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Molar Wall and White Edge
GR SS 418 872
Contents
TIDAL STATUS
White Edge is non-tidal. Molar Wall 2½ hours either side of low water.
BOLTING POLICY
No bolting.
PREAMBLE
This is the uninispiring area of rock 100m east of the Cathedral Wall Area. White Edge is the obvious white ridge set up above the sea and Molar Wall is the long, low, lower wall sticking out of the fishing boat bobbing sea. Which is not black. Unless there has been a serious accident in Swansea.
ACCESS
DESCENTS
Scramble down gullies (well) to the west or east.
THE ROUTES
Molar Wall West
The small but clean west-facing facet. Rampe (J.Talbot, B.Talbot 1966) and South West Corner (J.Talbot, B.Talbot 1966) could not be located for the guidebook.
1. Don't Blow It 10m E2,6a ?
At the landward end of the inlet facing the Bochlwyd facet is a cave. Start from the non-tidal platform, immediately right of the cave. Boulder up to the obvious projecting flat hold. Proceed direct on pockets and then jugs to broken ground. Walk off right.
2. Bochlwyd 12m HVS,5a
Take the thin, narrow, leftward-trending crack on the left facet of the west-facing face.
3. He Man 12m E2,5c
Climb the crack-seamed wall via a straight line directly up the middle of the centre.
4. Muscle Man 12m VS,4c
Climb the slab 3m right of He Man, then up the leaning overhanging wall and overlap via a long, tall reach.
5. Christa 13m HS,4b
Start right at the right side of the wall where rocks project outwards protruding into the sandy sand. Climb left of a corner to below an overhang, cross it rightwards or, much harder, leftwards (5b).
South Face
6. Straight Crack 9m VD
Where the wall projects out south west, is a narrow recessed wall with a wide, deep, thin, narrow crack.
On the south face are two easy scrambling routes, Right and Left Buttress (J.Talbot, 1963).
7. Recessed Wall 15m VD
The wall right of Straight Crack.
8. Sharp Corner 12m D
The corner right again.
In the centre of the South facet is a recess with a cave at the back and a square-cut chimney groove to its right.
9. Blocky Corner 12m VD
This takes left-corner of the Curving Corner feature.
10. Curving Corner 12m HVS,5a
Fun. Climb the steep, smooth corner left of the cave until it is possible to gain the arete on the right.
11. Cavity Edge 15m D
The chimney to the right of Curving Corner.
12. Cavity Crack 15m S
Tthe square-cut groove right of the cave, or move left at 7m up the left edge (Narrow Rib S, J.Talbot 1963)
13. Deception Crack 6m S
Start at an easy recessed slab and climb a vertical narrow crack.
14. Two Step Wall 13m HS,4b
Start on the right side of the wall and strenuously climb an overhang to a ledge. Climb the second overhanging section by a committing move right to a slippery ledge, then leftwards to the top.
Molar Wall East
The wall to the east.
15. Thrutch 7m HS,4b
Based on a definite concavity 4m before Hairline. Climb to the overhang direct and then up to the upper ledges.
16. Hairline 7m S
Follow the smooth wall to where a cleft is formed by a pinnacle. Climb a shallow blind Captain Cat on the left wall just before entering the cleft.
17. First Corner 7m S
The first corner in the upper wall left from Thrutch. Gain it by the smooth wall below.
18. Second Corner 9m S
The corner just left of First Corner.
19. Twist 12m HS,4a
Climb Second Corner to the bulge, then traverse left to reach another corner. Follow this to the top.
20. Third Corner 9m S
Climb 4m left of Second Corner, bearing left at the top.
White Edge
The obvious pillar of White Edge is above Molar Wall. The first two routes have not been checked and only the original descriptions are given.
1. Herring Gull 50m HS
This takes the first distinct diedre on the west side of White Edge, approaching from the cliff top. Start on easy broken rock, then go up the smooth steep wall just right of the corner. Move back left to the corner after a difficult move exit right to a small shallow recess. Move left to the natural continuation of the corner and finish by an awkward move.
J.Talbot 00.00.1970
2. Yearling 50m HS
Start as for Herring Gull, but climb the rounded wall direct to the recess, avoiding the lower corner. Now move up to the right and exit up the steep broken wall.
J.Talbot 00.00.1970
3. Real Men Laugh at Rain 25m VS,4c
To the left of the start of Ha-He … is a left trending flake line in clean rock. Follow this to an overlap. Pull over this and rightwards to a recess (could this be the recess of Herring Gull and Yearling?). Continue with some care to the top.
Gwyn Evans, Richard (Dick) Renshaw 4 Oct 2011'
4. Now I'm 64 25m VS,4c
Climb the groove with a hanging block at the top in the left arete of Ha-He…
Gwyn Evans, Richard (Dick) Renshaw 4 Oct 2011
5. Ha-He Verschneidung 27m VS,4c
Takes the central groove in the upper half of the west flank of White Edge. Move right at the top.
J.Talbot 00.00.1970
6. White Edge 36m VD
Very loose. It takes the knife-edged pillar with short excursions right or left. Bear left at the top.
J.Talbot, D.Lewis 00.00.1964
On the east flank are the following routes:
7. Stretching Sargeant Ryan 27m E4,6b *
Takes the narrow white pillar face right of the upper section of the arete. Start 8m left of White Elephant beneath a 4m groove. Climb to a ledge below the pillar face. Follow jugs up the centre of the face to a hand ledge. Pull up to a slanting line of shallow pockets. Make a hard move up to a superb flake, pull up, swing left, then climb directly up the pillar face.
M.Crocker, C.Ryan 27.11.1998
8. White Whale 21m E1,5b
Start 6m left of White Elephant. Start below three black streaks high on the buttress. Climb straight up via two ledges to reach a steep crack leading to the top.
J.Bullock, L.Moran 31.05.1987
9. White Elephant 21m E1,5b
At the extreme right side of the east flank is a prominent corner, bounded on the left by a clean wall. Start at the centre of the wall. Climb straight up past an old PR to a ledge, step right and climb the groove.
L.Moran, J.Bullock 31.05.1987
10. Pigeon Crack 21m VS,4c
The prominent corner on the right side of the east flank.
J.Talbot 00.00.1970
