We packed about three days of experiences into one today in an all action tour of south Cornwall, finishing in the dark after a glorious sunset at Sennen!

We managed ascents of four great routes, while the granite glowed golden in the evening light. (Well it did for a few moments after a generally cloudy evening prevented the desired light show that we’d hoped for). However, the finale was a beautiful one and very memorable.

We’d spent the morning in Penzance doing some sightseeing, trying some local produce and I got to have a wonderful bit of time with Aunty Janet! What a bonus!

The group opted for a look around the Minack Theatre after lunch. A cool looking band were doing a sound check, so we got a little live music too.

And as part of the cultural experience, we also sampled a cream tea, while enjoying the gardens and sea view.

Next up was Porthcurno beach, where we swam and larked about doing headstands in the water for an hour or so.

Finally, we made it to the cliffs of Sennen and after more pasties, abseiled off the cliff top to the base of the main climbing area.

We were above the high tide, but every now and then a big wave would splash up, adding to the dramatic environment we found ourselves in.

We had the place pretty much to ourselves as we guiding the pupils up and down the cliffs. The was occasional drizzle and occasional bursts of sunshine and the light faded. Below us a big seal played in the waves. Dave and I even got a bonus climb as we had to make one final descent to free a stuck abseil rope while the excited yet weary students headed off to the bus.

The lads were asleep instantly on climbing into their sleeping bags, while I sorted the mass of climbing gear by torchlight, then eventually got to lie down just before midnight! A big value day!

Sennen Climbs:

– Demo Route, HS (4b)*** (Dave)

– Corner Climb, V.Diff**

– Staircase, Diff**

– Seniors Route, Diff**