Page Type: | Mountain/Rock |
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Lat/Lon: | 51.61067°N / 4.90174°W |
County: | Pembrokeshire |
Activities: | Trad Climbing |
Season: | Summer, Fall, Winter |
Elevation: | 131 ft / 40 m |
Beyond the well trodden confines of the Castlemartin Range, and just across the sweeping sand dunes of Broad Haven beach, is another system of famed headlands and zawns, known collectively as the Stackpole Area. Mowing Word is the most westward of these headlands and is the first reached when approaching from the Broad Haven car park, taking the form of a prominent, narrow promontory that cuts sharply into the horizon. Its steep golden walls are home to some of the finest examples of mid grade climbs in Britain, but despite this the crag is rarely busy, the gravitational pull of Castlemartin sucking in the majority of visiting climbers. Those who do come here however, will be treated to a veritable feast of high quality lines, which they can surely not cease to tire of. For the mid grade climber there is the stupendous Diedre Sud (HS 4a) and the lengthy multi-pitch voyage of the Heart of Darkness (HVS 4c), both of which are probably the finest examples of their grade in Britain. For those who climb harder, routes such as Snozwanger (E1 5b), Flax of Dream (E2 5a) and the demanding In One Door (E5 6a) offer more than enough meat to get one’s teeth into. |
The climbing at Mowing Word can be split between five distinct areas – The West Face, The South Face, East Face, Hidden Wall and the Forgotten Wall. In addition to these the West Face can also be split up into three area’s for the purposes of clarity. All of the routes are in some way affected by the tide the degree to which it is very much dependant on the time of year and the weather. Most starts will require a hanging belay just above the high tide line, o in high seas or stormy weather, the crags is probably better off avoided all together. |
Crags and routes are listed from left to right, and are graded and rated with the aid of the old Climbers' Club Guide to Pembroke, the old Pembroke Supplement and the 2009 Rockfax Pembroke guide. Since then, the Climbers' Club have published a new comprehensive guide for this area, Pembroke Volume 5: Stackpole and Lydstep, which adds a significant number of new crags and routes to the area, though the changes to this pages' crags are few. Nevertheless it is recommended that you refer to this or the Rockfax book for up-to-date information and route descriptions. In addition to these sources Rockfax’s website also has descriptions for the routes included in its book, which can be viewed on its online route Database. Routes are rated using the British Adjectival Grading System. A conversion table of international climbing grades by SP member Corax is available: download it here. With the exception of Tenby South Beach Quarry, bolting is strictly prohibited everywhere in Pembroke, so don’t even think about it here. Route Symbols:
West FaceThe West Face is Mowing Word's largest and finest section of cliff face, being host to a veritable treasure trove of star-gilded routes. Incredibly steep, uncomfortably committing, yet utterly magnetic, this crag epitomises the very best Pembroke has to offer. For clarity it has been split into three sections – the Chimes of Freedom Area, the Diedre Sud Area and the Curver Area. |
Chimes of Freedom Area The Chimes of Freedom Area constitutes the huge buttress that protrudes from the West Face. |
No. | Name | Length | Pitches | Adjectival Grade | Technical Grade | Quality | Restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Fools Rush In | 43m | 2 | E2 | 5a, 4a | ||
2. | The Onion Eaters | 40m | 1 | E3 | 6a | ||
3. | The Challot | 40m | 2 | E3 | 5b, 5c | ||
4. | Crystal Grazer | 40m | 1 | E2 | 5c | ||
5. | Sea Goon | 49m | 2 | HVS | 4c, 4a | ||
6. | Seaside Salamander | 46m | 1 | E4 | 6a | ||
7. | All at Sea | 46m | 1 | E5 | 6a | ||
8. | Crises | 46m | 1 | E4 | 6a | ||
9. | Tie me to the Tyburn Tree | 43m | 1 | E5 | 6a | ||
10. | Widowmaker | 46m | 2 | E3 | 5c, 5b | ||
11. | Chimes of Freedom | 43m | 1 | E2 | 5b | ||
12. | Stand By to Boogie | 43m | 2 | E3 | 5a, 5c | ||
13. | Blowin' in the Wind | 43m | 2 | E1 | 5a, 5b | ||
14. | Snozwanger | 43m | 2 | HVS | 4c, 5a |
Diedre Sud Area Most climbers will know of Mowing Word for its two classic routes - Diedre Sud (HS 4a) and Heart of Darkness (HVS 4c), both of which can be found on this section. If that weren't enough, the other routes of this section also have plenty to offer. |
No. | Name | Length | Pitches | Adjectival Grade | Technical Grade | Quality | Restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15. | Diedre Sud | 43m | 2 | HS | 4a | ||
16. | Sour Milk Dill | 21m | 1 | E2 | 5c | ||
17. | The Right Wall | 43m | 2 | HVS | 4b, 5a | ||
18. | New Morning | 55m | 2 | E1 | 5a, 5b | ||
19. | Dawn Chorus | 21m | 1 | E6 | 6b | ||
20. | Ice Breaker | 52m | 2 | E4 | 5c, 6a | ||
21. | Ski Sunday | 52m | 2 | E6 | 5c, 6b | ||
22. | Razorbill | 55m | 3 | VS | 4b, 4b, 4c | ||
23. | The Flax of Dream | 61m | 3 | E2 | 4b, 4c, 5a | ||
24. | Heart of Darkness | 80m | 4 | HVS | 4c, 4b, 4c, 4a | ||
25. | In One Door | 46m | 2 | E5 | 6a, 6a | ||
26. | Heart of Darkness/New Morning Connection | 48m | 2 | E1 | 5b | ||
27. | In the Heat of the Night | 40m | 1 | E5 | 6a | ||
28. | Betrayal | 38m | 1 | E6 | 6b | ||
29. | Sealhunt | 37m | 1 | E1 | 5b | ||
30. | The Liquidator | 37m | 1 | E5 | 6b | ||
31. | Seal of Approval | 37m | 1 | E3 | 5c | ||
32. | Culinary Delights | 40m | 1 | E2 | 5b | ||
33. | Small Man's Burden | 37m | 1 | E4 | 6a | ||
34. | Black Cat | 37m | 1 | E3 | 6a | ||
35. | Maninwhite | 37m | 1 | E1 | 5b |
The Curver Area This southern most section of the West Face also has some interesting routes. |
No. | Name | Length | Pitches | Adjectival Grade | Technical Grade | Quality | Restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
36. | Seal | 30m | 1 | VS | 4c | ||
37. | Ships that Crash in the Night | 49m | 2 | E3 | 5b, 5b | ||
38. | Rose in Bloom | 33m | 1 | E3 | 5c | ||
39. | Cormorant Flake | 34m | 1 | VS | 4c | ||
40. | The Curver | 40m | 3 | VS | 4a, 4b, 4c | ||
41. | Nijinski | 27m | 1 | E1 | 5b | ||
42. | Horse Feathers | 27m | 1 | E1 | 5b | ||
43. | Inside the Final Hurdle | 27m | 1 | E4 | 6b | ||
44. | The Horse's Mouth | 30m | 1 | E2 | 5c | ||
45. | The Beak | 34m | 2 | VS | 4c | ||
46. | The Pecker | 24m | 1 | E2 | 5b | ||
47. | Over the Top | 24m | 1 | E1 | 5a | ||
48. | Contradiction | 24m | 1 | E4 | 6a | ||
49. | What the Butler Saw | 27m | 1 | E4 | 6a | ||
50. | Poor Relations | 27m | 1 | E1 | 5b | ||
51. | The Arête of Mowing Word | 37m | 1 | VS | |||
52. | Odour Cologne | 37m | 3 | E4 | 6a, 5b | ||
53. | Stubble Trouble | 37m | 3 | E6 | 5b, 6c, 6b | ||
54. | Slip of the Wrist | 37m | 3 | E5 | 5b, 6a, 6a |
No. | Name | Length | Pitches | Adjectival Grade | Technical Grade | Quality | Restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
55. | Close Shave | 37m | 3 | E4 | 5b, 6a, 5a | ||
56. | The Razor's Edge | 37m | 2 | HVS | 5a, 5a | ||
57. | Severed Head | 35m | 2 | E4 | 5c | ||
58. | On the Brink | 21m | 1 | E5 | 6a | ||
69. | Plain Failing | 30m | 1 | E3 | 5c | ||
70. | Relaxation Class | 24m | 1 | E5 | 6c | ||
71. | So This is War | 27m | 1 | E6 | 6b | ||
72. | The Olive Branch | 27m | 1 | E4 | 6a | ||
73. | Special Branch | 24m | 1 | E5 | 6a | ||
74. | If You Can't Crank It, Spank It | 24m | 1 | E4 | 6a | ||
75. | Charenton Crack | 24m | 1 | E2 | 5b | ||
76. | Finger Fiend | 24m | 1 | E5 | 6b | ||
77. | One More Nail | 24m | 1 | E5 | 6a | ||
78. | Steep Pace | 27m | 1 | E4 | 5c |
No. | Name | Length | Pitches | Adjectival Grade | Technical Grade | Quality | Restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
79. | Night Boat to Penfro | 27m | 1 | E5 | 6c | ||
80. | Go Slo | 21m | 1 | HVS | 5b | ||
81. | Titanium Head | 27m | 1 | E4 | 6a | ||
82. | Mental Block | 27m | 1 | E1 | 5b | ||
83. | Mental Block Direct Start | 27m | 1 | E1 | 5b | ||
84. | Logos | 27m | 1 | HVS | 5a | ||
85. | Fanatic | 24m | 1 | HVS | 5a | ||
86. | Pilgrim's Chorus | 21m | 1 | VS | 4c | ||
87. | Corner Crack | 27m | 1 | VS | 4c | ||
88. | Square Chimney | 21m | 1 | VD | |||
89. | Ledgeway | 21m | 1 | D | |||
90. | Illusion Corner | 24m | 1 | VS | 4c | ||
91. | Arête and Groove | 24m | 1 | S | 4a |
No. | Name | Length | Pitches | Adjectival Grade | Technical Grade | Quality | Restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
92. | La Militaire | 30m | 1 | E1 | 5b | ||
93. | Street Legal | 30m | 1 | E2 | 5b | ||
94. | Crack Division | 33m | 1 | E4 | 6a | ||
95. | The Good Soldier | 34m | 1 | E2 | 5c | ||
96. | Knocked Out Loaded | 30m | 1 | E1 | 5b | ||
97. | Black Crow Blues | 30m | 2 | E3 | 6a, 5a | ||
98. | Puppy Dog Blues | 27m | 1 | HVS | 5a |
No. | Name | Length | Pitches | Adjectival Grade | Technical Grade | Quality | Restrictions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
99. | New Balance | 24m | 1 | HVS | |||
100. | Plain Sailing | 24m | 1 | VD | |||
101. | Haystacks | 24m | 2 | VS | 4b | ||
102. | Guillibility | 24m | 1 | VD | |||
103. | Sulky Poos | 24m | 2 | VS | 4c | ||
104. | Easy Peasy | 24m | 2 | VS | 4b |
Weather ForecastThis section displays the weather forecast for Bosherston, which is located just to the west of Mowing Word. This gives a pretty good indication of what the weather will be like on the crag, as both Bosherston and Mowing Word sit at pretty much at sea level. This weather forecast is generated by the Met Office Weather Widget Tide TimesTide 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 monitoring station to Mowing Word: |
Because the crag is an important breeding and nesting site for bird species such as Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), between 1st March and 1st August climbing is completely banned on most of the faces. Climbing outside this period is however, completely unrestricted, with late summer early autumn generally offering the most stable weather. Since most of the routes start with a hanging belay just above sea level, Mowing Word is probably better off avoided in high seas - unless of course, your belayer doesn’t mind receiving a good soaking. The gear needed depends entirely on the routes you plan to do. Because most of the pitches are quite long, a well-stocked rack with plenty of quickdraws is advisable; a good compliment of friends or other camming devices will also certainly help – smaller ones will generally be of most use. A set of double ropes of at least 50 metres in length is pretty much essential for all climbs and in addition to your usual gear you will also need an abseil rope to access to the base of the crag. |
The West Face (Photo by Nanuls) |
Mowing Word lies around midway between Broad Haven Beach and Stackpole Quay, but is best reached from the beach in the south. 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 965 947). Drive through Bosherston (or stop for a cup of tea at Mrs Weston's Olde Worlde Café) to the Broad Haven Car Park (SR 975 939). Leave the car park and cross Broad Haven Beach, from here follow a path along a fence that leads to Saddle Bay (SR 983 942). From Saddle Bay follow the coastal path past Raming Hole (SR987 944) to a small sandy bay. From here you will be able to see the narrow headland of Mowing Word (SR991 942) protruding far into the sea. The coastal path will now take you along the cliff tops to said headland where you will be provided with a choice of stakes for abseiling and belaying. |
There’s an almost unlimited supply of accommodation within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park so it would be inappropriate to list it all here. The city of St. David’s and its hinterland is particularly well provided for. 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. |
Mowing Word is owned by the National Trust and classified as open access land meaning that the public has a right to access it more or less at any time. However, it also forms part of a Special Protection Area and is an extremely important site for breeding and nesting choughs (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), therefore between 1st March and 1st August climbing is completely banned on most of its faces. 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. For further information, the British Mountaineering Council (BMC) runs a Regional Access Database, which holds mountain/crag specific information on matters of conservation and access, including issues such as nesting restrictions, nature designations and preferred parking: If you are in any doubt about any particular access arrangement, or need to report an incident, you should contact your local BMC Access Representative or the BMC Access Officers for Wales: Elfyn Jones |
| Navigation Maps Ordnance Survey 1:25k Explorer Series OL 36 South Pembrokeshire/De Sir Benfro Ordnance Survey 1:50k Landranger Series 158 Tenby & Pembroke / Dinbych-y-pysgod & Penfro Road Maps |
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Government Bodies and Other Organisations Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority Association of National Park Authorities Royal Commission on Ancient & Historical Monuments in Wales Maritime and Coastguard Agency Outdoor Organisations and Companies British Mountaineering Council Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter Group Weather and Tides Tourist Information Travel Information Welsh Public Transport Information Accommodation Youth Hostel Association in Wales Maps and Guidebooks
Cordee Travel and Adventure Sports Bookshop Wildlife and Conservation Joint Nature Conservation Committee Royal Society for the Protection of Birds |