We usually try to time any long journeys to the crag in weather windows unsuitable for climbing – normally ending up driving in the rain, but our trip to Pembroke was in unbroken glorious sunshine. It’s just that 30C really saps the will to climb. We arrived at the Porthclais campsite at pretty much beer-o’clock (6pm in the Rockaroundtheworld van-hold) but the sight of the crag just over the hedge prompted a deferment.

Sure enough, the Main Slab at Porth-y-Ffynnon was just coming into the shade:

We rapped in to glorious conditions, a low tide, and a millpond sea, with the intent of grabbing a YECTOYD.

Cracked Wall, VS, was so enjoyable it pushed thoughts of beer out of our minds and we headed back down for Helen to lead Slab Recess:

… and then we finished off with Saltheart Foam Follower, E1 5b (for which you’d have hoped for a bit more gear!)

Sunny again the next morning, which really called for a north-facing crag, and Helen’s research unearthed Missing Link, a 9-pitch 175m VS traverse of St David’s Head.

Tearing ourselves away from the obvious attractions of Whitesands Bay we managed the approach to the crag-top in around the guidebook time of 30 mins, but then spent another half hour of head-scratching to identify the rap point. Here are the GPS coordinates to save you the bother: 51.910331° N 05.298254° W and a view of the descent chimney and a handy boulder (60m rope was sufficient).

Part of our confusion was the fact that the route actually traverses TWO crags: starting up Craig Hebog and finishing on Trwyn Llwyd. There’s a topo in the definitive guide which shows the whole thing, but we didn’t spot it to start with as it’s quite a few pages away from the description!

Anyway, rapping down the chimney we congratulated ourselves on bringing the extra rope and not going for the solo option, which looked quite unpleasant!

The first move up from the base of the chimney is really quite hard (gets 4b but I wouldn’t argue with 5a even in the dry – roll in a bit of dampness and a distinct absence of gear, and I can imagine quite a few VS leaders having a torrid time). Happily it’s by far the hardest move on the route. Helen ran the next couple of pitches together, culminating in a down-climb of an angled crack, and after 3 pitches we were nearer the sea than when we started!

I combined the next two pitches, the first of which is also supposed to be 4b but is more like VDiff, followed by a brilliant steep groove which is surprisingly straightforward. Helen got the next questing traverse followed by another down-climb, halfway down another chimney.

The start of pitch 8, stepping across a void out of the chimney onto the wall, is another stout move, and again you need to be fairly cunning with the gear to protect the whole team. This is just the entree to a stunning pitch traversing the Trwyn Llwyd headwall, with steady climbing combined with stupendous exposure.

The final traversing P9 is no anti-climax either, and we topped out secure in the knowledge that we’d had a proper adventure. I’d thoroughly recommend it as worth 3*s (dreadfully short changed with only one in the guide!) and bears comparison with Dream of White Horses as a long seacliff traverse featuring VS climbing in HVS situations.

Amusing footnote: when I went to retrieve the ab rope I completely forgot about the rope protector, just out of sight over the cliff edge. I only noticed it missing when I came to pack my sack. Assuming it lost, I went back for a shufty just in case and was amazed to find it just sitting in exactly the same place. Sticky stuff this Gabbro!

Still toasty so we finished off with a swim at the idyllic Porthmelgan beach.

… before the short couple of miles to one of our favourite campsites at Treginnis Uchaf. Fab views over Ramsey Island, worthy of a clean back window!

Hot again the next day, but too nice for a rest day, and at least Craig Caerfai has a short approach.

We both enjoyed the classic Armorican, VS 4c, albeit through gritted teeth from swollen feet, but decided that after one Pembroke Top 50 route, anything else would be a let down (as well as a bit greedy!) Time for an ice cream!