… there are precious few them but today was a great example.

The day started wet and windy, and we set off to look at a crag (Bosigran), to show the kids where their old man climbed way back when, before heading to tourist stuff at Land’s End. Still windy, but dry, when we parked for the crag so we carried climbing gear. I pointed out where the few climbs that I thought I remembered went and the sun tried to come out. Andrea and Nicolas set off up Thin Wall Special while I enjoyed the sunshine, fiddled with cameras and shouted encouragement. After all, I’d done the climb almost forty years ago and had no need to embarrass myself now do it again. Bev showed just the correct amount of motherly concern as her dear children set off with no clear idea of the route, parts of which were still dripping with water, despite my assurances that this was as good a place as any to hone their fledgling trad-gear placement, multi-pitch climbing and route-finding skills: the roar of the seas crashing into the rocks below us just made it that much more atmospheric and only made it feel  more serious.

A&N made it look easier than I recalled finding it myself; probably something to do with that new-fangled sticky rubber.

There is something wonderfully cyclical about returning to the scenes of my youth and watching my children enjoy the same challenges and share the same passions that I have had for much of my life. Some sort of justification, too, that there may be some reason to pursue a somewhat non-conventional path.

A great day, capped by great food, ale and company at The Radjel in Pendeen, still a special place after all these decades.

Pictures soon!