Five Day Forecast for this Crag
Dinas Rock
| The
best cliff in South Wales with masses (75) of sports routes through a variety
of grades on clean rock with a variety of styles and features. Recent activities
have not only added a lot of new routes along the Roadside crag, the name given
to the cliff alongside the approach path, but the whole Main Overhang area has
been recleaned and suffered a large overall improvement. The aforementioned development has almost solely belonged to Gary Gibson and Roy Thomas who have peppered the cliff with a host of good routes quickly repeated and supported by Goi Ashmore and Eugene Jones. In fact Ashmore himself dealt the biggest hand with the cliff’s hardest route in a free version of Spore Wars. It remains for you to sample their efforts. |
Five Day Forecast for this Crag
| To
find the cliff, follow the A465, Heads of the Valley road, for 15km and then take
a left turn for Glyn-Neath. At the traffic lights turn right for Pont Nedd Fechan
and then take the first left in 200m (B4242). Follow this road until just before
it begins to rise up at a slight incline and turn right by the Craig Dinas Hotel.
This narrow road leads through a small village to turn abruptly right over a small
bridge into the initial quarry (no sport routes here). Follow the track on the
right for the Roadside Crag. When should I go there? This a great all year round crag. It dries quickly once seepage has receded, give 5 days of dry weather for the latter, and sections can stay dry in the rain. It can get very hot as it gets the sunshine for the most of the day and can receive the full quota of midges on any humid evening. The Roadside Crag: All of the existing routes on the access path to the main cliff have been rebolted and the entire section of wall has been developed into an easily accessible with loads of routes in the 6s grade. The cliff gains plenty of morning sunshine, dries very quickly and can provide a fine morning or afternoon session or even a warm-up to the harder routes on the main crag. Main Overhang Area: Stray Cats rebolted at 7a *: Each Way Nudger rebolted at 6b+ **: Spore Wars rebolted, climbed free and with a new finish at 8a **: Subversive Body Pumping rebolted at 7b+ **: Berlin rebolted at 7a+ ***: Crock of Gold rebolted at 7c+ ***: Harlem rebolted at a superb 7b+ ***: Dr Van Steiner rebolted at 7a: Incidentally X rebolted and reclimbed at 7b **: Brazilian Blend retrobolted at 6c+ **: Sverige retrobolted at 7a *: Breakout retrobolted at 6c *. |
| Which
are the choice routes? It is difficult to choose the best routes from so many and the star ratings in the topo’s reveal all. Classics such as Berlin (7a+ ***) , The Big Time (E6 6c **), Spain (E4 ***), Harlem (7b+ ***) and Crock of Gold (7c+ ***) have been supplemented by a whole host of routes in every grade category. I hope in due course to give more away but for now you’ll have to buy the topo’s and settle for that. |
| If you would like to donate or contribute to the bolting fund which helps replace worn out gear and prepare new crags as in the case of Masson Lees, please contact Gary Gibson at the e-mail address below or send cheques to Gary Gibson, Keristone, Carr Bank, Oakamoor, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs. ST10 3DG |
