Talk:Cwmaman Main

The Side Wall Routes

I'm not sure who retro-bolted the 'The Side Wall' routes but they all seem a bit of a mess on the wiki now. Gary Gibson's sites looks wrong too. Trad lines here are dead really due to bolts. Do we have any info on it? I can sort out the lines/grades but have no idea who or what they are called. --Del 10:10, 21 April 2010 (UTC)

The problem was eased a bit apparently with the BMC bolting workshop 12/6/10. I've not seen the new bolts yet but will check sometime this week if it stays dry! I've also emailed the BMC to see what they did. --Del 16:41, 14 June 2010 (UTC)

Retro Neo Maxie Zoom Weenie & Hot Beef Injection?

Also whilst i'm on topic. Should we contact Martin.C to ask if he minds his two routes to the left of the arete (i.e. Neo Maxie Zoom Weenie & Hot Beef Injection) being retro bolted? No one ever does these in their current state as everything has rusted away. Replacing the now non-existing pegs with bolts would make this faraway crag a decent place to visit for clip ups from Fr5 > Fr7b. I don't mind doing the grafting but will only do it if Martin gives his consent. --Del 10:59, 21 April 2010 (UTC)

You can ask Martin, I have his e-mail if you want it. Usually routes with existing bolts are fair game for retro-bolting, routes without remain trad. --Alan rosier 10:09, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

Sure can do. --Del 20:40, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

Martin's reply with permission to post it here:

Hi Steve,

I appreciate being asked. For the time being at least - as I've been telling others - I don't want any additional bolts in my routes. For these two, therefore, that means a like-for-like regime applies.

Seepage aside, Cwmaman will always be well worth a visit come what may. It was certainly regarded it as one of the better sandstone crags in SEWales in the late eighties. I see it as a positive attribute rather than an impediment that local wisdom retains traditional routes alongside sport/clip-up climbs, thus preserving the true nature of a place and its history. UKC is not a robust guide to what routes people do; most climbers don't use it in that way. Still for many, the thrill of danger including coping with the possibility of a ground fall, as you put it, is the essential element of climbing, and God forbid that dumbs down and disappears. I've established sport routes of my own, including in SEWales, but I believe that just because these are sandstone quarries doesn't create a presumption to bolt. And looking around, even the presence of bolts doesn't guarantee popularity; and doing routes that are done by few rather than by many can make them more special and memorable in my view.

I don't mean to preach - just felt I had to justify my position rather than bluntly saying 'no' to additional bolts.

Sadly I'm coming across routes in SEWales that have been bolted contrary to the local bolt policy and without my being asked. Routes first climbed without any bolts are obviously not fair game for bolting, but then neither are routes with the odd one or two bolts that are effectively trad in character (any additional bolts are still retro-bolts).

Good luck with your endeavour. I appreciate it and the efforts people are making in SWales including your making useful information available on the SWMC site.

Cheers

Martin

--Del 16:43, 14 June 2010 (UTC)

Crack Line Man 12m VS,4c

The crack line in the loose blocky buttress to the right. SWMC 00.00.1989 (I did a VS route here with M.Davies in 1998/2000 ish and think we called it 'wetsuit route' because we just came back from doing exposure explosion in typical conditions. Wrote it up in the 'Up & Under' book if anyone has access to it). --Del 10:16, 21 April 2010 (UTC)

Was just down at the quarry today and it looks like some weathering may have happened.

I've not been to this quarry before today (thanks for the info in this wiki), so this might be old news, but The first route I did (Alys Rook) was missing a bolt (3rd bolt I think) because it looks like a chunk of rock has fallen away there. There's also a lot of pretty loose/wobby rock on this section, but it was climbable still. I haven't climbed much sandstone before, so maybe this is just expected?

Thanks for the update. Check out the video on youtube entitled Crag Cleaning in South Wales. No, sandstone shouldn't be any looser than limestone if initially cleaned off properly (for proof go to Woodcroft quarry). However, quarried faces often seep and freeze over winter and you should be prepared for the occasionall loose hold at the start of the season.

Alys, I've deleted your account because you haven't created a username using your real name. If you wish to add more to the wiki please create the username 'Alys Rook'. BTW, thanks for the info. --Tim Hoddy 12:24, 27 February 2012 (GMT)

Suggested changes

Would do these myself but it's locked so if what I'm suggesting is controversial now at least all can discuss.

The fine prose in the introduction is taken verbatim from Martin Crocker (read his letter) so should be in quotes and acredited.Blow torches are nonsense(mess up rock and don't work) The un named route is Anniversary Walk so delete.Forgotten route which starts up Hey Mister which was done by G.Lewis and S.Del now has a safer chain lower off system organised(much hilarity) and could be called Fit For Flushing(but that's for them to decide)Also if it was unlocked I could put the route heights in the proper wikki place,remove unnecessary E grades etc etc

Ta Roy

Updating

Got the hang of it,the pixies have visited, So re my comments above can't do much if it's still locked.--Roy thomas 13:23, 29 June 2012 (BST)

should be unlocked now. --Tim Hoddy 13:40, 29 June 2012 (BST)

Cheers Tim will get to it,can you make it stop raining so I can leave this computer and make us all happier.Seriously -Thanks Again.--Roy thomas 13:57, 29 June 2012 (BST) Damn just tried again,still locked,has "someone else2 got a lock on it?Sorry for pestering mate.--Roy thomas 14:26, 29 June 2012 (BST)

Duhhh! My fault, sorry! And no, you are not pestering! --Tim Hoddy 17:41, 29 June 2012 (BST)

First Ascent List

Hey Tim not sure what the quickest way to do this is or even how(don't want to get the guide out and type the info all over again).Is it best to leave the info in the new
edit then ctrl c-v it into some magic space.Will leave it in at moment as I don't want to create more hassle.--Roy thomas 10:24, 5 July 2012 (BST)

Yes, I've just done the ctrl-c-v thing... I've started you off. Is that the sort of thing you want? --Tim Hoddy 20:31, 5 July 2012 (BST)

First Ascents list is 'out of sync' with the text. --Tim Hoddy 08:53, 1 February 2013 (GMT)

Image Size

Tim, Just in case you were wondering, I am centering large photos without text either side because I noticed working on 3 different sized monitors that otherwise, it all goes to cock. --Alan rosier 20:55, 28 January 2013 (GMT)

Hmmmm... we need to think carefully about this. We need to settle on a minimum display size for which we design pages. Perhaps we can forget about 4:3 ratio - no one will use it soon. What size monitors are you using? What exactly happens? Also what happens when I reduce the width of the graphics? --Tim Hoddy 21:01, 28 January 2013 (GMT)

Thats pretty much all I can tell you (I don't know how to find the monitor info). But I'm using a big one on work, a little one at home and a Galaxy. Basically it can look quite plush and fitting at work, then crap at home e.g only one word per line down the side of a large picture. This way, using centre | none |, the problem is eliminated.--Alan rosier 21:14, 28 January 2013 (GMT)

Yes, I use a large monitor (1920X1080). I'll set up some test pages when I get time so that we can see what different size graphics do to the layout. Centering large graphics looks rubbish on a reasonable monitor. We'll need to settle on a minimum screen width that we'll support and use that to settle on image width. Smartphones are going to be a problem. --Tim Hoddy 22:13, 28 January 2013 (GMT)