Pembroke 2013

The first proper meet of the year got off to a good start with lots of fresher/new members signed up for the trip. This placed a severe strain on our leading resources but fortunately we had Brad and Cole to help out! After hefting the gear in the swank van, we hit the road down to Pembroke and were forced to go over the Severn Bridge due to the M50 closure. After grumpily handing over £24.40 we were through and successfully convoyed it all the way to the campsite, which unlike last year was found without a hitch. We rapidly set the tents up and hit the way, the main entertainment being provided by Brad’s cushty sheepskin ‘rollmat’ and trash sec Jack blowing it hard and forgetting the bin bags (his one job….)

The alarm went off horribly early at 7am and I had a nasty surprise. My clean and dry socks were clean and dry no longer having had the contents of a glass bottle of Kronenbourg 1664 emptied all over them when the bottle broke. With the smell of beer overpowering the tent, everyone else was remarkably efficient and we were setting up the abseil at Saddle Head by 9. After finding lots of bomber gear we started sending people down, and after a small amount of early morning mincing people got climbing. Jack led up a Severe to kick off, with James and Amy doing likewise on other green spot routes which I can’t remember the name of. Cole also got going with his seconds Matt and Callum in tow. The lack of lead belaying skills was a concern but some tactical group organisation and adherence to that ancient law of trad climbing (the leader doesn’t fall) meant we got away with it, with some leaders choosing to give one rope to each of their seconds to concentrate on! I had new member Tom with me, and I started up the nice VS Haze, complete with the necky traverse of Sea Mist (the best bit). This went off reasonably smoothly and Tom wisely seconded up Sea Mist to enjoy the ridiculously good position (see photo on FB) before Brad also came up. All the new members had hit the ground running and Callum and Josh were already eyeing up first leads. Callum set off first up a V.Diff, showing impressive balls but perhaps placing not quite enough gear for a first lead! Peate and Jack helped him with his top set up before Josh also led the same route later in the day. (memory of routes that I didn’t climb/belay is dreadful!)

Meanwhile, I’d started up another VS on the other wall, No Hands, while Jack did a nearby HS. Brad and Jack invented the ‘Brad and Jack Superdirect Start’ to this route, which involved jumping to a mega jug and campusing/heel hooking onto the route proper- well worth it! This route was way better than Haze- it made me work for it all the way and had bombproof gear- a fact Jack agreed with when he later got on it. On the other side of the crag, James had remembered to pack his testicles and was starting the necky traverse on Sea Mist. He did it easily and finished up the arête quickly- everyone who has done this route knows how good it is! Emily and Steve ( I think) seconded, while Katie got the fear on the traverse and was forced to bail. However, she seconded a lot of stuff over the course of the day and hopefully got some good mileage on real rock. J

James was now psyched and got on the sandbag VS 5a Pink’Un, and despite nearly blowing it most of the way up got to the good holds and finished it up for his hardest lead yet- good effort, its solid 5a all the way. This turned out to be the hardest lead of both the day and the meet so nice one! Meanwhile, Tom started up his first lead while I soloed above him pointing out good gear/hindering his easy progress. He did the route easily and actually placed some good pieces, more than could have been said for my first lead. I helped him with his top set up when bad news emerged- two climbers were on the mega classic VS Blue Sky that I’d been eyeing up all day along with Brad. As the light started to fade I was getting increasingly twitchy and quickly asked the leader if we could scrag their ab rope 2 minutes after she’d topped out after a complete epic- it seems they’d ended up on a hardcore HVS! Having got the answer I was looking for I was soon gleefully abbing into space above the sea- committed doesn’t describe it! I set myself up a good gear nest before Brad joined me and got started on his pitch. He belayed in the cave before I seconded up and led my pitch- both had mega exposure above the crashing sea on super-massive holds- very soft for VS! (get on it!). Regrettably, mine and Brads absence prevented Peate from getting on Sea Mist as the light faded- I’m sorry mate! Next year, first thing! I topped out in the gathering gloom as everyone else finished climbing- what a route. After helping Katie up her final pitch we packed away and headed to the pub not a moment too soon.

The next day dawned dewy but dry and we packed away conventionally (everyone apart from Cole) and unconventionally, which included Cole driving over his decrepit tent in the minibus. We had decided to head to the Gower to try a crag there, Boiler Slab. I blew it several times finding the way, but we got there in the end and proved concerns about my navigation to be unfounded when we rocked up to the crag (eventually). Everyone swiftly got on it, with well spread out groups now we had seen everyone climb. Katie and I dispatched a VS, as did Brad/Emily and Jack/Steve, with the green spot ticks serving as a good warm up for the other groups. Unfortunately only me/Katie and Jack/Steve, along with Tom’s second lead, got another route in before the heavens opened. The lime swiftly evolved into slimestone, with everything getting soaked. The time to bail had definitely come, with most people being at the bottom in time to see a scout group on the neighbouring, much lesser travelled crag have a near miss. A massive, and I do mean massive, chunk of limestone was pulled off the crag, fortunately shattering into lots of smaller (but still massive) bits. Just as well, because if the big bit had continued unaided to the bottom it could have been really serious. Fortunately everyone was fine, and we swiftly bailed due to the increasing rain. The trip home (avoiding the Severn!) was uneventful, with the funniest moment coming at the petrol station when I clocked James’ busy hands. Make of that what you will. Hopefully everyone was suitably knackered- see you in the Lakes!