Browsing on the UK climbing forum I found which may be of interest.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=663471 

Dave

Now that looks more interesting than the last route we did ;D;D;D;D Come on Corin, get back from Nepal soon :thumbsup::thumbsup:

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Cool. And a PF sound track too :thumbup:

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Cool. And a PF sound track too :thumbup:

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

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Climbers going underground ? 😉 😉

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"Climbers going underground"

Yes, well that'll be me in the vid then... a climber on the verge of transition to mine explorer 🙂

The standard route is pretty awesome I know it well, this new route sounds even better, we should organise a trip :thumbsup:

That sounds like fun! :thumbsup:

Sorry to bump a quite old thread, but did anyone try this? It's sitting on my "to do" list, not that much on it is getting done at this moment.
My question is about 3 things...
*) How tight is the Hobbit squeeze, the video makes it look pretty bloomin tight, to the point I'm worried a 34/35" waist might get stuck?
*) How much effort is the wobbly ladder pitch if you blatantly/shamelessly clip-sticked up
*) What is there in the way of anchors from the "summit" of Twll Mawr's (Mordor/list world gap) to ab down to the notch

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Just spent a happy half hour working out the route taken from the video - and then spotted the OP posted a link to another UKC thread with a description :lol: :lol:

This is an interesting route, and none of it goes more than 100m from Watford Gap, it's all centred around Twll Mawr, Mordor and the Lost World with a bit of preamble on the levels below and parallel to the main path through Watford Gap.

Some airy abs, and I wouldn't fancy that narrow grassy traverse around the Lost World myself.

But to attempt to answer the questions:


*) How tight is the Hobbit squeeze, the video makes it look pretty bloomin tight, to the point I'm worried a 34/35" waist might get stuck?

It does look tight, there is another UKC thread says forget it if you're over 13 stone.


*) How much effort is the wobbly ladder pitch if you blatantly/shamelessly clip-sticked up

Given where it is it's your only way out apart from a) scrambling out the back of Twll Mawr, or b) backtracking and doing that squeeze again. It would be easy enough to chuck a rope down from above, this route goes backwards and forwards over itself, but would need a bit of extra time to set it up (or anchor from the other side of the fence just beyond Watford Gap).


*) What is there in the way of anchors from the "summit" of Twll Mawr's (Mordor/list world gap) to ab down to the notch

No idea, sorry, people slackline from there don't they?

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:lol:

Sorry to bump a quite old thread, but did anyone try this? It's sitting on my "to do" list, not that much on it is getting done at this moment.
My question is about 3 things...
*) How tight is the Hobbit squeeze, the video makes it look pretty bloomin tight, to the point I'm worried a 34/35" waist might get stuck?
*) How much effort is the wobbly ladder pitch if you blatantly/shamelessly clip-sticked up
*) What is there in the way of anchors from the "summit" of Twll Mawr's (Mordor/list world gap) to ab down to the notch

The squeeze isn't so tight, free climbing the ladder and clipping in is quite strenuous, send the fittest up first and have them belay/assist the others up. The anchor points are all expansion bolt y hangs backed up to boulders. But climbers use much smaller tat than cavers so it feels a little on the 'dangerous' side :thumbsup: in all seriousness this route has some massive exposure and very high abseil (if I recall I used 80m rope for pull through trip) definitly take care and check all the anchors to best of your ability, no shame in taking an sds and placing your own back up.

:lol:

Sorry to bump a quite old thread, but did anyone try this? It's sitting on my "to do" list, not that much on it is getting done at this moment.
My question is about 3 things...
*) How tight is the Hobbit squeeze, the video makes it look pretty bloomin tight, to the point I'm worried a 34/35" waist might get stuck?
*) How much effort is the wobbly ladder pitch if you blatantly/shamelessly clip-sticked up
*) What is there in the way of anchors from the "summit" of Twll Mawr's (Mordor/list world gap) to ab down to the notch

The squeeze isn't so tight, free climbing the ladder and clipping in is quite strenuous, send the fittest up first and have them belay/assist the others up. The anchor points are all expansion bolt y hangs backed up to boulders. But climbers use much smaller tat than cavers so it feels a little on the 'dangerous' side :thumbsup: in all seriousness this route has some massive exposure and very high abseil (if I recall I used 80m rope for pull through trip) definitly take care and check all the anchors to best of your ability, no shame in taking an sds and placing your own back up.

Ah, proper answers from somebody who has done it, thanks Dan. Is that grassy ledge as horrible as it looks?

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I thought the end of the video he was going to turn around at the bottom view his mate on top of the large pyramid ! Surprised but very interesting I did not no of that route !

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The squeeze isn't so tight, free climbing the ladder and clipping in is quite strenuous, send the fittest up first and have them belay/assist the others up. The anchor points are all expansion bolt y hangs backed up to boulders. But climbers use much smaller tat than cavers so it feels a little on the 'dangerous' side :thumbsup: in all seriousness this route has some massive exposure and very high abseil (if I recall I used 80m rope for pull through trip) definitly take care and check all the anchors to best of your ability, no shame in taking an sds and placing your own back up.

Thanks!
The rope length of the big ab didn't worry me too much and was hoping to cover that with a 60m dynamic and 30m of 6mm paracord although in the video I can't see any of the anchors in tunnel. Happy to place a necessary bolt in tunnel if required with hammer and drill bit (may take a while) but I don't want to drag my drill with me round the whole route on the off chance. Sounds like the anchors from Mordor summit to notch are very do-able. If I have to swap a bit of old tatt for a newer piece of tape on a boulder so be it, sounds good that there are boulders not just tufts of grass to belay/ab from 😉 once ab retreat using what was like a sturdy rose bush (much brown adrenaline in trousers) which I don't want to ever repeat. Hopefully will be able to persuade old friend to come especially if I'm vague about what we'd be doing, worst case is a grigri self belay and clip-stick the ladder pitch which is not first choice! Lastly thanks again on the squeeze that sounds do-able also for 34" waist and 12 stone, maybe I should give this one a go

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Very Nice! One of the best I’ve come across. Struggled with LPR take on ‘Shine on...’ though. Argh!

The route? I recognise most sections but as a whole journey goes, a pre xmas diet just started. That leaves the ledge!

All credit to Ian Lloyd-Jones for the video and description. Fairness deserves a like on Youtube from each of us who thought it useful (we whinge enough about others). Also a + for DanW’s supplementary.

All credit to Ian Lloyd-Jones for the video and description. Fairness deserves a like on Youtube from each of us who thought it useful (we whinge enough about others). Also a + for DanW’s supplementary.

Well said Twll Mawr :thumbup:

Wandering OT...

Just to spoil your day

And as an aside have you seen what they call that hole into the bottom of Twll Mawr?

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I'd heard it called either; twll tin, or the ar5e of twll mawr.
Not seen that on the OS maps though, maybe I need to look back to an earlier edition 🙂

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