With this year’s unsettled summer weather I’ve found myself on two Pembroke trips in the past month. A quick bank holiday weekend to get started, then a week later back down for five days after a Scotland trip was binned off due to poor weather. Pembroke has quickly become my favorite UK climbing destination. There’s good weather, atmospheric conditions and soft grades, what more could you want!
The bank holiday went in a blur of 3 star classics on St Govan’s and an early morning blast up Lucky Strike before the crowds descended. We quickly learned that a Pembroke rack cannot have enough rock 5s & 6s!
The Pembroke hero rack
After a quick 4 day week back at work we returned to Pembroke, after our original Scotland plans were cancelled due to a terrible weather forecast. Good old Pembroke looked like the only dry place in the country. Back in the car for another 7 hour drive from Leeds we managed to get down in time to squeeze in a quick ascent of Rock Idol at Mother Careys, what a route!
The next day we headed to a deserted Mowingword for the Heart of Darkness/New Morning connection, plus Snozzwanger and Blowin’ in the wind. The rest of the week was spent back at Mother Careys and St Govan’s ticking off more 3 star classics. You really cannot move for 3 star routes in South Pembroke, even the 1 star ones would probably get 3 stars if they were anywhere else.
Feeling a little sunburned and climbed out by Friday we decided to head to North Wales to meet up with some friends from the Leeds Mountaineering club. A wet day in Snowdonia meant we ended up at Gogarth for more sea cliff climbing! I’d been wanting to get on Quartz Icicle for a while and my partner had unfinished business with the last pitch of Dream of White Horses so we linked them together on what must be one of the finest link ups in Wen Zawn. We just managed to top out before the ‘Caff circus came to town for his filmed ascent of Dream in traditional 60s climbing gear.
Once the bird bans are lifted and the range is open you really can’t beat Pembroke in August / September for a cheap week of climbing. If you love cold showers, the Bosherston campsite is only £4.00 per night and only 5 minutes from the pub. What more do you need?
The Ticklist
| The Quartz Icicle | E2 5b ** |
| North West Passage | E1 5b ** |
| Atlantis | E1 5c ** |
| Clean Hand Blues Band | E2 5b ** |
| Blowin’ in the Wind | HVS 5a ** |
| Snozwanger | E1 5b ** |
| Heart of Darkness/New Morning | E1 5b *** |
| The Strait Gate | E1 5b *** |
| Necropolis | E1 5a |
| Rock Idol | E1 5a *** |
| First Blood | E2 5c *** |
| Calisto | E1 5b * |
| The Butcher | E3 5c *** |
| Cupids Bow | HVS 5a ** |
| Strike Lucky | E1 5b * |
| Deranged | E2 5b *** |
| Hangover ’77 | E1 5b * |
| War Crime | E2 5b ** |
| Tactician | HVS 5a ** |
