Gilwern East

A very pleasant little crag with excellent rock, well bolted routes and ease of access. The crag face southeast and gets the sun until just after midday.

From the pond take the road past the Lamb and Flag and park about 400m after it where two roads/tracks branch off to the right. Follow the right-hand track until three large boulders block the path. Skirt down and to the right, actually across the top of the cliff, and then back left and carefully over a fence to the foot of the face.

1 Bring out the Crimp (6a+)
The short tricky groove and arête just right of the fence.

2 All the Pies arête (6b+) ★
The technical arête to the right soon eases.

3 Cheapskate (6b+)
Moves left out of the little corner and then back to finish direct.

4 Black Night’s Rein (6a) ★★
Exit the groove rightwards up onto a ledge. Finish easily above.

5 Direct start (6b) ★
Uses the bolts on the right to protect a short tricky wall.

6 The Slytherin (7a)
Well described. The very technical face to the right avoiding a jug on the left - 6c with.

7 Microwaves (6c) ★
The thin wall and delicate groove.

8 Fergie’s Folly (6b) ★★
Surprisingly butch moves lead to easier ground and an awkward finale.

9 Thorn in my Side E2 5b
A steep start leads to easier climbing above.

10 Quakering (6c)
The direct start to the next route is technical.

11 Mr Softy (6a+) ★
The shallow corner and wall on the left where steep moves gain the belay.

12 Pearlescence (6b+)
Complex moves on the wall to the right.

13 Tallulah Dream (6b+) ★
A tough little exercise on small edges leads to a steep finale.

14 In the Groove (6c)
The line mayb be obvious by its name but the climbing is less obvious and quite technical.

15 One Step Beyond (6b)
Delicate and insecure moves leftwards lead to an easier finish.

16 Reach for a Peach (6b+)
The sort of fin and wall above.

17 What’s the Craic E2 5b
The wide crack!

1 Petering Out (6b) ★
The crackline just right of What’s the Craic to a steep finale.

2 The Golden Tower (6c) ★
A technical exercise via the vague pillar. Look out for the apparently crucial ’ear'.

3 Half Pipe Dream (6c) ★★★
The well-sculputred water-worn groove gives a pleasant technical exercise.

4 Magic Carpet (6b) ★★
Great climbing on good holds through the area of bulging rock.

5 Original start (6c) ★
The left-hand start to the next route does sometimes suffer from seepage.

6 Life on Planet Earth (6b+)
The short corner and taxing moves to gain the juggy upper section where some care is needed.

7 The Plumb (5) ★★
The fine line of conglomerate provides some very juggy climbing.

8 Asteroids (5) ★
More good holds past some even larger conglomerate.

9 Scorpion (6a+)
An overhang leads to a groove and the inevitable ‘sting in the tail’.

1 Thug Life (6c)
Exits the left-hand side of the cave with a high first bolt.

2 Garden of Eden (6a+) ★
The hanging groove gained via a difficult pull onto the slab. The upper slab is easier.

3 Superposition (7a) ★
The very technical face to the right.

4 Sidewinder (6b+) ★★
A fine route via a vague line of slots in the face to the right.

5 Firepower (7a+)
Even more technical stuff to the right.

6 Crackatoa E2 5c
The twin cracks to the right is easier than it looks.

7 Talking Hands (6b+) ★
A difficult to read problem to the right. It all seems about right when you have done it.

8 Hand in Pocket (6b) ★
Steady climbing gains ’the’ pocket from where steeper moves gain the ledge.

9 Inch Pinch (6b+) ★
A very sequency route to the right moving slightly right from a slot in the overhang.

10 The Imp (7b) ★
The most technical line of the crag to the right.

11 Dolphin Snoggin’ (6a)
The corner leads to moves leftwards.

12 Periscope HVS 5a
The wall 5m to the right finishing via suspect rock.