Pordenack Point (Green Face area)
26th September 2009

The Green Face – Severe 4a – Alt Lead
Mexican Pete – VS 4c – Second
Mr Haggis – HS 4b – Lead (dnf)

The tide meant we were restricted to the top face to start with and as things turned out we stayed here all day. The Green Face area sits just to the left of the first descent gulley and as such receives a good few visitors across the top of the cliff. This means that for a good portion of the time you are climbing with an audience. This is disconcerting to say the least. Its like tee’ing off when there is a queue on the Golf Course.

Still the audience didnt make that much difference ( and we must be famous now with all the photos being taken!). The first climb of the day was interesting. We did the harder crack variation start (or at least Joe did). Quite difficult to protect and tricky, but a good opening pitch. The second pitch introduces a sense of exposure as you go around the corner onto the seaward face, but is straight forward. Finding your way off the summit bloke adds some fun, with a jump across to the main cliff which Joe demonstrated for me. Glad my knee is better….

Mexican Pete is a different proposition completely. I left this climb determined to get my weight down and strength up which is testement to its strenuousness. From the outset it is commiting. The initial vertical crack wipes the smile off your face (until you’ve got through it). Joe somehow jammed and smeared up it, just making a thank god hold at the top. I had the luxury of being able to layback it, but it was still a beast.

The second pitch tackles the Green Face via a overhanging crack. This needs some character from the leader as its not easy and the whole time you are on it, you are on power. The area is very lichenous, but this doesnt detract from the climbing at all. The holds are good and if you get your feet right, its not so bad. The whole climb is brilliant, giving excitment the whole way. An excellent lead by Joe on one of the hardest VS’s I’ve been on, especially the bottom crack. I would put it at 5a technically, not 4c. Its a good job the protection is good.

I saved the bag of shit called Mr Haggis for last. We has looked at the large overhang when we arrived and MH went up the left hand side through what looked like some classic juggy holds. Maybe I went off route but having climbed the bottom section which consisted of two crack’s both of which were crumbling I was faced with a climb up toward the overhang through manky rubbish. The litter of bolders lying on the ledge should have given me an indication of how bad the rock was. Once I reached the overhang I placed a piece of gear in a crack only to realise that the whole section was peeling away. I rekon if I weighted the pro it would have resulted in a rock fall. Freaked out I traversed left and escaped out through a cave/hole. Two weeks in a row. Hard granite next week.

Not wanting Joe to be crushed by the cliff I abb’d off and took the gear out. A disappointment, but it couldnt take away from Joe’s lead on Pete, so we left with big smiles and thoroughly dehydrated and knackered. Another great adventure of the Cornish Cliffs.
Rest of the photos are here.