Routes in Wye Valley for selected grade

Crank powerfully into the blank corner. Follow this up and through the two roofs above, generally with pitons for protection. Abseil lower-off at top.

Follow the large yellow wall. Start just right of a bolt. A hard move protects the better climbing above. Crank straight through the top roof after clipping pitons for protection

Start almost as for Yesterday's Dreams but try to stay to the right to the break. Traverse right onto a foot ledge then make a tricky and bold couple of moves up and then left to a big jug and bolt. Climb the groove, then pull left under a triangular roof. Climb up and right onto the arete which is followed past a stretch left to clip "Yesterday's " bolt and an in-situ thread to the bolt belay on Yesterday's Dreams

5b,4b,4b,5b.

Recently been cleaned - nice interesting climb. 5b,5b.

A block has fallen off the middle of this climb (see 1997 guidebook photo).

Start from the right hand peg belay on the terrace. Climb a corner and step left onto a block at its top. Then climb a shallow groove, pull over the small roof at its top and go diagonally right and up over easier broken ground. Two pegs mark the belay of wrong tap. Climb wrong tap to the very poor crux peg, then foot traverse left until beneath the steep grey wall. Step up and clip the peg, then make thin moves (crux) up the wall to ledges. Climb up off the right hand ledge (no more gear) and climb up to the top.

Good moves on excellent rock, but both neighbours are compromised by it's proximity and pegs. Continue direct past the first peg runner and up the wall past three more. Minor variants in line and difficulty are possible.

5b,4c

Two contrasting pitches that combine to give a sustained and complex line up the walls left of the edge of the North Wall. Described here with the direct variation on pitch one. Start at a clear patch of rock 5m left of the corner of The Angel's Eye.

1. 5c, 25m. Move up left onto a ledge and peg. Climb the tricky wall above to another peg and transfer left to a groove and cracks in orange-stained rock. Move up to the overhang and pull over (peg) and up the short wall to a good ledge. Traverse left along the ledge to a belay below a block.

2. 5c, 32m. From the top of the block, go right and back left to the base of a flared rib. Follow the thin and technical rib, past a peg, to better holds. Move up and then head for a short crack on the right that leads to easier ground and The Great Ledge.

Direct through the overhangs on Big brother.

plenty of pro on first pitch, properly respected and looked after, the oak sapling will make an excellent runner. Second pitch is "balls out," no pro on solid 4c ledges that require bold mantling moves and therefore gets its well deserved HVS status. Once on the 2nd pitch there is no going back.

Location - Small Wall is reached by following the guide book description for Narcotic Corner & 'Suicide is Dangerous'. From the Beech tree in front of Suicide, descend 3 metres to the multi stemmed tree, then traverse left (facing out) until under Small Wall. 'One For Button' takes an independent line through the break in the overhang to the left of 'Under a Raging Moon' (see guidebook) Description - Start where the rock has been cleaned in the centre of the wall, then traverse slightly left and straight up through several horizontal breaks to the thread. Move up (good friend placement), before reaching for a good pocket. Pull through with a long reach to another small finger pocket directly above, then stretch out right (good friend) for a good hold(s). High step onto the upper wall for more good holds, protection and a rest. Climb the delightful technical wall above (peg) with a few difficult, thin moves and eventual slap to the ledge. (easier for those with a long reach). Abseil station now in place on the ledge. (A Second ascent awaits !! ) Additional info - Small Wall has been extensively cleaned, as has four of the existing routes in the guidebook. Three of these routes have also had their original threads replaced. 'Under a Raging Moon' (E2 5c) deserves a star. There is a second abseil station now in place for this route and the adjacent route 'Northerners Can't Climb' (E1 5b). 'Amoeba' (E1 5a) and 'Tiswas' (HS 4b) have been cleaned and compliment the other 3 routes.

The only sensible access to this route and others on Small Wall now are via the Guide books description to Narcotic corner and Suicide is dangerous. The climb and its neighbours have been extensively cleaned, in-situ threads have been replaced and an Abseil station installed on the ledge above instead of using the tree. From the Beech tree in front of Suicide, walk 3 metres down the bank to a multi stemmed tree, traverse left (facing out) round the tree until under Small Wall. Use the Guide book from here. A great little route and a gem of a little crag now it has been cleaned.

The route is located on the 'Original Sector' of the Great Wall and is currently in the Lower Wye Valley guide book. The first pitch (5c) has now been extensively cleaned, the lower thread has been replaced and the pegs check out ok. The second pitch (5c) needed little cleaning. The route offers some very fine climbing, a little bold in places and certainly deserved to be recovered from the undergrowth.

Just left of the bottom of The Easy Way Down is a heavily shaded wall. The wall left of the disjointed square-cut grooves has a bouldery start and easier but bold climbing above.

The left side of the arete with gear midway is a good-looking line but little-travelled and a bit grubby at the start.

08/05/2016 - It has been report that the upper thread is no long viable due to the rock failing after a fall. Take care on future ascents and back up the other left-hand side thread!

A sting in the tail. Climb directly up the wall behind the right ash to the prominent bulge (in situ thread just below). Pull round slightly rightwards to reach easier ground and then The Broadwalk. Tree belay above. Less adrenalin flows for an easier finish (HVS 5a, and just independent of Black Wall) from the thread up the left-hand side of the bulge.

A very good pitch. Begin at the large open corner. Take the corner for 10m to a thread and transfer to a ledge to its left (peg). Follow the small rib above until moves rightward reach a thread (not in place) just left of the base of the Yr Herwehla narrow corner/groove high on the face. From a foot-ledge above, (peg) locate a small, thin, left-leading crack and make some intricate moves up it and the wall above to reach a good break (some shattered rock here). Go right 2m and then up easy angled rock and some flakes to a belay on The Easy Way Down ledges. It is possible to descend from the Microserf lower-off after the hardest climbing.

Sustained climbing with the main difficulties in the narrow corner/groove. Start at the large open corner, as for Valley Forge. Climb the corner (thread) and short steeper section at its top before moving right and up to a thread (not in place) just left of the base of the narrow corner/groove high on the face. Enter the narrow corner/groove and climb it to a tricky exit and ledge above. Finish as for Valley Forge, up easier angled rock and flakes to a belay on The Easy Way Down ledges. It is possible to move right to the bolt belay/lower-off at the end of pitch one of Therapy after the hard exit from the narrow corner/groove.

A semi-sport climb that can be done as a single pitch. Begin right of the large open corner at some black stuck-on rock.

1. 5c, 27m. Move up to a horizontal break and then go left and up a crack past a peg and on to reach a ledge and peg. Follow the bolts and pegs above up a groove, over a bulge and past a flake and another groove to a double-bolt belay.

2. 5c, 10m. Move up past a bolt to a crack and another bolt above it. Head leftwards to finish at a ledge just left of the roof. This ledge is on The Easy Way Down.

Left hand start to Therapy, up the steep slab past a peg.

An interesting top section with reasonable protection, but it might be more enjoyable to start up Pulp Friction and traverse right above the lower roof.

Starts from 2 bolt belay above and right of the first pitch of Therapy. Gained by easy rising RW traverse from the stance of that route, or by abseil from near the easy way down. Step R and climb up to where you can span L from the crack to a good flake hold. Go through small roof; then dyno for jugs on ramp-line. Finish more easily, but with no further bolts, to an abseil station.

Climb the dusty red rib for a couple of metres until a short traverse left gains an old peg and thread (belonging to some long forgotten route, I don’t know which). Now climb up the rib above on interesting holds avoiding the poorer rock to the right. Next move up with good gear to a horizontal slot. Taking care with the rock, pull up under the roof and bridge right, 2 pegs. Now pull up to the right over the lip, peg, and make a short traverse right along the break to join up with Whatever the Weatherley. Finish as for Whatever the Weatherley.

A few metres to the left of Loan Shark is a large cave. Start in the centre of the cave.

From the cave floor mantle up onto the dusty ledge on the right. Traverse right along the ledge to the arete, a thin crack and the first gear. Move up the rib to a peg. Now using caution, move up and left through a patch of poor rock, and attain a bridged position above the apex of the cave. Now move over the roof past an old flattened staple bolt. Continue over more steep rock to an easing under a final overhang (keeping to the right of VapourWare). Pull over the final roof keeping away from the line of flattened staple bolts to the right (Foot in Mouth?). The climb now joins VapourWare after its flake crack and finishes at its two bolt belay.

First pitch is steep and quite sustained. One or two good moves through the overhangs make it interesting and worthwhile.

Start at the tree and bushes 5m left of the foot of 'clutching at straws'. Boldly climb the arete on delicate flow stone, tree runner, past a hidden borehole (M/L cam) to the right, to a stepped ledge system. Step up to the foot of the continuing arete carefully, to reach blocks and various protection options. Continue up the arete above, steeply on suspect rock, turning it to its left, past good gear, to reach a perched blocky flake. Surmount this, thus finishing the arete and trend leftwards to an exit. Pass through bushes, past a substantial tree and 2 rock tiers to reach the left most extreme of the central rib exits. Tree belay at top, fence is becoming delapedated.

A sustained technical route requiring commitment and care. A good selection of micro-wires will prove useful. Four pegs help protect the route. Finish at a two-peg and tree belay. The belay pegs are fitted with mallions to facilitate an abseil descent.

Start at the bolt and thread belay on the left side of the alcove as for Thrillennium. The climb takes the bulging wall to the left of Thrillennium.

Undercut steeply left past the first roof (peg). Move up to the hole, a second peg and an an in-situ thread. Now undercut up to a sidepull a small pocket and a peg (crux). Make finishing moves up the wall past a final peg with a little help from the left arete. When you abseil in it is advisable to give the top holds a brush, the route is prone to seepage but it does get the sun.

Route was cleaned on abseil and equipped with pegs and thread. I also pre placed the quickdraws on the pegs and thread as I have been suffering with tendinitis recently and wanted to give myself more of a chance. Unfortunately I had to take a point of aid on the crux. I then pulled the ropes and Adam Haward lead climbed the route clean with no rests. (I managed to slip over on the approach to the silver birch abseil and now have a gash in my buttock which needs hospital attention, be careful here).