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LLANBRADACH UPPER TIER

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South East Wales Sandstone

Llanbradach
File:Aptitude Test.jpg
A local cock jockey on Aptitude Test - Fr.7a

THE UPPER QUARRY

Described as approached from the left-hand banking of the quarry entrance. About 100m into the tier is an awesome tower (resisting the obvious Frank Zappaism, we continue), which contains Desert Storm. There are some shorter buttresses leading up to this tower and a large slabby wall. The first routes, however, start in the small bay right at the start of the tier.

Currently the routes right of Aptitude Test are all in very good condition after a dedicated clean up in Spring 2015.

Approach Bay

  1. Hedge Of Time - S
    The short arete at the start of the upper tier, PR. BB. 8m

  2. Conan’s Boil - Fr. 4+
    The short wall immediately upon entering the tier, PR, to the visually stunning lower off. 8m

  3. The Lapse - Fr. 6a+
    The wall and flake right of the corner. 8m

  4. Roraima - Fr. 6b+ *
    A good, short route up the centre of the little tower up and right of The Lapse. 9m

Terrace Wall

Futher right is a clean wall above a terrace.

  1. Three Men In A Goat - Fr. 6c *
    The left-hand route on the terrace, keeping out of the crack to the left. 12m

  2. Once Bitten - Fr. 6a
    The centre of the wall to a tree. 12m

  3. Twice Shy - Fr. 5+
    The right-hand line on the terrace wall. 12m

    Up in the trees, 6m to the right is a short arete.

  4. Hollow Feeling - Fr. 6a+
    The arete proves quite exciting at the moment! 3BRs, PR, BB. 12m

  5. Practice What You Preach - E3, 5b
    Climb the centre of this wall to the same BB. Why do the anti-bolters not do this route? 12m

File:Llanbradach upper R.jpg
Torch the Earth to Blinded by Love. Photo: Dan Carroll

Upper Tier - Left

Just to the right is a large slabby wall, forming the first area of rock to run the full height of the tier.

  1. Pampered - Fr. 6a+ *
    The left-hand arete of the slabby wall. 20m

  2. You Change Me - Fr. 6c *
    The centre of the slabby wall. No longer bold, but a little harder than the original version, having shed holds and gained an optional problem start by avoiding use of the banking on the left. At the top of the arete swing right to the belay out on the slab. 27m

  3. Nappy Rush - Fr. 6b ***
    The line to the right of You Change Me is absolutely brilliant with good holds all the way up. 27m

    There is a never-dry project up the corner right of Nappy Rush. A large sandstone tower now rears up from the quarry floor.

  4. Torch The Earth - Fr. 7b+ *
    A route with a real stopper move. The tall can dyno, the short have to make a horrendous static move, sounds unusual, but you will soon see why. Start at the left arete of the tower and climb to a borehole and TR. Climb the slab to a couple of tricky moves up a crack and a good rest. Rock up the wall to the undercuts. Fall off repeatedly, go away and grow 6” then come back to complete the monster stretch to the easier upper wall. There is no lower off at present so abseil off the tree or top out - both are exciting! TR, PR, BRs. 24m

  5. Dirty As A Dog - Fr. 6b **
    Start below the left arete of the tower and follow it with interest to brilliant moves left of the capped niche to a BB, in a splendid position. . 24m

  6. Desert Storm - Fr. 7a+ ***
    A stunning route, sustained though never too hard, but the crux is at the top. The leaning, orange, right-hand wall of the tower. Start at a vague triangular niche and follow the wall directly (often seeping) to a good shakeout just before the crackline. Make hard moves up the slanting crack and swing right to a good shakeout jug. From here, step left and make a massive rock up back left to the BB. 24m

Upper Tier - Centre

To the right of the tower containing Desert Storm is a more moderately angled wall:

  1. Twenty Second Chance - Fr. 7a+
    To the right of a loose corner is a steep face. Climb the blunt arete directly, with a VERY tricky move at 5m, then finish easily up the arete to a sapling and a BB out on the right. 18m

  2. Sixty Second Go See - Fr. 7a *
    The wall to the right of the arete offers short but brilliant tips pulling. Finish up Roaring Forties. 21m

  3. Roaring Forties - Fr. 6a+ *
    Start up the shattered flaky groove to the right and follow a curving flake onto the easy upper slab and the common BB. 21m

  4. Between The Lines - Fr. 6b
    Climb directly up the wall right of Roaring Forties to an undercut and straight up the wall above, making a slight detour onto a flake out left at 14m. At the last BR, move left to the BB. 21m

  5. Dirty Day Out - E3, 5c
    The groove on the right. The situ gear is currently missing so needs a rebolt. 21m

    The rock now becomes more complex. To aid location, the next slightly slabby arete is Harrowed Harrovians, the obvious tall blunt arete to the right is Blinded By Love and much further on, the last big slab contains You Are What You Is.

  6. Harrowed Harrovians - Fr. 6b+ *
    The big, slabby arete. 27m

  7. Saboo - Fr. 6c
    The big slab to the right has an obvious capped groove at 18m. Climb boldly up the slab to gain the niche, then either move left (the original finish), or right (harder), round the roof to the ledge. Make a hard move up off the ledge to gain the BB. 27m

  8. Dandelion - Fr. 6a+
    To the right is a slim corner groove before the corner proper. Climb this to a BB below the roof. 27m

  9. Burdoch - Fr. 6a+
    Bolts in poor state. Needs regearing/cleaning. 25m

  10. Blinded By Love - Fr. 6c **
    To the right is a damp corner followed by an arete. Climb the arete from its bottom left-hand side to an awkward top out to the tree belay. Sustained and well worthwhile. 21m

  11. The Laughing Policeman - Fr. 6b
    Needs re-bolting. The square-cut groove immediately right of Blinded By Love only dries out to an acceptable state in midsummer, which is a shame, as the upper groove is good. Take care with the monster loose block. 27m

Upper Tier - Right

File:Llanbradach upper R1.jpg
Click to Enlarge.
  1. Fair Cop - Fr. 6a+
    Ivy may have engulfed the groove to the right of The Laughing Policeman, if not, take care with the flake at 18m and take a lot of quickdraws. 25m

  2. Aptitude Test - Fr. 7a **
    The blunt arete to the right of the encroaching ivy is a fine, solid route and well worth seeking out. Low in the grade, once the sequence has been unlocked. 12m

  3. The Merthyr Infill - Fr.6c *
    A typical sandstone crimper occupies the wall right of Aptitude Test. 12m

  4. My Blue Bell - Fr. 5+ *
    The well trafficked groove in the centre of the bay finishes through a weakness in the capping roof. 12m

  5. All Sand Together - Fr. 6c+ **
    This is the steep blunt arete to the right of My Blue Bell. Step right at the roof to join Red ‘Erring. Pumpy, but with good rests when you need 'em. 18m

  6. Red ‘Erring - Fr. 6b+
    A filler. Head straight up the wall left of the collapsing corner on brittle and sandy rock. 18m

  7. Plaque Attack - Fr. 6b+ *
    To the right of the collapsing corner is a black slab, this route takes its centre by a series of entertaining rock ups. 12m

  8. Incidentally - Fr. 6b *
    The black arete of the slab is a joy. 12m

    The next feature is an impressive sweep of long slabs.

    File:Llanbradach upper R2.jpg
    Click to Enlarge.
  9. Cop The Lot - Fr. 7a
    The shallow orange groove and blunt rib just right of the vegetated corner. Steady until the groove peters out and the wall steepens. Shares a lower off with the next route. 11m

  10. The Caerphilly Cop Out - Fr. 6c+
    The wall between the two shallow grooves has some thin moves left of the bolts at half height. 11m

  11. I Am What I Am - Fr. 6b *
    The long line in the centre of the wall, starting up the flaky right hand groove. There are good holds all the way up and no particularly hard moves. 18m

  12. You Are What You Is - Fr. 6b+ *
    Follow the long, slab on the right side of the wall. Relatively easy, except for one disproportionately difficult sequence to pass the second staple. 21m

  13. Is It What You Are That Is - Fr. 6c+ *
    The impressive sharks fin arete bounding the right-hand side of the slab, on its overhanging side to half-height, then the left hand side thereafter. Reachy to start but sustained and pleasantly exposed thereafter. 21m

    A steep vegetated gully separates the arete from the next couple of routes.

  14. The Brush Down Fr. 7a
    A long route. Shares a start and lower off with The Brush Off. 60m rope needed.

  15. The Brush Off - Fr. 7a
    Again, a 60m rope needed.

    100m further right in the last bay.

  16. My Little Routey Wooty - Fr. 6b
    Slabby wall on right of crack steepening towards the LO.

First Ascents

APPROACH WALL

  1. R.Thomas 07.05.1997
  2. R.Thomas 07.05.1997
  3. R.Thomas 07.05.1997
  4. R.Thomas, G.Gibson 23.03.1997

TERRACE WALL

  1. R.Thomas 02.04.1997
  2. R.Thomas, M.Crocker 00.00.1991
  3. R.Thomas, G.Gibson 23.03.1997
  4. M.Learoyd, R.Thomas 00.00.1991
  5. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 00.00.1991

UPPER TIER - LEFT

  1. R.Thomas 14.04.1997
  2. M.Crocker 00.00.1991
  3. R.Thomas 00.00.1997
  4. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 27.01.1991
  5. R.Thomas, G.Royle, M.Learoyd 00.00.1991
  6. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 27.01.1991

UPPER TIER - CENTRE

  1. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 26.01.1991
  2. M.Crocker, R.Thomas 26.01.1991
  3. R.Thomas, J.Bullock 00.00.1989
  4. R.Thomas, G.Royle 00.00.1991
  5. J.Bullock, R.Thomas 00.00.1989
  6. R.Thomas, Old Harrovians 00.00.1998
  7. M.Learoyd 00.00.1989 - G.Ashmore, J.Tracey - Direct 17.06.1997
  8. M.Hirst 08.04.1997
  9. M.Hirst 06.06.1997
  10. R.Thomas, G.Royle, M.Learoyd 00.00.1991
  11. R.Thomas 13.07.1997

UPPER TIER - RIGHT

  1. R.Thomas, G.Gibson 24.05.1997
  2. M.Crocker 00.00.1991
  3. G.Gibson 23.03.1997
  4. G.Gibson, R.Thomas 18.05.1997
  5. G.Gibson 18.05.1997
  6. G.Gibson, R.Thomas 18.05.1997
  7. G.Gibson, R.Thomas 00.00.1997
  8. G.Gibson, R.Thomas 23.03.1997
  9. G.Gibson 24.07.1997
  10. G.Gibson 24.05.1997
  11. G.Gibson, R.Thomas 24.05.1997
  12. G.Barker, R.Trevitt 00.00.1989
  13. G.Gibson, R.Thomas 18.05.1997
  14. G.Gibson, R.Thomas - 10 Oct 2008
  15. G.Gibson, R.Thomas - 10 Oct 2008
  16. R.Thomas. G..Gibson - 10 Oct 2008

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