The area between Mewsford Point and The Castle is admittedly home to fewer lithological icons than the remainder of the Castlemartin Coast, a fact that is perhaps responsible for placing it on the periphery of most visiting climbers consciences. This absence of attention is however completely unwarranted as there are many, many, fine crags and cragletts to be found here. One such crag, or rather collection of crags, is the small, inset headland of Crickmail Point.

The East Face
(Photo by Nanuls)

The West Face
(Photo by Nanuls)

The Point, sometimes known as B-Team Buttress, is home to a collection of surprisingly good routes, all of which take place on good solid rock and although there are no three star classics here, there's certainly enough to keep most discerning climbers happy for a few days. The most popular section of the headland, and justifiably so, is the Upper Tier of the South Face. Here, just a short abseil away, you will find such delights as B-Team Buttress (E1 5b) and Aeron (VS 5a), which lead the climber up a short, compact and beautifully exposed wall, and should be on any visiting climber's hit list. The rest of the climbing is split between The West Face, The Lower Tier of the South Face and the East Face, which although are marginally more difficult to reach, are also home to some interesting and worthwhile adventures.

Intriguingly, the now superseded 1995 Rockfax Guide to Pembroke implies that the Point is a popular spot for suicidal sheep. I can confirm that on my visit, the sheep were quite content to keep their distance.

Rock Climbing

The climbing at Crickmail Point can be split between four distinct areas – The West Face, The South Face Lower Tier, The South Face Upper Tier and the East Face. In addition to these two Girdle Traverses have also been recorded on the headland. Most of the climbing at Crickmail Point takes place on its upper tiers and is not affected by the tide, however, the lower tier is and the degree to which it is affected is very much dependant on the time of year and the weather.

The East Face
(Photo by Nanuls)

The Pillar
(Photo by Nanuls)

The West Face
(Photo by Nanuls)

Triple
Overhang Buttress
(Photo by Nanuls)

Climbs are listed from left to right, and are graded and rated with the aid of the Climbers’ Club Guide to Pembroke, the Pembroke Supplement and the new Rockfax Pembroke guide, so for full descriptions, please refer to these books. Technical grades are generally only given to climbs graded adjectivally as Severe (S) or above.

Routes are graded using the British Adjectival Grading System. With the exception of Tenby South Beach Quarry, bolting is strictly prohibited everywhere in Pembrokeshire, so don’t even think about it here. A conversion table of international climbing grades by SP member Corax is available HERE!

Route Symbols:

	A so-so route, neither good nor bad. Not unpleasant unless otherwise stated.
	A good route which is definitely worth a climb.
	A very good route, one of the best on the crag and well worthy of attention.
	An excellent route, one of the best in the area, and probably in Britain too.

	No Restrictions Used to indicate that there are currently no restrictions, either seasonal, temporary or permanent, affecting a route.
	Restrictions Used to indicate that there are restrictions, either seasonal, temporary or permanent, affecting a route. See the Red Tape and Access Section for more details.

The West Face
(Photo by Nanuls)

West Face

As the name suggests this area is located on the western side of Crickmail Point. The section is somewhat underdeveloped and is marred by a lack of sea-level ledges except at its right-hand end where a platform is exposed at all but the highest of tides.

The first two routes located on the wall of some 30 metres height to the left of Good Companions. The routes can be reached either by traversing in from Battleship Buttress at low tide, or more practically, by abseiling from anchors in twin cracks down the grass slope just west of the main part of the face.

The West Face
(Photo by Nanuls)

No.	Name	Length	Pitches	Adjectival Grade	Technical Grade
1.	Raspberry Ripple	30m	2	E2	5a, 5b
2.	Marina	30m	1	E3	5c
3.	Good Companions	52m	2	E4	5c, 5a
4.	Opening Night	52m	2	E2	5b, 5c

South Face Lower Tier

This Lower Tier can be reached by abseiling down the groove that gives Slipway at the eastern end of the South Face to a half height terrace. Continuing the abseil down the groove of Galaxy to a tidal platform will give access to the routes.

Soft Centre, Yorkie and C.D.M start very close together at the arête bounding the western end of the lower tier proper, while routes right of Milky Way (inclusive) are to be found in a broad alcove at the right end of the sea level platform.

No.	Name	Length	Pitches	Adjectival Grade	Technical Grade
5.	Trapeze	46m	2	E2	5b/5c, 5a
6.	Cloud Nine, Hang Ten	46m	2	E2	5b, 5b/c
7.	Cloud Nine, Hang Ten Variation	46m	2	E1	5b, 5b/c
8.	Bounty	21m	1	HVS	5a
9.	Soft Centre	21m	1	HS	4b
10.	Yorkie	18m	1	VS	4b
11.	C.D.M	15m	1	HS	4b
12.	Milky Way	18m	1	S	4b
13.	Galaxy	18m	1	VS	4c
14.	D-Day Landings	46m	2	HVS	5b, 4c
15.	N.A.T.O. Forces	46m	2	E1	4b, 5b

South Face Upper Tier

This Upper Tier can be reached by abseiling down the groove that gives Slipway at the eastern end of the South Face to a half height terrace. At the left-hand end of the terrace is a large pillar one third of the height of the crag. The first routes start left of this.

Catch is the first route on the right-hand side of the pillar. To the right of Tinker, Taylor is an undercut wall with a small rightward leaning ramp at its left-hand end – routes between the The Bouncer and Slipway (inclusive) begin on this wall. Warsaw Pact to Cheese Please (inclusive) start from the extreme right-hand end of the terrace to the right of Slipway.

The South Face Upper Tier (Photo by Nanuls)

No.	Name	Length	Pitches	Adjectival Grade	Technical Grade
16.	Snap, Popple and Crack	25m	1	VS	4c
17.	Crunchy	25m	1	VS	4b
18.	Krispie Crack	23m	1	VS	4c
19.	Three Shredded Wheat	23m	1	E3	5c
20.	Catch	25m	1	VS	4b
21.	Read Between the Lines	25m	1	E1	5b
22.	B-Team Buttress	25m	1	E1	5b
23.	Aero	25m	1	VS	5a
24.	Beggar Man	30m	1	E2	5c
25.	Tinker, Tailor	25m	1	HVS	5a
26.	The Bouncer	27m	1	HVS	5a
27.	Marathon	26m	1	HVS	5a
28.	The Jogger	25m	1	HVS	5a
29.	The Swinger	25m	1	E2	5c
30.	Slipway	25m	1	S	4a
31.	Warsaw Pact	24m	1	S	4b
32.	Fingerpicking	22m	1	VS	4c
33.	Cheese Please	24m	1	E1	5c

East Face

The East Face can be clearly view from the top of Triple Overhang Buttress and is bounded on the left by a sea-level cave and on the right by a large sloping shelf above the high tide line.

The first two routes start from a ledge on the left of the cave and can be reached via a low tide approach from D-Day Landings. The remaining routes are best reached by abseil.

Routes on Crickmail Point (For a clean version click here)

No.	Name	Length	Pitches	Adjectival Grade	Technical Grade
34.	Turtle's Progress	43m	2	E1	5a/5b
35.	A Present From the Valley*	43m	2	VS	4b, 4c
36.	Special Communiques	24m	1	E3	5c
37.	Malice Aforethought	30m	1	HVS	5a
38.	Malice Afterthought	33m	1	HVS	5a
39.	A Town Like Malice	33m	1	E3	5c
40.	Satisfaction	37m	1	E7	6b
41.	Eastern Gully	37m	1	VS	5a
42.	Friction Addiction	37m	1	E5	6b
43.	Emotional Rescue	40m	1	E3	5c
44.	Sidewinder	40m	1	VS	4c

*According to the Pembroke Supplement this route is considered to be undergraded by at least two grades.

Girdle Traverses

A couple of girdle traverses have been recorded on the crag. The first traverses the West Face from left to right and ends on the ledge that splits the South Face's tiers, while the second is a longer high level left to right traverse across both the West and South Faces.

No.	Name	Length	Pitches	Adjectival Grade	Technical Grade	Quality	Restrictions
45.	Secret Stratosphere	37m	1	HVS	5a
46.	Footloose and Fancy Free	67m	3	HVS	5a, 4b, 4c

Weather Conditions and Tides

Weather Forecast

This section displays the weather forecast for Bosherston, which is located just to the east of Crickmail Point. This gives a pretty good indication of what the weather will be like on the crag, as both Bosherston and Crickmail Point sit at around sea level.

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar | Hurricane Center

Tide Times

Tide times can have a significant impact on where and when one climbs. It is therefore extremely important to check the timetables before embarking on trip to the area. UK tides information for all standard and secondary ports is provided by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), and displayed on the BBC's website. The link below provides a link to the nearest port to Crickmail Point:

Stackpole Quay (SR 992 957)

When to Climb and Essential Gear

The most reliable conditions are in the summer, but the low altitude of the crag may make it a viable option in winter. The gear needed depends entirely on the routes you plan to do. Easier routes will only require a moderate rack, while harder routes will require a something more comprehensive; a good compliment of friends or other camming devices will certainly help – smaller ones will generally be of most use. A singe 50 metre rope should serve well on the few easy routes, however, double ropes would be a wise choice for the harder stuff. In addition to your usual gear, you will need an abseil rope to access to the base of the crag.

Triple Overhang Buttress
(Photo by Nanuls)

Battleship Buttress
(Photo by Nanuls)

The Castle
(Photo by Nanuls)

Getting There

Crickmail Point lies around midway between Mewsford Point and The Castle in the Range East portion of the Castlemartin Range. When approaching from Carmarthen (SN 405 196) take the A40 Truck Road signposted for Saint Clears (SN 274 160). At the Saint Clears roundabout, take the A477 Trunk Road towards Pembroke Dock (SM 969 036). Before reaching Pembroke Dock, turn left onto the A4075 (SN 019 027) to Pembroke (SM 989 012). In Pembroke, drive straight over the first small roundabout you reach and drive along the A4139 a few hundred metres and turn left and take the B4319 south towards Castlemartin (SR 915 983). Around 2.5km after Saint Petrox (SR 971 975), take a left hand turn (SR 965 964) signposting Bosherston (SR 965 9470). Drive through Bosherston (or stop for a cup of tea at Mrs Weston's Olde Worlde Café) to the Saint Govan's Car Park (SR 966 930).

From the car park, walk south to a small guard house and turn right (west), cross the stile at the guard house, and walk along a gravel road passing Stennis Ford and Huntsman's Leap and the Devil’s Barn. Follow the track and cross a fence at a cattle grid. Soon the buildings and masts near The Castle will come into view (SR 955 933), keep these to your left and carry on towards a second fence. Cross the cattle grid at the second fence and continue along the track to a junction, where another track from the right joins the track you’re on. Crickmail Point (SR 947 938) is now directly to your left (which is more or less due south. To reach the abseil point, leave the track and walk onto the now obvious but small headland.

Red Tape and Access

Good advice (Photo by Nanuls)

Crickmail Point is located in the Range East portion of the Castlemartin Range. This area is an Army firing range, although they do not use exploding ammunition. Access is permitted whenever firing is not taking place, which is normally on Weekends, Bank Holidays, and in the evenings (after 4.30). The night firing normally occurs on alternate Mon/Wed and Tues/Thurs nights. The Range is sometimes open during the week, but it is best to check before travelling. Phone the 24 hour help line on (01646) 662367.

It should be noted that Pembroke nesting restrictions are complex and vary annually. Please check the notice boards in Stack Rocks or St Govan’s car parks for more information. The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority also produce an excellent annual information leaflet illustrating the restricted areas on a clear map - download it from this LINK.

It is also available from the BMC, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority and Mrs Weston’s Café in Bosherston.

Camping and Accommodation

There’s an almost unlimited supply of accommodation within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park so it would be inappropriate to list it all here. For budget accommodation it’s worth checking out some of the following sites:

Youth Hostel Association in Wales
Independent Hostel Guide
Campsites in Pembrokeshire

For everything else and more see Visit Pembrokeshire’s website.

Maps

Open Space Web-Map builder Code

Navigation Maps

OS 1:25k Explorer Series OL 36 South Pembrokeshire/De Sir Benfro

OS 1:50k Landranger Series 158 Tenby & Pembroke / Dinbych-y-pysgod & Penfro

Road Maps

OS Road Map 6 Wales/Cymru & West Midlands

Guidebooks

	Pembrokeshire Coast: The Official National Park Guide by Alf Alderson, John Cleare and Ian Mercer. A handy book full of useful information and interesting facts about the National Park.
	Climbers Guides to Wales: Pembroke Volume 3 Range East - Stack Rocks to Hollow Caves Bay by Gary Gibson A beautiful, colourful and superbly presented ‘next-generation’ guidebook to this particular part of Range East.
	Climbers Club Guides to Wales: Pembroke by John Harwood, Dave Viggers et al. An extremely comprehensive two volume guidebook to the area which describes most of the routes on the crag.
	Climbers Club Pembroke Supplement by Dave Viggers A little book containing updates to the Climbers Club Guide and costs around a fiver.
	Rock Fax Guide: Pembroke by Alan James and Mike Robertson Not quite as comprehensive as the Climbers Club guides, but lavishly illustrated with tons of large photo diagrams and topos.

External Links

The South Face Upper Tier (Photo by Nanuls)

Government Bodies and Other Organisations

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority
Council for National Parks
Association of National Park Authorities
Pembrokeshire County Council
Carmarthenshire County Council
Ceredigion County Council
Countryside Council for Wales
Forestry Commission Wales
Environment Agency
CADW
Royal Commission on Ancient & Historical Monuments in Wales
Dyfed Archaeological Trust
The National Trust
Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Outdoor Organisations and Companies

British Mountaineering Council
Pembrokeshire Climbing Club
Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter Group
South Wales Mountaineering Club
The Climbers Club
UKClimbing

Weather

Weather from the Met Office
BBC Weather
Weather Channel UK

Tide Tables

BBC Tide Tables
UK Hydrographic Office

Tourist Information

Visit Wales
Visit Pembrokeshire
South West Wales Tourism Partnership
Local Information from Pembrokeshire Pages
Local Information from Pembrokeshire Online

Travel Information

Welsh Public Transport Information
Uk Train Timetable

Accommodation

Youth Hostel Association in Wales
Independent Hostel Guide
Campsites in Pembrokeshire

Maps and Guidebooks

Ordnance Survey
Cicerone Guidebooks
Climbers Club Guidebooks
Rockfax Guidebooks
Mid Wales Climbing
Cordee Travel and Adventure Sports Bookshop

Wildlife and Conservation

Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre
South West Wales Wildlife Trust
Sea Trust
Pembrokeshire Bird Group

Welsh Language

Welsh Language Board
Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg Welsh language pressure group
Cymuned Welsh language pressure group
Yr Urdd (Welsh Youth Association)
Welsh-English / English-Welsh online translator
Welsh-English / English-Welsh Online Dictionary
Welsh-English / English-Welsh Online Lexicon

Images



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"In this short span between my fingertips and the smooth edge and these tense feet cramped to a crystal ledge, I hold the life of a man." --G.W. Young