As we set up the abseil a couple of other climbers remarked that it was a bit damp at the bottom. Curious I thought, it hasn't rained for days. Arriving at the bottom a wave broke above me on the arête a little to the left. The water swirled around the zawn and the rope disappeared into the waves. The thought that it was Adrian's rope that was becoming entangled among underwater boulders was a slight comfort to soothe the nagging feeling that I was likely to be swept out towards Lundy any moment. Adrian duly arrived at the bottom, we sorted out the rope and off we went. Scatting crack is an amusing little v diff with no gear, that would be easy in size 14 plastic boots. Once again all was well.

We debated whether honour was satisfied and we could slope of to Polly's cafe but decided we really ought to do another route. So a little later I found myself looking down the evil cleft that marks the start of Kinky Boots and wondering why none of my "friends" fitted the horizontal break opposite. The actual step across is quite straightforward once the commitment is made. Moving over the overlap onto the slab is not, and a struggle ensued. After a convincing demonstration of how not to climb I pulled onto the slab and belayed to a reassuringly corroded peg. Adrian followed and led through onto Midnight Cowboy. This takes a traversing line  across the slab. A truly magnificent, pitch lots of faith, friction and no holds, with a 5a/b crux that involves stepping down a holdless overlap onto an invisible foothold. Bill took a bit of a swing at this point, scuttling across the slab in true Yosemite style. The final pitch is great if you enjoy stepping up on lumps of mud tenuously attached to the rock by a few shriveled grass roots. Adrian was rewarded by the almighty for leading this pitch by finding a "friend" abandoned in a crack. By the time the three of us reached the top it was almost dark, so we congratulated each other on our enthusiasm and went to the pub.

Bill presented us next morning with a fluorescent green thumb that he said had been injured the day before, and went off to lie on the sand with the Sunday papers. We both thought it looked suspiciously like felt pen ( the same trick can be used on the toes to avoid ice climbing in winter). The morning flowed by and it was around lunchtime that we once again found ourselves at the foot of The Promontory. We decided on Twinkletoes another wonderful route with an interesting 5a crux, a blank groove best climbed by levitation. Flushed with success we found Bill and celebrated with a meal in the cafe, before setting off for home and the world of Monday mornings and work.

John Parrot

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Baggy in the Autumn

They say that the elderly become confused, which probably accounts for the fact Adrian, Bill and I arrived at Baggy a week after the club meet. Still the sun was shining, the surf running and warm rock beckoning.

After a leisurely second breakfast in the cafe we headed for The Promontory, where further evidence of approaching senility was seen. An abseil was set up and I prepared to launch myself into the void, carefully doing up the screwgate before closing the gate! Fortunately this error was pointed out, mental equilibrium restored and down I went.

We started off on Shangri La. a wonderful severe with an abundance of holds and cracks for inserting lumps of metal. A boiling sea added the necessary atmosphere. Setting up the belay I began taking in the rope. As the pitch is about 90ft, it was a little surprising to so much rope draped around my feet. I wondered why Adrian was waving at me but couldn't hear anything above the wind and sea. It then occurred to me why so much rope was now at the top of the crag. Adrian hadn't tied on and I hadn't noticed. There was the an amusing interlude as I attempted to throw down the rope while the wind had different ideas. All ended happily and we decided to wander around to Scrattling Zawn.

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