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Ogmore Popular End
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ACCESS
See the Ogmore Crag Familiarisation Page.
The Routes
Once again a good trawl of the top will reveal good belays and stakes for belays. Avoid leaving rucsacs in view as there are scrotes about especially weekends/holiday times.Try hiding them by Twinkle or gear up at the car.
Some big (hard) roofs are mixed in with old fashioned feature climbs in the HVS to E1! range.
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Abbey Road HVS
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The Gremlin E1
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Bob Brewer on Megalopolis E1
Megalopolis is a bit strenuous and awkward for the tall.
Once again a good trawl of the top will reveal good belays and stakes for belays. Avoid leaving rucsacs in view as there are scrotes about especially weekends/holiday times.Try hiding them by Twinkle or gear up at the car.
Pluto marks the left side of a shallow bay 95 metres across.
- Open Invitation 27m E5,6b
The smooth wall between Pluto and Finger Print gives a technical, reachy climb, with gear that is spaced and difficult to place. Might be E6 to on-sight. Ascend the easy crack just left of Finger Print and continue direct up the steep wall to a horizontal crack (good wires out left). Move right up to the next horizontal break, (crucial rock 3 or friend 0) then make a hard move to a small overlap and climb the thin crack in the leaning wall to the top. - Finger Print 27m E4,6a **
A classy roof problem. Start under an overhang on the wall right of Pluto. Climb to the overhang, place wires above the roof where the PR used to be, then move over it and continue steeply up the crack to finish. - Thumbs Up 27m E4,6a *
A fine pitch, which is slightly run out. Follow Fingerprint over the overhang, then traverse right above the lip to a small ledge. Climb the awkward wall above to the top.
To the right is a series of right facing and trending corners, with overhangs at their base. (Abbey Road to Megalopolis). - Brothers In Arms 27m E6,6b *
Amenable for the grade. The obvious crack in the impending left wall of the corner of Abbey Road. Climb to a small roof and good wires. Move over this into the thin crack above and a crafty no hands knee bar. Continue, 2PRs, up and into the crack, which splits a larger roof above. Continue through the roof and the crack above to the top. - Abbey Road 27m HVS,5a ***
Airy climbing up the first of the right-facing corners. Bridge up the cave for 4m then traverse right onto the wall. Climb to the overhang and follow the awkward right-hand groove to the next overhang. Step left and up to finish. - Roof Of The World 24m E5,6b **
A technical route with a complicated roof section and good protection. Follow The Gremlin to the roof at 12m, PR, step left and climb through the roof using a concealed pocket on the lip, PR. Finish up the wall just left of the arete to the top. - The Gremlin 27m E1,5a *
Right of Abbey Road are two shallow grooves which meet at a more obvious v-groove. Climb the left, cracked groove and continue rightwards round the overhangs to a niche. Traverse right under the bulging wall to a groove and the top. - The Arrow 27m E2,5c **
A good pitch cutting through The Gremlin, with a taxing move to gain the smooth groove. Climb to a small roof 2m right of Gremlin. Move left onto the wall. Gain the smooth groove/corner, then pull out left at the roof and continue round the overhanging blocks on the left to finish up a short corner on the right. - Titanic 27m E4,6a
Climb the capped groove and arete right of The Arrow. Swing left with difficulty to gain a bottomless and unfriendly crack and the finishing groove of oThe Gremlin. - Mauritania 27m E5,6b
Climb to the roof as for Titanic. Struggle out right over the roofs until it is possible to swing back left to the top, TR. - Megalopolis 33m E1,5a *
A little left of centre of the left part of the bay 12m right of Abbey Road is a clean wall bounded on its left by a continuous overhang and a roof at the top. Bridge the cave to gain a corner crack leading to the roof. Traverse right to the second overhang. Overcome this to finish right. Hexes give more secure protection than friends. - Rat Fink 27m HVS,4c *
Bold. Climb the centre of the wall right of Megalopolis and move right to gain a thin crack. Climb it to a horizontal break 3m below the overhang and step right, away from the end of the Megalopolis traverse. Climb up the wall and finish slightly rightwards.It is also possibe to come in from the arete at E1. - Rat Fink Direct Start 24m E1,5b *
Start 3m right of Rat Fink. Climb steeply and pull over the roof using a large hold to gain the upper wall of Rat Fink.
Many of the routes in the next section have been affected by storms. Questimodo (P.Littlejohn, A.Sharp 1977), A Sugar Free Diet (M.Crocker, R.Thomas 1989) and Drill For Glory (M.Crocker, M.Ward, R.Thomas 1988) are no longer viable. - Questimodo Direct 22m E5,6a
This has survived the waves. Boldly layback the blank groove rising above the shallow cave right of Ratfink.
The next section is characterised by three obvious flat roofs at 22m, just before the angle of the bay. - Loaded Question 27m E3,5c **
Interesting. Start below and to the left of the three large roofs. Climb the wall to a ledge at 9m and traverse left on undercuts to gain a thin finishing crack. - Implausible Suggestion 27m E5,6a **
Climb the wall just right of Loaded Question to gain the same ledge at 9m. Head up and right to the widest point of the roof, PR, small wires, then cut wildly out through it to an easy finish. - Jumping Jack Flash 33m E1,5c *
This takes the chimney between the two left-hand roofs. Climb a groove 5m left of a round cave to a niche below an overhang. Pull onto the left wall and continue to a recess below the overhang. Move right to blocks then left to a chimney. Climb the chimney and the crack on the left to finish. - Griffin 32m E3,6a **
Start just right of Jumping Jack Flash at a round cave. Climb the vague corner left of the round cave until it becomes a vertical cave at 7m. Place good runners in the back right hand wall of the cave, then swing across its left wall to a hanging groove. Up this to easier ground and a stance in the corner below the main overhang and finish up either corner. - Pinocchio 36m HVS,4c ***
This should be on every climber's tick list. The climb finishes up a short chimney on the right side of the three overhangs. Climb a leftward rising crack/corner line below and right of the overhangs to a ledge beneath a steep wall. Traverse left past a crack above and climb the bulging wall to a chimney. Climb the chimney, step left along the lip of the overhang, with your stomach in your mouth. Continue up left to a crack which is followed to a pinnacle, sit down and consider those who were at their limit when it was graded VS! - The Flasher 84m HVS,4a,4b,4c,5a,4c
A poor right to left girdle, starting at the pinnacle as for Exposure Explosion. The only good pitch is above Fingerprint at 5a.- 7m Move round the outside of the pinnacle, descend a crack/chimney to belay under an overhang.
- 21m Follow the break out left to a corner, (Megalopolis).
- 22m Continue along the break into a corner (Abbey Road) via a steep hand traverse.
- 16m Traverse around the arete and descend slightly before reaching the top of a crack, (Fingerprint). Continue into a corner then move out left onto the arete.
- 18m Traverse left to a swing across a bottomless corner. Cross a grassy groove and climb a crack on the left to finish.
- Exposure Explosion 84m HVS,4a,4b,4c,4c,4a,4a,5a***
A brilliant left to right girdle that has seen its fair share of epics with people being lowered into the sea, complete with expensive cameras and watches, due to poor rope work and an inability to communicate. The route is best climbed when "the waves are crashing below slobbering and sucking like some disgusting animal". It starts from the pinnacle described in the Western Approach (A4).- 7m From the right (east) side of the pinnacle descend a crack and chimney to belay in a confined area at the start of the traverse.
- 20m Follow the break out right to a stance on the arete prior to entering Wet Look cave (This is the top of Elephant Wall P1).
- 8m Traverse round the arete to the cave of Wet Look.
- 11m Climb rightwards out of the cave to belay on good ledges outside the cave.
- 26m Continue right to belay on a small stance on a prominent buttress (this is part of Scutch).
- 7m Traverse right around the arete to a belay in a corner/chimney (Siren).
- 8m Traverse right for 5m then make hard moves up to gain the top.
First Ascents
- M.Crocker, M.Ward 01.06.1985
- A.Sharp, S.Lewis 00.00.1977
- P.Littlejohn, J.Mothersele 27.04.1984
- M.Learoyd, R.Thomas 1pt 00.00.1985
FFA A.Sharp, P.Lewis 00.00.1986 - P.Thomas, C.Horsfield 00.00.1972
- M.Crocker, M.Ward, R.Thomas 26.04.1987
- J.Kerry 00.00.1972
- J.Kerry 00.00.1972
FFA A.Sharp, J.Harwood 20.08.1977 - J.Kerry 00.00.1972
FFA A.Sharp 17.04.1979 - M.Crocker, R.Thomas 30.10.1988
- J.Kerry 00.00.1972
- P.Thomas, C.Horsfield 00.00.1974
- P.Thomas, J.Harwood 17.05.1987
- M.Crocker, R.Thomas 00.00.1988
- P.Littlejohn, J.Mothersele 20.06.1977
- R.Thomas Paul Hadley Goi Ashmore 00.08.1999
- P.Thomas, C.Horsfield 00.00.1974
FFA A.Sharp, J.Harwood 20.08.1977 - C.Heard, R.Heard A1 00.00.1976
FFA A.Sharp, J.Harwood 14.09.1977 - J.Kerry, C.Horsfield 00.00.1972
- S.Robinson F.Lunnon AL 18.04.1979 - 10.08.1980
- L.Ainsworth, etc. - P2-P7 00.00.1974
P.Thomas, C.Horsfield - All 00.00.1974
