING POLICY
No bolting.
DESCENTS
Descend down and right from the large platform above the crag to reach Giant’s Cave, then double back.
THE ROUTES
This is the tier below The Great Terrace above which is Lewes Castle. It is the first sea level crag encountered when coming from Fall Bay. It provides a number of good lower grade routes. When the beach is exposed, descent is easiest by following the Great Terrace rightwards (east) into Giants Cave. Because the first 6m of the wall are easy, it is possible to traverse or abseil into many of the routes for some time after the tide has come back in. To aid route identification Great Cleft is in the middle of the wall.
- Niord 24m S
Start 15m below and left of the left apex of King Wall, below a right-angled groove at 15m. Gain this groove and finish direct. - Skadi 24m S
The vague ramp 2m right of Niord. - Llethrid 26m HS,4a
Climbs a vague right-trending ramp below the left-hand apex of the wall. - Frigg 26m VS,4b
Start below the highest point of the wall (25m left of Great Cleft). Climb a shallow blackened groove leading towards the left end of the Great Terrace. Climb the groove, then trend left near the top where the groove peters out. - Bolder 26m VS,4b *
A nice pitch up the slabby wall between Frigg and Beowulf. - Beowulf 29m VS,4b
Climb a groove running rightward to a small overlap at 20m with a light brown stain below it. Traverse left above the overlap to a small pitted slab. Follow this via another overlap to the top. - . Beowulf's little mistress 29m E1 5c
A totally contrived and escapable eliminate on the slab between Beowulf and Ragnarok. But if you want King Wall to offer you something a bit harder here it is ( and the moves are nice)! Try to keep off the arete but you might need it just below the top overhang - Ragnarok 29m HS,4a **
As for Beowulf but follow the groove to the top. - Trying Lines 29m VS,4c
Directly up the pillar right of Ragnarok. - Sweyn 29m HS,4b
Follow thin calcite streaks on the broken wall right of Ragnarok, then directly up the wall above. - Gefion 27m HVS, 5a
The steeper wall left of the groove (Idun). Get to the ledge at half height via an interesting rock up into a large hole. Romp to the top - Idun 21m S
The corner bounding the left-hand side of the pillar. - King Route 21m S
Start immediately right of Idun and climb the left-hand side of the pillar and the indefinite stepped groove slightly rightwards to the top. - Freya 21m HS,4a *
Climb a shallow groove in the centre of the pillar. - Valkyrie 21m VS,5a
The cracked wall to the right of Freya, keeping left of an overlap at 15m. - Cleft Corner 21m S
Take the subsidiary groove running up to Great Cleft from the left. - Great Cleft 21m D
The obvious broken crack and groove left of a smooth recessed slab more or less halfway along the wall. Climb the wall to gain the crack at half-height.
To the right is a 20m wide wall, bounded on its right by a prominent arete. - Wulst 21m S
Climb the wall just right of Great Cleft. - Vanir 21m VS,4c
Start right of Wulst and climb up to a scoop and a tiny calcite knob in a hole. Move up to a shallow groove on the left to finish. - Balder 21m VS,5a
The centre of the slab by a thin crack. Climb up leftward to gain a tiny ledge, move right and finish up the slab. - Loki 21m HS
The slabs right of Balder and left of the more prominent cracks of Tyr to the right. - Tyr 21m S,4a
The cracks to the right of Loki. - Fafnir 21m HS,4b **
A popular climb taking the corner at the right side of the recessed slab. - Amble 21m VD
The prominent crack right of Fafnir. - Pytt 21m S
The wall immediately right of Amble.
An indistinct line Fenris (J.Talbot 1962) seems to be covered by the lines of Pytt and Vorder. - Vorder 21m S,4a
Climb the arete at the right side of the pitted wall. - Vik 21m HS,4b
Climb a vague line right of Valkyrie and left of the arete of the wall. - Ides 30m S
A rising traverse linking Vorder to Needle Crack. - Thor 21m S,4a
The groove in the side wall to the right of Vorder, gained from Odin. - Odin 21m VS,4b
A skinny man's route. Climb the obvious chimney and the crack above. - Valhalla 21m HVS,4c
The wall right of Odin.
Nones (J.Talbot, B.Talbot 1965) has been superseded by the other routes hereabouts. - Needle Crack 21m VS,4b **
Climb the steep corner right of Odin to easier rock, then pleasantly up to the final steep section. - Joe Says Its Cool 24m E2,5c
- Nimbus 24m S,4c
Start just right of the arete of the corner of Needle Crack. Make an awkward move to gain the slab just right of the arete and take a diagonal line up right to a ledge. Continue directly to the top. - Genesis 18m HD
The distinct rib 10m to the right of Nimbus. - Findel 18m M
The last deep fissure on the wall. - Varus 18m M
Climbs the area of broken rock to the right of Findel. - King Wall Girdle 100m VS,4c
A right to left girdle following any convenient line.
FIRST ASCENTS
- J.Talbot 00.00.1970
- J.Talbot 00.00.1970
- J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- J.Talbot, D.Lewis 00.00.1963
- J.Harwood, G.Evans 07.12.1980
- J.Talbot, D.Lewis 00.00.1963
- C Wyatt, 9.3.2015
- J.Talbot, D.Lewis 00.00.1963
- G.Evans, J.Harwood 07.12.1980
- J.Talbot, D.Lewis 00.00.1963
- J.Talbot, D.Lewis 00.00.1963
- J.Talbot, D.Lewis 00.00.1964
- D.Jones, J.Talbot 00.00.1959
- J.Talbot 00.00.1964
- J.Talbot 00.00.1964
- J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- J.Talbot, D.Jones 00.00.1959
- J.Talbot 00.00.1970
- J.Talbot 00.00.1964
- J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- J.Talbot 00.00.1964
- J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- J.Talbot 00.00.1961
- J.Talbot 00.00.1962
- J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- J.Talbot 00.00.1964
- J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- Supersedes the old routes Exodus (J.Talbot 1963) and Kluft (J.Talbot 1960). The overlaps right of Needle Crack. A.Berry, H.Griffiths, J.Bottrill, J.Bullock, G.Evans 00.00.1993
- J.Talbot 00.00.1963
- Unknown Pre-1978
- J.Talbot 00.00.1961
- ' J.Talbot 00.00.1961
- Traditional Pre-1978
