We’ve been exploring a new part of the Llŷn Peninsula armed with the latest edition of the updated climbing guidebook. With the van packed with rock kit and overnight gear, we set off for Nant Gwrtheyrn – somewhere we had been before, but only during a think mist, so today it was nice to be able to enjoy the views that it is famed for.

We had our sights set on the 250m long ‘Gorlech Ridge’, which runs from sea level, all the way up to the mountain top. It looked set to be a fine expedition, but didn’t quite turn out as planned. For starters, the high tide made getting onto the ridge problematic. This probably could have been overcome, but we were also concerned about the ever increasing winds. We had hoped to be sheltered, but a slight change in wind direction meant that a strong wind was blowing across the beach and not making ideal conditions for hanging onto a rocky ridge.

In the end, we decided to abort and play it safe. Following a series of goat tracks, we meandered our way up much safer terrain to the quarry levels above. Looking down as the gusting winds blew us about, we were very happy with our decision!

More goats and goat tracks led us up through the quarry to the upper tier, where we’d heard there were some climbs (even newer than the new guidebook!).

While it was a little disappointing to have not completed our ‘plan A’, the views were still fantastic and eventually, we found the climbs that we’d been searching for. We didn’t know the names of grades, but they looked pleasant enough and it meant that we did actually get to climb something!

The photos make it look somewhat better than it actually was. I had to climb with my hood up against the wind.

The granite glowed golden in the afternoon light and the rock was actually warm to touch, so we left feeling happy with our explorations.

The cafe was closed by the time we’d returned to the little village, but we enjoyed a quiet bench for a sit down as the sun dipped low.

As the log shadows fell, we left for Nefyn, where we were booked into the ‘community pub’ for dinner, bed and breakfast. The pub was packed when we arrived and as we walked through the door literally every head turned to see who the strangers were! They were very friendly indeed and we were soon shown to a very nice room. Dinner was hearty and we enjoyed some good chat in the busy pub.

A rouge low pressure in the Atlantic made a sudden change in the weather’s plans, so climbing the next day had to be abandoned due to the rain. We checked out Nefyn beach before heading back east for a surf instead. Out of nowhere, there were waves forecast to be arriving all day. After picking up our boards from The Cottage, we surfed at Rhosneigr, where we spent the first half an hour being the only surfers! Amazing. We surfed until mid afternoon, when we were too tired to continue and returned home for hot showers.

Not quite the extended Lleyn trip that we’d anticipated, but fun to be away for a bit…