Isn’t it just cragging near the sea? - Sennen

We’ve been here before. Put a date in the diary a couple of months ago for a climbing trip in the mountains, then with 2 days to go, find the forecast looks wet or unsettled. And so it was this time, a planned 3 days in the Lakes having big days out on classic rock routes dashed by a change in weather after 6 weeks of drought! Same story in Wales. Mrs L wasn’t interested in hearing our climbing plans sob-story again.


“What about Cornwall?”

“In the summer holidays? Traffic, 6 hour drive, hard to car camp in laybys. And it’s just cragging by the sea isn’t it.” 


As we set off to Sennen, it felt like we were settling for a second rate trip compared to the mountain atmosphere we normally thrive in. We were very wrong.

It is a long way from Leicestershire. It is harder to car-camp. Yet despite it’s shorter stature, even Sennen is anything but simply cragging by the sea.


Waking up to a view of the Atlantic at the very end of England was a joy (if not so much being disturbed by a tractor moving boats around at 5:30), the walk-in short but the wild approach to the crag setting us up for the day to come, here and later at Chair Ladder. 


Yep, you need to get through there to reach the route.
There’s something far more all-encompassing about climbing on sea cliffs; not being able to see the route until you reach the bottom, often by then committed to climbing out, the constant taunting of the swell and waves reminding you that the tide sets you a deadline and nature is firmly in control. I can often feel quite at peace climbing in the mountains, but here I simply felt exhilarated from the off, scrambling between occasional spray bursts across the sea-level shelves leading to Demo Route.


Demo Route - HS 4b


John about to look like a rock legend
It’s short but fun, designed for showing off. Climbed by running both pitches together, John showed that staying on the edges of wide cracks/chimneys usually pays off, making a stylish display up to the overhang. Secure underclinging handholds mean you can boldly lean back and and get a good view up ahead, but don’t let that distract from spotting the secure footholds that aid progress around the overhanging flake, leading to a slab full of useful features for feet to finish. 

From the top, enjoy the contrast between your second rising steadily from the spray, whilst behind you, beachgoers and pasty eaters relax at Sennen Cove.


We managed to squeeze Intermediate Route in also, wishing we could spend a whole day here, but we had ambitious plans, so made the 15 minute journey over to

Porthgwarra for Chair Ladder for lower tides. As we enjoyed a local pasty with a cup of tea, we witnessed a large group of Marines finishing a morning’s climbing and setting off from the car park on a run carrying large rocks. It seemed apt to meet them having just done a route first climbed by the Royal Marines Cliff Assault Wing (as many were at Sennen) but we were pleased to see them leaving the crag alone to us.
Location: Sennen, Penzance TR19, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tower Ridge - It’s not just about length

Image
Wake up to this! Another cheer for modern weather predictions, after the elation of a perfect days’ climbing on Ardverikie Wall, as the latest forecast suggested a window of opportunity for Tower Ridge. Ok, it looked like it was going to rain hard for most of the next day, but crucially would ease off around teatime, allowing us to make our planned evening walk up to bivi high in the coire above the hut.  A tricky museum/gear shop/cafe traverse was completed during the day and then the wait began, first down by the quay side, then up in the north face car park. As the clouds continued to leak beyond 5pm, doubts crept in. A beer was even consumed in the car, such was the nagging feeling that we weren’t walking up there anytime soon. But with a rain radar website to encourage us, patience was rewarded with a sudden clearing up to a sunny, steamy evening. Freeze-dried dinner was consumed whilst throwing kit in rucksacks, trying to be swift but not forget anything.  The walk in was magnifi
Read more

Flying Buttress and Spiral Stairs, Dinas Cromlech - always a school day

Image
Also known as the day the Ravens ate John's malt loaf. Out of all the classics so far, Flying Buttress in The Pass holds a strange place in my logbook. I’ve climbed the route 2.67 times and never had a dull visit; learning many lessons, making mistakes and gaining experience. The Cromlech is close enough to the road that you’d be able to see someone breaking into your car in the layby, but at the same time so remote that you’d be able to do nothing about it for an hour or two. It’s kind of a roadside crag but not a place to get caught out. In June 2004, Flying Buttress was my 6th multi-pitch lead and despite being a bit gloomy, was still a good day for climbing. Partner for the day, Hannah, was a little more experienced but we were definitely learning together and were pretty pleased with ourselves as she set up a belay at the top of pitch 3. Although a pair was ahead of us, they seemed experienced and were moving quickly.  As JG, their leader, shouted he was safe at the top of pit
Read more

Last of the Yorkshire Classics

Image
Poor weather in the Lakes gave us a weekend in Yorkshire, a county that spreads most of the way across northern England but only contains 2 of Ken’s Classics.  Almscliff Crag on a perfect Yorkshire summer day Almscliff is squarely in the realm of another classic; BBC’s strangely successful Last of the Summer Wine and in parallel with the show, we arrived, 2 middle-aged blokes, to play about in the countryside, with a Yorkshire Dales backdrop. I hope we looked a bit more competent and less desperate to impress than the characters we recalled, but with the reputation that Parson’s Chimney has, competence and desperation may both come into question. First impressions of the crag are beautiful but understated; a modest sized lump of castle-like rock, topping a small summit, with 360 views and climbs on all sides.  With the temperature hitting 24C by 10am, we were drawn after our 2 minute walk-in to the shady side, which happens to have the classic on. Choosing to warm up on a VD wide chimn
Read more