4th October 2012
Porthguarnon
Iron Bells – HS 4b – Lead
Sloe Slab – V Diff – Lead
Porcupine – VS 4c – Lead
Parking is a bit of a problem here although on this day we were lucky enough to be able to park on the campsite. Otherwise its a short walk from Penberth. I doubt that there is a lot in it really.
Pete and I rolled up not really knowing what to expect. I know that when you look at the crag it seems broken and disjointed, but after a couple of attempts we successfully managed to access the base of the cliffs via a very thorny and overgrown path. The next task was to get across to the main climbing area which is done by a series of traverses, a couple of which are quite airy, so you may want to rope up.
We started on Iron Bells, a climb very reminiscent of Anvil Chorus’s second pitch. In fact the crack is thinner, but its not as steep. However it’s a great pitch and loads of fun, especially the overhang which is taken directly on really positive holds. The granite feels grippy, probably a reflection of how little climbing this venue has seen over the years.
Pete and I were then faced with the next problem.To get back down to the lower tier involved some serious jungle bashing which we didnt fancy, so instead we decided to just keep going up. A great choice in fact as Sloe Slab turned out to be loads of fun. One for the rest of the group to have a go at and see if anyone can make the exit through the gap look elegant. Me and Pete failed big time.
With the weather taking a turn for the worse (the sun had now disappeared and we were frozen) we launched for the top. Some poor route reading by me meant we did a sort of mixed route part of which at least was Porcupine, a VS. I had intended to tackle to enticing thin crack on the left of the upper slab, which would have been HVS but cold hands and impending hypothermia made me decide to just get up there as fast as I could.
So all in all a great venue. Each tier has a number of options all in the V Diff to HVS range and it should be a good return next week when we come back mob handed with a stay on Trevervan camp site thrown in.
