Hidden Amphitheatre | The Magik Rock

14th December 2018

Cornish weather guarantees that your never guaranteed you’ll get to climb. Despite no real prediction of rain, the dark grey clouds and strong wind felt a real portend of nastier things to come. Days like this tend to drive people for the cover of their warm homes and it would be easy to right it off and bail.

But then we would have missed out on a fun days scrambling around Pordenack. Just enough difficulty to add a bit of spice, but not terrifyingly exposed. We’d initially traversed onto the Green Face ledge (a nice little pulse raiser as its all a bit off kilter), but the cold, drizzle and wind meant ‘Mexican Pete’ was not going to be on. So we dropped into the Hidden Amphitheatre which proved equally as moist.

For those who havnt experienced the ‘squeeze’ its well worth it. A cleft through the rocks with jammed boulders, which empties into a hidden area and is the usual descent point for Pordenack. So to leave we exited vertically straight up the spires and landward face. You get an amazing view back across the point and all the thundering drama of Lands End comes into view. On this day, the 10’+ swell just made it spectacular.

Highlight of the day- eating lunch while watching a couple of seals bobbing out in the sea. In the end, a good way to spend a crap day.

17th April 2016

Kellan Head
Hidden Amphitheatre

Gambit – Severe 4a – Alt lead

Its a shout that doesnt instil massive confidence. Mind you I should have realised this was no normal belay stance Dave was on when a football sized chunk of rock went whistling by and plummeted into the sea!

This trip turned into a great adventure. We had set off to climb a couple of fairly hard routes in the E1 range but they were still a bit out of condition. Seepage meant the opening moves were a bit dicey (no pro and wet foot placements) so we left them for next week hopefully.

Instead we went exploring. The guidebook suggests an abseil into the Hidden Amphitheatre, but there also looked to be a traverse around the point. Green and slimey in some places, but not where we climbed, it was possible to get around the nose of the zawn/bay and onto the main slab.

Its great fun, especially when you dont have a clue whats coming. As it turned out it wa a spectacular area of rock. High and a bit intimidating, but with plenty of obvious lines. It took us a while to get out bearings and sort out the routes. Still not sure about some but we did find a massive VS which looks epic. Next time though, as we were running out of light, so we settled on the Severe called Gambit to climb out.

Probably not as straight forward as the guidebook suggests. It’s described as ‘slight’ which in comparison to the other routes it probably is. But ti shouldnt be underestimated in the context of the rock, which in places is loose and unreliable.

For the most part it follows good rock and has a couple of good sections. The start of pitch two which Dave led was great, but again not easy. Well worth Severe 4a/b and possibly higher in the severity grade because the pro is there, but will it hold?

The final hanging slab gives good exposure and lots of dodgey rock. Dave’s belay was more likely to caused a cliff collapse than hold me in a fall. Still you have to work with what you have. I think I might run a rope down from the fence posts if I know we will be topping out here next time. Safer and easier.

We finished with a stunning setting sun and the whole area glowing gold as the lichen caught the suns rays. Truly amazing, but a little cold as I only had a wind stopper. So back to the car park in what must be one of cornwalls most scenic places to climb.