With our brave boys having resumed firing on The Range (great to know we’ll be well prepared if the Russians decide on a beach landing in south Wales!) we shifted base to St Davids where we met up with Jim and Claire. April’s “four seasons in one day” weather looked set to continue, with 30kt winds, squally showers and temps barely above 10C offset by interludes of bright sunshine. A midday high tide threw a further spanner into the works of the crag-selection algorithm, and it came up with Velvet Wall in St Non’s Bay as potentially the only feasible option for a quick route or two.

Walking in from Porthclais it was clear that anything exposed to the prevailing westerly was going to be very damp indeed!

Having weathered one downpour on the short walk (sun to soaked to sun again in 5mins), Jim and I arrived at Velvet Wall to find we’d absolutely nailed it. The rain had already evaporated and the situation in a tight zawn was providing shelter from the crashing waves, with a high belay just about keeping toes and ropes out of the briney.

Jim started us off with Graper Scraper HS 4b (coping with the lingering dampness in the crack)

We did Chinon, HVS 5a, basking in toasty sunshine…

… and Shiraz, E1 5b, as the next squall came through – look closely and you can just about make out the hail settling on Jim’s shoulders! Time to call it a day!

Dry the next day, but the wind and inconvenient tide persisted. South Buttress on St David’s Head was an ideal spot, with the bonus of a bit of archeology thrown in – the 5,000 year old Arthur’s Quoit burial chamber and these Iron Age hut circles.

Helen on Rakish Crack, VDiff

Me on Overhanging Buttress, HVS

… and Jim on Central Crack, Severe

All washed down with a pint in the Farmers Arms and a spectacular sunset from the clifftop campsite at Treginnis Uchaf, sadly presaging a windy washout the next day.