A two day dash through Devon and Cornwall to sample some of the delights of British summer time at the beach! Ha ha! Arrived on the south Cornish coast hoping for breakfast on the beach...
After a rather wet drive, at least it was only drizzle by the time we got there...
Wally look us in and we breakfasted indoors at the Chalet, before getting stuck into an early morning blues guitar lesson. Great to share some tunes together!
Next stop on the tour was Looe, where the low clouds were not inspiring a dip in the sea...
Instead, (as per tradition), we called in at Sarah's Pasty Shop and got lunch to take up to Jenny's house.
An afternoon of entertainment, intellectual conversation and a solid Jenny hug whizzed by and before we knew it, we were off and on the move again...
There was no mistaking from the terrain, we were in deepest darkest Kernow!
Met up with my old friend the Cheesewring Quarry, but it was too damp to climb and almost too misty to even see it!
After attempting to do what we already knew was a mistake (trying to drive in Cornwall in the summer and expecting to go more than 20mph), we abandoned the car and continued via train travel to Penzance. Much easier!
In the rush to leave the car and catch the incoming train, I managed to leave my swimmers on the back seat of the car, so instead of getting off the train and jumping in the ocean, we had to make do with a paddle instead. An egg butty and cup of tea perked us up though at the station cafe!
Via another pasty shop, we walked up to Janet's house and had a super afternoon catching up with each others news and reminiscing about old times - including the time when she flew to Germany (with her Lamberetta Scooter! - Yes, on a plane!!). As we made it down to the station in the evening, the sun was just starting to come out...
It was still dull and grey as we passed by Roche, but the rock looked dry, so we stopped for a climb on this geological phenomena (with old chapel built in!).
We did the classic routes, which really were classic! Grippy rock and outrageously exposed and steep!
I just about managed to hang on and get up to the top.
After which, the sun suddenly burst through!
All of a sudden, we had great views and warm sunshine.
There were also some very convenient ladders to get back down from the top of the rock.
It was so nice, that after climbing, we got the blanket and camp gear from the car and found we had enough food to cook up a decent dinner in the evening sun.
We stayed until the sun began to set and the rock glowed golden.
As the sun hit the horizon, we sped away eastwards and back into a huge bank of cloud!
The sun disappeared below the horizon in a red glow and we drove on through the dark, arriving back in Somerset in time to crawl straight into bed just before 11pm... What a whirlwind road trip! Good times, good places and good people!
Roche Rock Climbs:
- Porky, VS, (4c)**
- SW Arete, V.Diff**
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