Rare and wonderful

Following my route on the Plan almost 2 months ago (?) I developed a nerve pain in my left hand - plunger's palm perhaps? from so much plodding through deep snow on the midi plan traverse. As a result I haven't been able to climb since then. That is until this Wednesday when Jon and I made the lengthy day trip to Lleyn Penninsula to climb the 9 pitch 'mountain by the sea' Avernus. It gets the grade HVS 4c but mild XS might be more appropriate as it's a 50/50 mix of rock and veg, with much of the veg being 80+ degrees. Luckily I like this kind of stuff and it was a fun day out. Although I would caution anyone who might be tempted that it's quite far from your normal HVS. The technically harder climbing has good pro and excellent sound rock but for me the cruxes were the first main pitch (i.e. pitch 2 in North Wales Rock) and the last - both have no technical grade but both it would be easy to have a nasty accident on. still if your heads in gear a fine adventurous outing.Jon approaching the mountain by the seaAvernus takes the skyline buttressPitch 3 4b, the sea campion pitchpitch 4 4c the bluebell pitchdescending down through the quarry in the drizzle to the metropolis of Trefor

The old quarry 'visitors centre'