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Oakdale

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South East Wales Sandstone

File:Oakdale Right Hand Bay.jpg
Right Hand Bay.

PREAMBLE

An easily accessible beginners crag located within a wooded strip formerly occupied by the Oakdale Colliery.

The climbs are generally on the slabby side of vertical, well bolted and equipped with in-situ lower off krabs for convenience.

The surrounding trees offer some seclusion from the suburban background and can even keep the climbs dry in showery weather. However, the numerous flat hand ledges collect leaf litter and fine particles washed from the earthy slopes above and a brushing is essential on most climbs after the winter has passed, you have been warned.

The crag faces north-west and catches the evening sun.

There is also scope for further development on the wide ivy covered wall between Oak Tree Buttress and the Left Hand Bay.

DIRECTIONS

The crag lies on the north-west side of the Oakdale residential estate, north of Blackwood Town centre.

Follow the A4048 until you reach the roundabout on the eastern side of the Chartists Bridge (obvious as it has a large statue of a man made out of washers). Head north from this roundabout for 1 km. The industrial estate is on your left and the crag is on the right, opposite the first unit.

There are numerous parking options but on first aquaintance it is advised to use the overflow carpark in the industrial estate opposite, on Old Coal Avenue, and follow one of the indistinct paths through the trees to the crag.

Grid Reference : ST 18458 98837

X : 318458, Y : 198837

Latitude : 51.682348, Longitude : -3.1808342

Nearest Address: Rhiw Syr Dafydd Hill, Oakdale, NP12 0

Loading map...

ROUTES

File:Oak Tree Buttress topo.jpg
Oak Tree Buttress.

Described from left to right

Oak Tree Buttress

  1. Finn's Projectile Fart - Fr. 6a+
    The left hand crack, swinging right at the top to a tree lower off (T.L.O.). [3B]

  2. 47 Souls - Fr. 6b+ *
    The centre of the barrel shaped buttress has some long reaches. T.L.O. [4B]

  3. Double Denim - Fr. 6a
    The thin crack, swinging left at the top to a T.L.O. [4B]

  4. Gent of Gwent - VS, 4b
    The right hand crack and arete. Abseil from a high tree or more sensibly the single bolt L.O.

Left Hand Bay

File:Oakdale left hand bay.jpg
Oakdale - Left Hand bay
  1. Danny Boy - Fr. 6a *
    Left hand face and short blind cracks. B.B. [4B]

  2. Pulvisophobia - Fr. 6a
    The left side of the overhang and continuous crack. B.B. Shared with Danny Boy. [3B]

  3. Peniculusophobia - Fr. 5
    Right hand crack passing a square cut sentry box at half height. B.B. to the left. [3B]

  4. Bryophytephobia - Fr. 5+
    Wall left of the green corner. B.B. [4B]

    To the right of these routes is a green, right angled, corner and a narrow retaining wall. This wall contains an open project, 'Blennophobia', which has been partially cleaned and drilled, as well as the following route.

  5. Miss Sexy - Fr. 5+
    Twin cracks in the centre of the wall. B.B. [4B]

Right Hand Bay

File:Oakdale Right hand bay.jpg
Oakdale - Right Hand Bay

Currently there is a project just right of the left hand retaining wall.

  1. Mr Bimble - Fr. 5+
    Twin blind cracks in the left of the bay. T.L.O. [4B]

  2. My Real Dad - Fr. 6b
    Sandstone bulge with historic iron-work. T.L.O. [4B]

    There are now two open projects. The twin cracks in the upper wall are partially cleaned off and will probably go trad. The arete formed between the cracks is also partially cleaned off and bolt holes have been drilled.

  3. Super-fly - Fr. 5
    The wide forked lightning crack in the centre of the bay. B.B. [4B]

  4. Wood Louse - Fr. 5+
    Slab and crack. B.B. [5B]

  5. London's Burning - Fr. 5
    Left facing groove above half height. Single staple L.O. or T.L.O. (not insitu). [4B]

  6. Belly Button Kelp - Fr. 6a
    Skirt rightwards around a small cave. B.B. [3B]

  7. Bladderwrack - Fr. 4?
    Possibly No longer a project, given the conspicuous chalk trail leading up to the last staple. The slab staying left of the corner chimney (or the chimney clipping same bolts). Rarely dry. Shared B.B. (did you get that far?) [3B]

    The right hand retaining wall contains two further routes.

    File:Bird Wall topo.jpg
    Bird Wall Topo.
  8. Fame (I'm gonna live for-evva!) - Fr. 6b+ *
    The left hand crack in the vertical orange wall. B.B. [5B]

  9. Bird is the Word - Fr. 6b *
    The right hand crack. B.B. [4B]

FIRST ASCENTS

Oak Tree Buttress

  1. A Rosier 23.07.2011
  2. A Rosier 23.07.2011
  3. R McAllister 24.08.2011
  4. A Rosier, R McAllister 08.04.2012 - Named in honour of the first climber to sample the crags routes, John James.


Left Hand Bay

  1. A Rosier 24.08.2011
  2. A Rosier 24.08.2011 - Phobias are irrational and disabling fears which keeping you from doing things you'd like to do and living the life you want. Pulvisophobia describes the fear of dust; as in 'it was a bit dusty, so I couldn't do it '.
  3. A Rosier 24.08.2011 - Peniculusophobia has a dual meaning. It may describes the fear of a cleaning implement (such as a brush which is never placed in ones rucksack for fear of having to use it) or it may alternatively describe the layer of fat overhanging and obscuring the penis (although the fear of developing such a belly blanket is hardly irrational).
  4. A Rosier 08.04.2012 - Bryophytephobia is the fear of moss and similar nonvascular plants.
  5. A Rosier 24.08.2011


Right Hand Bay

  1. R McAllister 12.08.2011
  2. R McAllister 12.08.2011 - A doff of the hat to Rob's local doppelganger (Bill Gregory).
  3. A Rosier 08.04.2012
  4. A Rosier 12.08.2011 - Refers to a running battle with a local NIMBY.
  5. A Rosier 12.08.2011 - Climbed the morning after the historic chav revolt of Old London Town.
  6. A Rosier 12.08.2011
  7. N Unknown 2013
  8. A Rosier 19.07.2011
  9. A Rosier 19.07.2011

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