The SWMC Wiki is currently under review.

North Hill Tor

From SWMC Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search

Contents

Gower

TIDAL STATUS

Non-Tidal, but you can watch the tide flood and ebb over the whole of the Burry Estuary

BOLTING POLICY

No Bolting

PREAMBLE

This is the steeper north-facing crag further up the track from Tor Gro. It consists of some slab routes and an area of steeper rock, with more testing fare.

ACCESS

As for Tor Gro, but continue along the path for another 5 minutes. There had been some access problems with one of the farmers in the past, but it appears that this farmer no longer lives at the farm here. The BMC advice, see: BMC Rad Database, remains the same however. Perhaps the advice can be updated sometime so that more climbers are willing to go to this minor crag and experience the beauty at this spot.

Loading map...

DESCENTS

Descent is either side of the crag.

THE ROUTES

Main Slab

File:North Hill Tor - Main Slab.jpg
Main Slab

In the centre of the larger slab is a grassy y-shaped crack.

  1. Slimline 27m VD
    Start 5m left of the y-shaped crack. Take a direct line just right of two low horizontal cracks.

  2. White Slab 27m VD
    Start 2m right of Slimline and climb the slab directly, following a white mark.

  3. Clean Cut 36m VD
    Climb just left of the y-shaped crack, finishing up some grassy steps.

  4. Central Slab 36m VD
    Start in the centre of the slab by a deep cut in the rock. Climb the slab past two grassy ledges. Now trend right, following three distinct hollows to the top.

  5. Slab and Rib 36m VD
    Start 8m right of the y-shaped crack, below a short crack at 6m. Gain the short crack, step right and climb to a ledge below a corner. Finish up the right edge.

  6. Groove 36m VD
    Start 12m right of the y-shaped crack. Climb to a slight hollow, then up to a slight indentation with a narrow chiselled groove. Wander up to a flake handhold, then join West Slab to finish.

  7. West Slab 36m D *
    Start 14m right of the y-shaped crack, but left of the right edge of the Main Slab. Gain a hollow at 8m, then a ledge, before going left to another ledge below an overhang. Step left and climb to a large ledge at a corner. A series of steps leads to the top.

  8. Girdle Traverse 36m VD
    Take the right edge of West Slab to a sloping ledge with a shot hole (possible TB). Move across left for 18m to a wide crack. Continue left, descending slightly, to exit in a gully with an obvious tree. Abseil or scramble easily to the top.

West Recessed Slab

File:North Hill Tor - West Recessed Slab.jpg
West Recessed Slab

The smooth slab just to the right of the Main Slab. The climbs are marred by unpleasant exits onto turf and grass, so a lower off rope might be useful.

  1. Black Slab 15m HS,4a
    Climb the left side of the slab to a small grassy ledge. Use a thin crack to gain the corner separating West Recessed and Main Slabs. Finish up this corner.

  2. Flake Route 15m HVS,4b
    As for Black Slab, but go right to a raised slab. Gain the narrow ledge, then move up left to exit as for Black Slab.

  3. Holes 22m VS,4b
    Start at the right side of the slab, just left of a little tree. Climb the slab directly in line with some small round solution holes, to reach a tiny corner crack above. Finish up this.

    Round towards the back of the tor is an obvious central groove.

  4. Naughty But Nice 24m E3,5c,6a
    Takes the acutely overhanging wall left of the obvious central groove. Start at a rib just left of a blackberry bush.
    1. 12m Climb the rib and continue to a TB below the overhanging wall.
    2. 12m Follow a discontinuous crack left up the wall with difficulty. Finish more easily.

  5. Windy City 24m E2,5c,5b
    Start at the blackberry bush below the obvious central groove.
    1. 12m Surmount the overhang and continue to a belay below the groove. Alternatively, gain the obvious bore- hole more directly via a slot from the corner on the right.
    2. 12m Climb the steep groove.

First Ascents

Main Slab

  1. D.Williams, A.Roche 00.00.1982
  2. D.Jones, R.Owen, C.Edwards, C.Andrews 00.00.1958
  3. D.Jones, R.Owen 00.00.1958
  4. D.Jones, R.Owen, C.Edwards, C.Andrews 00.00.1958
  5. D.Jones, R.Owen, C.Edwards, C.Andrews 00.00.1958
  6. D.Jones, R.Owen, C.Edwards, C.Andrews 00.00.1958
  7. D.Jones, R.Owen, C.Edwards, C.Andrews 00.00.1958
  8. P.Hinder, C.Manison 00.00.1971

West Recessed Slab

  1. J.Talbot, D.Thomas 00.00.1959
  2. J.Talbot, D.Thomas 00.00.1959
  3. J.Talbot, B.Talbot 00.00.1966
  4. D.Jones, R.Owen, C.Edwards, C.Andrews - South Wall 00.00.1959
    FFA A.Sharp, P.Lewis, J.Harwood 20.11.1982
  5. P. Hinder - South Wall Crack 00.00.1970
    FFA A.Sharp, P.Lewis, J.Harwood 20.11.1982, G.Evans, J.Bullock - Alternative Start 27.11.1982
Retrieved from "https://swmc.org.uk/g_book/index.php?title=North_Hill_Tor&oldid=20346"