Stuart Elliott writes:
‘Have you brought your sun cream?’ she said as the warm sun appeared momentarily from behind a concrete grey wall of cloud that loomed angrily next to our bright blue sky. ‘No I forgot!’ I replied waiting for the familiar bark. ‘Stupid!’ she said.
We were on our way to visit Rem the fisherman of Clovelly and to meet his beautiful family. As we arrived Rem was outside leaning over his car boot depositing some fish in it. We enjoyed several hours of Rem’s animated tales before departing for the cliffs at Cornakey.
As we parked near Cornakey by the tearoom ‘The Rectory’ I fondly remembered the copious rather lovely cream tea that we had consumed the day before after our energetic recognisance of the right cliff. Gathering up our gear, we crossed the car park and climbed over the stone stile into the churchyard. As we walked through the graveyard I noticed a cluster of the same family names on the gravestones. Nearby a fresh posy of sweet peas whispered of grief, but we did not listen, we had a purpose. We strode past the bleak black shuttered church and past the old vicarage with a sign saying something about being a private vicarage. The footpath wound and descended through a densely wooded copse and as we entered we felt the warm moist air and smelt the pungent wild garlic, wet moss, rotting wood and sickly sweet hedgerow flowers.
We emerged and crossed the meadows, walking up and down a couple of valleys and there in the distance was the enormous cliff of Cornakey. Clean rock sinking into an oozing mass of loose rock and landslide. After taking in the view, we ascended to the top of the cliff and set about gearing up ready for the descent. The cliff top was deserted apart from a distant farmer on a tractor turning the hay. The wind had picked up and the hay field was alive! My eyes attracted by the movement darted towards the swirling grass as wild coarse clumps rose and danced before flying off with the wind forever.
It was 4 o’clock and the tide was now out. We started to descend leaving our water and emergency gear in our bags, which we secured to a bush. It soon became apparent that what had looked like a simple descent was complicated by very loose rock. We hopped from one massive rocking boulder to another. The boulders appeared to be held in place only by a loose network of brambles. Where the rock ran out we jumped into and waded through the brambles, which tore at our clothes and tried to steal our shoes and murder us. With every step our options were diminishing. There seemed to be no prospect of a retreat back up this overgrown no man’s land …. the adventure had begun. The wind was really howling around us now as we finally reached the last 40 feet of the descent. We were standing on what looked like a pile of builder’s rubble and dirt with landslide all around us! We found a ragged in situ nylon rope and inched our way down the pile of dirt as it disintegrated around us.
At sea level we were rewarded with an amazing rock formation. The earth had spewed up rock platelets that had folded over on themselves forming huge black waves. Some of the crests of these waves had fallen and were smashed into the ground around us. We moved carefully away to the beach and safer ground. The beach was covered in wreckage, bright coloured buoys, twisted and mangled wood, metal and plastic tossed like used toys up against the cliff, waiting for the sea to come back and play again. The rocks on the beach were pumice grey and perfectly rounded and as we prepared to climb I enjoyed their cool smoothness under my bare feet.
As we surveyed the gigantic cliff towering over us, we argued about the correct start. There were 3 pitches of about 150 feet each, the first pitch having no technical grade, the second 4B and the 3rd 4A. I was to climb the first 2 pitches and Reiko the last. I set off as the sky turned black, feeling a renewed sense of urgency! The rock was loose and I could not find any protection. However, the climbing was easy and I made good progress. At about 120 feet my nerves began to trouble me as I traversed around the arete and into a chimney. I managed to place a nut but the softness of the rock was worrying and every hold seemed to move. I was searching for gear when I was relieved to see a couple of old pegs up at the top of the chimney. I made a belay and Reiko quickly joined me. The next pitch started well and at about 30 feet I found 3 good bolts, which I realised were the normal anchors for the first belay. This was a little worrying, as I knew that there was a possibility of running out of rope before reaching the next anchor. However, this worry was soon trumped by the beginning of the storm.
Reiko shouted ‘Don’t worry about those spots of water it is only the sea spray!’. I knew she was just trying to reassure me. I moved quickly finding better gear and by the time I arrived at the anchors the rocks were thoroughly wet. I looked back down at the beach and was dismayed to see that the grey white pebbles had now turned glossy black! Reiko climbed easily and reached me as the full force of the storm was on us. ‘I can do the top pitch as well’ I heroically shouted in the howling wind. Reiko thought for a moment then bellowed, ‘No, I’ll do it!’ I felt a double-edged relief as Reiko’s one and only major leader-fall had been in the wet and I was worried that the memory of the trauma may affect her or me. However, Reiko made steady progress stopping only to wait for a gap between gusts of wind to place her gear and once to discard a hold that came off in her hand.
I felt very cold as the rain had found a way into my jacket along with the wind and my body was shaking and my teeth were chattering. I had to sing and dance to keep warm and control my nerves. When Reiko was finally safe, I made my escape and was surprised at how good the wet holds were until my foot slid along an edge like an iron on a wet shirt! I carefully replaced my foot and respectfully continued up to the top.
We made it! We felt exhilaration at the top to have taken on the ‘wreckers’ storm in what felt like one of the wildest and loneliest places on earth. Sun cream was not required.
We made our way back across the field where the wind was strong enough to blow you over. We got back to the car (by now the only one in the car park), changed into dry clothes and very soon found a pub that had a wonderful fireplace, wonderful food and beer. Joy