tca-esoteric-gollums-cave-topo

Gollum’s Cave Bouldering
Gollum’s Cave is the hidden gem of south-west bouldering. If it were in the Peak District there would be
people on it every day. But few people know its location, even those who regularly climb in Avon.
Access – Gollum’s is not easy to find. If you didn’t know it was there you wouldn’t guess it existed. The
easiest access is from the junction of Percival Road and Clifton Down (grid ref. ST 565735) at the top of
the Avon Gorge just north of the suspension bridge in the Clifton area of Bristol. Face south (uphill) on
the tarmac footpath on the side of Clifton Down opposite its junction with Percival Road. Take the right
turn up another tarmac footpath that gently curves round to the right as it goes uphill away from the
road. Walk straight on up here for 120 m to where a dilapidated metal fence appears on the right
hand side of the footpath. Here drop down the steep earth bank on the right and turn left onto an
earth track. Follow this for 15 m to a concrete block. Turn right steeply downhill for 30 m and then down
and left for another 25 m to a large block of limestone lying on the left of the path. You should be able
to see the buttress ahead from here - follow the track left and down again for 20 m. This takes less than
five minutes from the road.
Rock – Gollum’s is an overhanging bay of steep solid limestone, five metres high to the lip and some
fifteen metres wide with many and varied holds. The rock is polished but not particularly so compared
to limestone in the rest of Avon or the Peak. The bay can be divided into three areas; an overhanging
central wall, a still overhanging but less steep left hand wall and, at the right hand end, a small roof.
The floor is level and provides a generally safe landing although there are one or two inconveniently
placed immovable rocks to avoid. A mat is useful but not essential.
Problems – The main face is shown on the photo topo. The small roof to the right of this has a few good
problems including some foot-free ones. The wall to the left of the main face has several problems on
good positive holds. All the problems are eliminates of one sort or another and some have rules as to
which bit of each hold you can use and which footholds are allowed. On the topo most of the obvious
holds have been highlighted but there are many others not detailed here, and many other possible
combinations of holds, with which to make up different problems – use your imagination. People have
been climbing at Gollum’s for years but there are no records as to when any particular problems were
first done so apologies and respect to anyone who may have climbed any of the problems before.
Weather – Gollum’s gets the sun from late afternoon onwards. It is surrounded by trees and stays
sheltered from wind and dry even in heavy rain. After several days rain the earth floor soaks up water
and this can keep the rock above wet for some time. The whole place seeps badly in winter and into
spring.
The Rules – All the listed problems on the main face have sitting starts. Starting handholds are in the first
set of brackets, finishing holds are in the second set of brackets. Finish by sharing the marked hold. On
most of the problems you are allowed any footholds, any specific rules for problems are mentioned.
Most of the problems on the right-hand overhang have standing starts while those on the left-hand
wall are generally best started from crouching. Grades are based on the Peak B grade system. Most of
the problems have had very few ascents so no consensus opinion has been reached for a lot of the
grades.
Page !1 of !5
Gollum’s Cave – Some Problems
No.
Holds
Grade
1
(s6, s8), 42, 34, 37, 39, (f3)
B2
2
(s6, s8), 42, 37, (f3)
B3
3
(s6, s8), 41, 37, (f3)
B3
4
(s4, s5), 34, 37, (f3)
B4
5
(s1, s2), 12, 13, 5, (f1)
B4
6
(s1, s2), 12, 17, 19, 6, (f1)
B4
7
(45, 47), 42, 33, 17, 15, 12, 7, (1) – The traverse
B4
8
(s8, s9), s6, s5, s4, s3, s2, 15, 12, (1) – The low traverse
B5
9
(s4, s5), 34, 38, (f2)
B5
10
(s3), 17, 23, 25, (f3)
B5
11
(s1, s2), 17, 19, 6, (f1)
B5
12
(s3), 17, 21, 25, (f3)
B5
13
(s6, s8), 41, 38, (f3)
B5
14
(s3), 17, 21, 26, 38, (f3)
B5
15
(45, 47), 42, 41, 32, 6, (f1)
B5
16
(s3), 17, 21, 22, 38, (f3)
B5
17
(s7, s8), 44, 36, (f3)
B6
18
(s3), 18, 21, 26, 38, (f3)
Just use the crimp on 18.
B6
19
(s3), 18, 21, 25, (f3)
Just use the crimp on 18.
B6
20
(s3), 18, 21, 22, 38, (f3)
Just use the crimp on 18.
B6
21
(s4, s5), 31, 32, 38, (f3)
B6
22
(5), 19, 28, 39, (f3)
B6
23
(s1, s2), 17, 38, (f2)
B6
24
(s1, s2), 12, 10, (f1)
B6
25
(s7, s8), 44, 36, 38, 25, (f1)
B6
26
(s3), 18, 23, 25, (f3)
27
(s6, s8), 40, 20, 38, (f2)
B7
28
(s1, s2), 11, 13, 3, (f1) – Tom’s problem
B7
29
(s9), 44, 46, (f3)
B7
30
(s1, s2), 12, 10, 24, 38, (f3)
B7
Just use the crimp on 18.
B7
Page !2 of !5
31
(s4, s5), 31, 32, (f3)
B7
32
(s9), 44, 46, 38 (f2)
B8
33
(s3, s4), 30, 36, 38, (f3) – Will’s problem
B8
34
(s3), 31, 35, 27, 39, (f3) – Ron’s problem
B8
35
(s1, s2), 12, 16, 10, 24, (f1)
B8
36
(s1, s2), 18, 10, (f1)
B8
37
(s4, s5), 18, 23, (f1)
38
(s1, s2), 15, 31, 21, 38, (f3)
39
(s1, s2), 18, 20, 10, (f1)
40
(s1, s2), 18, 35, 38, (f2)
B9
41
(s1, s2), 18, 20, 10, 24, (f1)
B9
Just use the crimp on 18.
B8
B8
Just use the crimp on 18.
B8
No footholds above the low traverse line. Just use the crimp on 18.
42
(s1, s2), 18, 36, 27, (f2)
Project
Page !3 of !5
Gollum’s Cave – Hold descriptions
s1
Small edge
19
Small flat edge
s2
Flat sidepull (Dan’s start)
20
Very small slopey edge
s3
Wide flat edge
21
Small slopey edge
s4
Positive edge
22
Collection of small pocket edges
s5
Positive edge
23
Small crimp
s6
Small positive edge
24
Tiny crimp
s7
Layaway
25
Good sharp edge
s8
Small edge
26
Pinch
s9
Layaway
27
Wide slopey pinch
f1
Big flattie
28
Resin crimp
f2
Small sharp edge
29
Resin sloper with undercut pocket
f3
Big flattie
30
Sloper
1
Big flattie
31
Crimpy pinch
2
Bottom end of layaway
32
Undercut
3
Middle poorest section of layaway
33
Very poor crimp
4
Top end of layaway
34
Crimp
5
Big incut jug
35
Very small slopey edge
6
Scoop with sharp pocket edge on left
36
Wide slopey pinch
7
Resin pinch
37
Big edge
8
Small layaway
38
Sloper/pinch on lip
9
Very small pinch
39
Crimp sidepull
10
Slopey corner with poor small edge
40
Poor pocket
11
Sloper
41
Flat edge
12
Big pocket
42
Big pocket
13
Wide slopey edge
43
Small slopey crimp edge
14
Small flat edge
44
Flattie
15
Big pocket
45
Big slot
16
Big flat edge
46
Very poor small edge
17
Big pocket
47
Slopey slot
18
Good small crimp with layaway on its
left
48
Layaway
49
Layaway
Page !4 of !5
Page !5 of !5
1
2
3
4
7
11
5
8
s1
12
f1
6
13
9
s2
14
16
10
15
17
19
25
18
22
24
23
26
20
21
27
s3
28
29
f2
30
31
35
s4
32
34
36
37
38
s5
33
s6
s7
40
41
39
43
44
45
46
s9
47
49
48
Gollum's Cave
s8
42
f3