West End Buttress

From South Wales Bouldering Guide Wiki

Description

West End buttress is a quarried sandstone wall around three hundred meters from the town of Abercarn, West End facing in an Easterly direction. It sits at around a thirty five degree overhang which is very rare in its location and offers some of the best bouldering in the area. The flat, clean wall is around three and a half meters high, offers high quality, flat landing, routes from V0 to around a V8 can be found here. The holds are sharp in places as its only had me climbing on it so far. However, the climbing is still very pleasant and enjoyable. Many of the routes have large flat holds and pinches. With the harder routes using the more difficult pockets, slopers, micro crimps or have BIG dinos! There’s something to suit everybody here, if its for the beginner, technician or the power based climber.

Directions

Grid Reference: 51.6546, -3.1352

Just past the town of Abercarn West End, Gwent. Heading north is a large muddy pull in, on the left western (uphill) side of Celynen Road, in which to park. Walk in a Southerly direction towards Abercarn West end for approx two hundred meters to reach a medium road side quarry on your right. On the right side of the quarry you will find a steep muddy banking with two steps at just over a foot high. Climb this with difficulty before it flattens out onto the upper tier of the quarry (To the right the trail will run into the beech woodland, follow this to Tyle Y Coch quarry). To reach West End Buttress stay in the upper tier of the quarry but follow it left to drop down off a two foot step the wall is then on your right. Enjoy!

Conditions

The face of the wall its self is very clean. The large ledge at three quarter height has a bit of dirt at the back, however this makes no difference to the climbing it’s self. Also the top out hold often gets a light covering of sticks, dist and beach nuts and may need dusting off. The wall seeps hours after rain which is very frustrating and continues to do so for several days unfortunately.

Problems:

All of the problems finish when you are stood on top of ledge 20. Use the top of the wall to rock up onto the ledge. Use only the hand holds mentioned in the topo of each problem as foot placements.

1. Brutal Warmup V0 Foothold 1, with hands on the flat holds 1 and 2,move to 3, pinch 6, flat 8, flat 11, ledge 20.

2. Brutal Force V2 Foothold 1, hands on flat holds 1 and 2, move to pinch 6, flat 11, 13, 20

3. Brutal Entertainment V4 Foothold 1, hands on flat holds 1 and 2, move to pinch 6, flat 7, foot 10, crimp 9, Finish Ledge

4. Leap of Faith V4 Foothold 1, hands on flat holds 1 and 2, move to 11, 12 or 13 then finish on the far right side of ledge 24.

5. That’s Cool Bro V4 Foothold 1, move to pinch 6, flat 11, 13, using some cool footwork, use only the Holds used as handholds in the problem and reach for an obvious two/three finger pocket on the right after a break And finish on the far right side of the ledge, as far right as possible on ledge 24!!

6. Coming to the End V6 Begin on 1 and 2, move up to 18 and 19, slap for 14, 9 then top out.

7. In the End V7 Powerful sequence through small crimps, route of the crag! Using foot 1; begin on with left hand on an okay hold just beneath hold 1 and right hand on 21, match 21 with left hand, then use holds 14, 21, 18, 19 and a flat hold out right marked on the route topo with a big red blob. Once 9 and 14 had been caught, desperately dyno up to the flat top out hold and shuffle your feet up to finish.

Topo for In the End- Blue = Starting Holds - Red = Problem holds

8. Crawling V5 Start on holds 1 and 2, and foot hold 1 pull hard and dyno to the incredibly sharp ledge 20. Finish when stood on 20, only using the holds in the description for feet.

9. Numb V5 Begin on holds 1 and 2 pull to the right side of hold 5 where it is bad. Move to 19, use foot 10 then pull up to 14 (the rest of the holds are not in the topo) move right dynamically to a good crimp (Left of a distinct three finger pocket at head height). Move in to the three finger pocket then beast your way up to standing on the ledge above. Use only the holds described and for feet.

10. Faint V5 Begin on holds 1 and 2. Move up to hold 21 then dynamically up and right to good crimp 17. Use hold 10 as a foot placement only and pull to 14 then cross through to a 2 finger crimp on the same hold as 14. Move left then to catch crimp 9 then finish standing on ledge 20

11. Burn it Down V3 Start on holds 1 and 2, then dyno to 12. Do not dyno to holds 11 OR 13 as this makes the line much easier. Finish when stood on top of ledge 20.

12. I'll be Gone V4 Start on 1 and 2, move to 3 then dyno to ledge 20. Finish when stood on top of ledge 20

13. Castle of Class V4Only a few moves, very powerful. Begin on 1 2, move 5, 19, then dyno to 14, then 9 and stand on top of the ledge.

14. America V4 Sit start on a big flat hold level and out right to holds 1 and 2, move up to left hand on the arete, left hand on 19, right hand on 22 then dyno out to the big flat ledge. Left wall can be used in this.

First Ascents:

All First Ascents have been made by Mathew Wright. Any acceptions will be clearly stated.

This crag is brand new and has much more potential on the lower tier. Offering the 35 degree wall, slab, a big cave section, and vertical walls. Much cleaning is needed though as the faces are quite overgrown. Let me know of any activity please as I’m a local and happy to help.

Also, any new routes found, made up, or walls cleaned, email Mathew Wright and he will post the route name, grade and first ascentist on the website.