Home - Destinations - People - Partners - Forum - Photos - What's New
 ADVANCED
Clogwyn y Tarw (Gribin Facet)
Show routes:
Select route...
Herford's Crack 
Monolith Crack 

Monolith Crack 

5.5

   

FA: Abraham brothers 1905
Type: Trad
Consensus: 5.5 [details]
Length: 3 pitches, 140 feet
Views: 6 page views

Submitted By: Rob Davies UK on Nov 1, 2009


Add Photo  Add Comment 

You and this route  |  Other Opinions (1)
Your todo list:
Your stars:
Your rating: -none- [change]
Your ticklist: [add new tick]
 Printer Friendly View

The easy bit - P1 (photo by Phil Ashton)


Description 

P1: 30' Tunnel under the Monolith.
P2: 30' 5.5 Climb a very polished and awkward groove to a stance beside the upper wide crack.
P3: 80' Easy if you can fit inside, impossible if you can't. Strip down, breathe out and sidle into the crack sideways for about 15' (try lying down and going in horizontally if all else fails) until it widens sufficiently to start chimneying upwards towards daylight. Then climb slabs to the top.
P3a: 80' 5.6 ("De Selincourt's variation"). If the crack is unattractive, swing out onto the R wall, then follow cracks and slabs to the top.
P3b: 80'. On the first ascent in 1905 the Abrahams climbed the crack on the outside! This is a hard offwidth problem that looks about 5.10.


Location 

At the low point of the centre of the cliff a huge block (the Monolith) has slumped down. The climb start on the R side of this. Can be done in a single pitch but much more fun when done in 3 pitches to observe the struggles close up.


Protection 

Small rack but protection is virtually irrelevant for the crux. Gear only gets in the way.



Photos of Monolith Crack Slideshow Add Photo
The tight, slippery groove on P2 (photo by Phil Ashton)

The tight, slippery groove on P2 (photo by Phil As...

Unsuccessfully trying to get inside the crack on P3 (photo by Phil Ashton).  A course of Slimmo is clearly required.

Unsuccessfully trying to get inside the crack on P...