Welsh Road Trip and Squirrel Alert!

Seems like we’ve been granted an ‘Indian’ summer to make up for July and Augusts' showers. Ellen and I travelled to Wales and took advantage of some rare sunshine in its magnificent national parks but ambitious climbing plans quickly turned into a more chilled out road trip to the beach once I realised my foot still wasn’t up to the challenge!

Setting up camp at Whitesand Bay, St Davids, Pembroke

We started out with good intentions however in Snowdonia and went to Dinas Mot in the Llanberis Pass to climb ‘The Cracks’ HS 5a famous for its inclusion in the book ‘Classic Rock’ and also for its final pitch which provides a steep sting in the tail of an otherwise slabby and amenable route. Sadly after completing the route along with a VS variation on its second pitch I decided my foot needed more rest.

Ellen seconding ‘Lorraine’ VS 4c at Dinas Mot

Since climbing was off the cards we headed down to Pembroke instead and enjoyed a beautiful sunset and some tasty food, (as tasty as a super light gas stove and some plastic wine cups allow anyway!) camping on the beach at St. Davids.

Finally, I learnt an important lesson that you might benefit from! Unlike Alaska with its marauding bears or the Alps with its occasional fox, in the green and tranquil lands of Wales I thought it safe to leave some food in my tent. Unfortunately I hadn’t reckoned on the sly Snowdon squirrel which will stop at nothing in its quest for an afternoon snack, including the inner walls of your tent…