No excuse not to go to Pembroke

because the Severn bridge tolls are gone from Monday https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-46539162

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Expect you to come for many trips then!

@dabarlow - also means cheaper access to the Wye Valley, which I know you’re also delighted about.

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Is “it’s all just that bit too hard for my grade” not an acceptable excuse ?!
I don’t use the Severn Bridge for Pembroke as I am not going there from London but I still seem not to get there so much…

What’s the recommended level, to be in with a chance of getting owt done?

You’ll be reet, I am just being lame. There is plenty to do at all grades.
I did break my ankle falling off a Severe when I wasn’t even trying a move. It’s a special place

Oh dear! Laugh/cry…

We found that the rock is still just as physically hard on the bones whether you have fallen off a Severe or an E4 :slight_smile:

The range west briefing dates are out too - much more at lower grades in there.

Good mention there Liz and a neat moment for me to make an early plug for the “Pembroke Range West Briefing Meet”. Put 19-22 April 2019 in your diaries already!

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Plenty of good (better?) lower grade stuff across the rest of Pembroke - having sat through a RW briefing on a gorgeous sunny half-day and then gone and done a couple of 9 metre routes I got the idea that RW was for people who had really done the rest of Pembroke to death , at their grade, but still wanted to operate in Pembroke. I would say that for those who have not been there often, just stick to the obvious stuff and not the esoterica

Pembroke in the low grades is a bit tricky. Everyone gets pointed to saddle head, which is fine but only about half as good as the routes elsewhere. There are some gems at HS; bow shaped slab, myola, diedre sud, Ganymede, but they are all at different crags so you need to move about a bit more.

So if I’m comfortable climbing VS at Castel Helen, where would be a good place to start at Pembroke? I have the Rockfax guide but it’s full of deceptively pretty photos luring me in!

Castel Helen is about as committing or harder than the access to most areas in Pembroke, so really is just about finding the right routes. You can see from the top 50 that almost skips VS, Blue sky at Saddle head being the exception (Amorican is in N Pembroke, miles away from the range).

For first time, it probably means going to Saddle head (I know I said…), the short wall at Stennis Head, or doing some of the HS routes above. Depending on how that goes, it’s a good place to push your grade so might actually be better getting on some safe Hvs recommendations than scratching around for really good VS routes.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=151

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Thanks Max. Keen to get on some HVS, will look at the book properly!

I don’t claim to any expert in Pembroke, least of all Range West but I’ll stand my comments about the latter and further suggest that N Pembroke would be a better bet for Holly (also bearing in mind it’s not out of the question to nip from North to South for a day eg base oneself at St David’s, do some lovely HS and VS stuff there, and during a trip, nip down to S Pembroke (40 min drive?) for some Sea Mist, Blue Sky and Bow Shaped Slab delights. And some HVS at both ends. I just think there is more to go at with walkable distance between the different bits, around St David’s.
Oh! And arrange someone to take photos from a distance on Gone With The Wimp (S Pembroke), a VS traverse that from a distance looks like it must be E4 or something :smiley:

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World War III Blues.
HVS 5b but given you are a crack head, that’s got to be a target.

Blue Sky (VS 4b) is stunning and proper sea cliff climbing as opposed to the other Saddle Head stuff on the right.

Quoin HS 4a also gives a sea cliff climbing experience and will give you the confidence to try Poltergeist (HVS 5a) which starts from the same place.

HVS in Pembroke is sweet and there are worse places to push into grade.

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Blue Sky looks nice. And Poltergeist, and surrounding ones. I find there’s nothing quite like a good dose of sea cliff intimidation to stop any possible hesitating.
All now on my list :blush:

Are those in RW btw?

World War III Blues has now gone up to E1 due to the number of failures. Though if you can climb a crack it’s fine (albeit it’s somewhat trickier in approach shoes :slight_smile: ).

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