Pembroke Adventures at Mowingword
- Friday 1st March 2024
By Sam Brown
Ah, Mowingword, the quintessential South Pembrokeshire adventure crag. It offers high-quality, long and atmospheric limestone routes from VS to E6, some of which are strong contenders for being the best of their grade in the UK. The climbing is impeccable and the surroundings are massively atmospheric.
The crag is a large headland sandwiched between two stunning beaches, Barafundle and Broadhaven South. If approaching from the west, the first eyeful of crag you get is the West Face and it certainly does impress; Mowing Word is around 150m long and up to 40m high. It is riddled with intermittent roofs, crag-high corner systems and horizontal fault lines almost spanning the length of the face. The obvious lines of Diedre Sud and the soaring crack of New Morning make other routes fairly easy to locate. A huge bonus is that Mowing Word is free of the MoD firing bans that restrict access to some other crags in the region and recently the yearly bird bans have also been lifted. In all but the biggest of seas, climbing can be had at all states of tide.
The adventure starts straight away. Having abseiled into the beach, and it’s a big abseil, you are immediately surrounded by pinnacles and deep caverns, including one huge through cave. Ground level at Mowingword has been sculpted by many a year of big seas and bad weather. You may well see seals, porpoises, razorbills, dolphins and if you’re very, very lucky, even sea otters. Do watch where you ab down if the tide is high or the sea is rough. I once abseiled down to the base of All at Sea and found a little more water at the bottom than expected. Still, no problem, I was able to stay on the rope and wait for a break in the waves, then swing across to a nice friendly block well clear of the swell. My trusty partner came down, took one long look across the sunlit, sparkling waters and another at the fine limestone above us and let out a deeply contented sigh. Her next words were: “Look at this, stunning, I don’t know why anyone ever goes to Kalymnos?” SPLOOSH. A large wave interrupted the rapturous praise. Pembrokeshire veterans will know that the sea temperature in early spring is about 8°C. That’s the reason people go to Kalymnos.
At one time Pembrokeshire climbing was dismissed as ‘for the climber who finds Cornwall over-populated’. This may be because the gems at Mowingword weren’t uncovered until the late 60s, when Mortlock (with various partners including Noble) put up the super VS classic of Diedre Sud. This is not just a big-name route on this crag or in west Wales. It’s one of the best VS routes the UK has to offer giving a 30m long corner system that alternates between vertical and just off vertical. The difficulties of the climb are not likely to be found too desperate by a competent, adventurous VS leader. The kit sinks into the cracks and corner like a farmer’s foot to a well-worn Wellington boot. This being the easiest passage on the cliff to locate and such a stunning line, it is easy to see why Mortlock chose this to open up the climbing.
Later that year Mortlock also added The Right Wall (HVS). It may not be as famous or hard as its Llanberis namesake but it gives immaculate finger climbing with a stiff crux in a very exposed position. Mortlock also introduced big-name climber, the one and only Jim Perrin, to the area. Perrin is best known for his additions to Mother Carey’s Kitchen further along the coast but the striking lines of Charenton Crack, New Morning, Flax Dream and the epic traverse Heart of Darkness are also really fantastic routes.
The Heart of Darkness-New Morning link-up has to be one of the strongest traditional lines around at HVS/ E1. It takes in 50m of immaculate climbing over two great pitches. To be fair it has also seen more than its fair share of epics, normally from a confident leader not thinking about their poor second on the traverse. There are no hard or bold moves on the traverse pitch, just massive holds and exposure to match. You traverse the crag at one-third height above an undercut cave far above the sea. Escape upwards is guarded by a huge roof. It’s pumpy for the grade, above crashing waves and sometimes big seas. The big holds and easy moves give you huge confidence while that last runner gets further and further away until...
All being well you and your partner (who may or may not still be soaking wet from an earlier hilarious soaking) will end up on a tiny ledge below the stunning crack climb of New Morning. The climbing on this is in no way as basic as Heart of Darkness. Expect a wide range of balancey layback moves, strenuous pulls and brutal jamming. My first experience of this climb was high summer many years back. A friend of mine (and a well-known local climber) had his wedding at the Stackpole Centre. After speeches and several litres of Pimms myself and another guest decided to head off to climb this tidy link-up in honour of the newlyweds. Suited and booted in wedding gear we arrived at the top. We burled our way over the traverse until the only thing between us and the story of a lifetime stood the New Morning crack.
Setting off up this, guns blazing, I soon found my handmade Italian loafers did not hold the sticking properties of my Italian-made La Sportiva's. Huffing and puffing, slipping and sliding, the alcohol deserted me like a rat from a sinking ship. It started to sweat its way out and then to repeat on me. An all-or-nothing approach finally landed me on top of the headland as a shaking, gibbering mess, unsure of whether I needed a beer or to never drink again.
Pat Littlejohn appeared on Mowingword in 1976 with the uber-classic Chimes of Freedom. At E2 the route takes a solid line to the left of Deirdre Sud. Gaining height up the slab you find yourself below a large right-facing corner. Technical moves up the corner gain horizontal bands below a big roof, which can be passed on either side with equal amounts of air and exposure. Then a big rock-up puts you into a small groove above the roof and the whole of the Irish Sea under your feet. Those with good footwork will now be able to relax before tackling the remaining technical difficulties. Many have made the mistake of thinking it’s all over when the meaty roof has been overcome, only to be given a harsh wake-up call by the technical and pumpy upper wall, which finishes off an exposed classic.
The following year Bristol-based climber Nipper Harrison, a well-known Pembrokeshire activist, went and put his mark on the face, adding three new E3s all around the Chimes area. Widowmaker, Crises and All at Sea, the best of these lines being the obvious line breaking left from Chimes and climbing the stepped roofs and face above. They are all fantastically positioned and the protection is good throughout, as long as you take enough small medium wires and draws for the 35m pitch.
This crag has unfortunately seen more than its fair share of great epics and incidents over the years, mostly due to long distant runners for traverses, some due to abseiling into the wrong part off the cliff and ending up hanging by a 10mm piece of nylon high above the sea. Or thinking you can grab one more route as the whole cliff turns a stunning shade of orange at sunset. It’s a sight well worth prolonging that post-climb beer for, but best from the top of the cliff and not getting caught out and benighted on a route.
Any discussion of Mowingword should not go without the mention of Norman Rubenis’s epic day, as this can be a lesson to all of us. Norman, a very experienced, competent and skilled climber had his designs on the aforementioned classic Chimes of Freedom. Abseiling into the route, he mistook the slack in the system for equipment failure. Naturally grasping for anything to stop him plummeting, he let go of the rope and dropped into the sea some 35m below. Fortunately, the tide was in and he missed the large rock where belayers often stand. He surfaced virtually without a scratch, was thrown a top rope and climbed out.
Most of the routes mentioned previously have been in the E grades. This should not deter you from visiting the crag if you’re not up for the E points. There is a good platter of welcoming routes in the easier grades, the VS Razorbill for example. Razorbill is best described as a small expedition and mirror image of the spectacular Heart of Darkness-New Morning. From the base of Deirdre Sud you make a wild, rising, rightward traverse until you reach an impressive hanging corner. An out-there belay below a series of roofs will get your heart pumping and best of all you’ll have two pitches of highly exposed adventure left. This one is best savoured in the gorgeous orange evening light (but see comments above about potential benighting).
At the opposite end of the grand West Face below an obvious grass terrace are several quality single-pitch routes, including The Curver (VS), Cormorant Flake (VS), and The Beak (HVS). Cormorant Flake is a brilliant chimney, gaining in difficulties as it gains height until one committing pull leads to a fight or flight moment just below the belay. Those blessed with abilities to stem and bridge will fully enjoy the experience. At the left end of this ledge system where the Heart of Darkness experience disembarks is the start of Culinary Delights, Seal of Approval and the best of the trio, Sealhunt. This one may only be a single pitch but it is a massive 35m bottomless corner with a crack running the full length and to enter this hanging corner you must climb a tricky arête that towers above a huge cave. Very big holds make this an audacious E1 lead.
And now for the hard stuff. In the mid-80s Gary Gibson took Mowingword by storm (among other crags) with harder and more technical exposed lines. To find the best of these he had to break into new ground through the great roof above the Heart of Darkness traverse. This gave two new E5s in an absolutely outstanding position. Failure on these routes even today could be a very serious proposition. Both these take the roof at its weakest section. To date, no one has managed to climb the roof at any other point and these remain the only lines established on the headwall.
The left-hand line, In One Door, has one of the scariest belays I have ever taken and that includes one that made use of a bit of dead sheep in North Wales. You belay on the lip of the roof in a hanging stance 20m above the sea. On a later attempt, I tried to run this route as one pitch to eliminate hanging belay antics. Poor ropework and lack of endurance came to the fore quickly. Popping several runners I found myself hanging at the same level as a couple on the Heart of Darkness traverse. They were not pleased to see me.
The South Face of Mowingword is often overlooked in favour of its bigger brother, maybe because most of the higher quality routes there are in the mid Extreme grade. However, there are good reasons to get involved. It is much more accessible than the West, you can walk around the base, and it is largely non-tidal. Being south-facing it also gets a lot of sun and is in prime position for porpoise spotting. There I saw an otter smashing crabs on the rocks. This is his territory, he was quite content to do this while we were climbing less than 10m away.
Wildlife aside, The Razor’s Edge is a sharp-cut corner with a pumpy traverse, well worth a look. The second pitch of this two-star E1 is steep but is much less of a struggle than the first pitch and makes an excellent and very enjoyable outing. Slip of the Wrist (E5) is a completely different kettle of fish. It climbs a complex line sharing climbing with other routes but is no unworthy eliminate, sustained, fingery sections above sparse protection give this a rather bold feel. Although none of the holds are poor they feel a lot smaller than those on other Pembroke E5s. It is a complete road-less-travelled hidden gem. The finishing moves on the impending leaning headwall will make any climber feel like an international rock star.
Tucked around the back of the headland is the East Face. Sea dependent it is accessible for all but an hour around high tide. A large wave-cut platform will give you access to most of the routes. The big names of Mortlock, Perrin, and Gibson took most of the lines there. The quality of the routes does generally decrease as you work your way around back towards land but these routes should not be ignored. There is still plenty of good quality climbing to be had but the routes are just in the shadow of their bigger brothers. If treated as a completely separate crag I'm sure more stars would have been awarded.
The deep seaward-facing chimney in the centre of the East Face is the imaginatively named Square Chimney. This V Diff is well worth seeking out for those going over to climb the easier routes on the West Face. Other quality routes include Street Legal (E2) and The Good Soldier (soft E3). The innocuous-looking, but considerably harder Charenton Crack (E2), is worth its three stars too, offering an alluring line and providing steep and strenuous climbing. Harder still, the hanging knife arête fell to Gibson in 1986 and was named This is War, a very serious undertaking all on natural gear. The route always manages to feel very humid so beware of damp conditions. On a good day, as bold and hard as this route feels, technicalities are short-lived but the E6 grade is no normal Pembroke E6.
For me, Mowingword is one of those really magical climbing venues. Often far less busy than routes on Range East or Mother Carey’s, often talked about but not so well travelled. You do have to remember the positions you are in and how quickly events can spiral on a big, wild sea cliff, but the adventure, exposure and spectacular outlook of Mowing Word are what give its high status in British climbing. May you all enjoy the airy positions, jug hauling, and the great climbing she has to offer.