Don't ask me why, but there are definitely a few 'magic grades', and for reasons I find hard to explain - E3 is one of them (alongside E1 and E5). The quality of the routes at this grade in Pembroke is exceptional, with some of the finest routes anywhere, and they come thick and fast.

Here we have selected five of 'the classics' and five 'others' to whet your appetite. We've tried to blend popular with the obscure, to encourage people off the beaten track a bit, but if you do decide to stray that way - be sure to take your prussik loops!

'The Classics'

Star Gate (E3 5c)

Some routes transcend classic status to something altogether different. In Scotland they have a fourth star for this, and whilst we don't have that south of the border, if we did - Star Gate would get one. It takes an unlikely line up the steep grooves to the right of Deep Space (E2 5b), on the left hand side of the Space Face. The steepness has to be seen to be believed, but so too does the size of the holds. I was bereft in detail when I wrote my logbook comment the day I did it, simply writing "not a crimp in sight".

Others have more meaningful words:

"Great route, how can an E3 have so many jugs?!" - spidermonkey09

"Reputation well deserved. Huge holds, perfect rock and stunning exposure" - Ali K

"Has to be one of the best and most outrageous E3s I've been on" - John McKenna

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Pleasure Dome (E3 5c)

I first did (or didn't) do Pleasure Dome on a weekend where I was going well. It takes a fairly unbelievable looking line across a blank wall, before blasting straight up it. Thankfully it starts off quite easy, lulling you into a false sense of security. It's quite pleasant at this point, as you gain height, then begin traversing outwards. The climbing is innocuous, but the position becomes increasingly wild, but it's ok because it's not that difficult - until it is - then it feels like it gets incredibly difficult, incredibly quickly. 

A lot of people falter here, as it's not entirely obvious where to go, or where the best holds are once you get there. I'm pretty sure my elbows touched the top of the crag before I did as I tried to stab my way up on small holds, only to blow up before I reached respite. After I fell I was so pumped I needed to be hauled out, as I had absolutely nothing left. Suffice to say the route left an impression, and I'm pretty sure it does on most people who do it.

Swordfish (E3 5c) / Heaven's Door (E3 5c) / The Whaler (E3 5c)

I know including three routes in a single spot is cheating, but I why pick one when all three are so good?! Each share the same character, with corners and stacked/cracked overhangs which you have to work your way up and between.

The end result of this is three incredibly physical, and incredibly out-there routes. Add into the mix the fact you've got a limited tidal window and you've got yourself a guaranteed adventure.

Space Cadet (E3 5c)

There's some routes you do where, mid-way through a sequence, you find yourself smiling. Space Cadet is a good example of that, because it features sections that are so steep you can't help but laugh. Climbing this route is almost like being at the climbing wall, because it's infrequent you climb angles that steep on holds that large anywhere else.

Zeppelin (E3 5c)

Continuing on the theme of steepness, Zeppelin is another route that I remember blowing my mind, back when I first did it. At that point in time I'm not sure I'd ever climbed a sport climb this steep, so doing it on trad was truly mindblowing. It's a route to maintain upward momentum on, because if you stop pulling you get pumped pretty quick! It can be climbed as either one or two pitches, and I've done it as both, but when I first did it I enjoyed doing it as two, as it allowed me to have a bit of a break - and also to see the face of my second as they pulled through the steep stuff!

'The Others'

Gravy Train (E3 5c)

Confession: I haven't done this, but have wanted to for ages, and my hope is that by including it on this list I get around to doing it sometime soon.

I've attempted it several times, but various factors have conspired against me - tide, condensation, swell. It's worth going to look at where it is, even if you decide not to do it, because the approach - which is through a blowhole - gives you a glimpse of what you're in for. 

Alien World (E3 5c)

Many years ago I was climbing on Lundy. The trip itself was a bit of a washout, like so many trips to Lundy seem to be, and we all ended up in the Marisco Tavern. Pembroke local Trevor Messiah was in there, and we ended up chatting, whereupon one of our party asked him what his favourite route in Pembroke was. His answer wasn't what we expected, because we'd expected a route we were familiar with. His answer: Alien World.

It took me a long time to get around to doing it, not least because it requires quite a specific set of conditions. Firstly, you need a spring low tide in order to access the base without getting wet. Secondly, you need an extended dry spell, and a good breeze, in order to dry it out. Finally, you need someone willing to do it with you…

I managed to persuade John McKenna, promising him it was going to be a classic. He was sceptical, and rightly so - I have made such false promises previously... However, once we were stood under it I think we were both aware that we were about to climb something pretty special - not least because neither of us could figure out how a route at E3 could go through a roof as massive as the one we were stood under!

What proceeded to unfold was one of the wildest routes I've ever done...

Ghost Ship (E3 5c)

For years I thought that the West Face of Bosherton Head was a bit overrated, as the routes I'd done there felt like they lacked that something special that so many routes within the area have in abundance. Ghost Ship changed that opinion, with its long, sustained pitch, which feels like a proper adventure by the time you reach the top. It's definitely one to leave until later in the day though, as this wall is prone to getting greasy, and it's not something you want to get on whilst it's at all wet.

Plane Sailing (E3 5c)

A fourth route at Stackpole may seem a little over the top, but Plane Sailing is no ordinary route, and you've only got to take a quick look at the line to realise that. It takes a six pitch traverse across some of the wildest terrain that the area has to offer. It's a route which requires equal levels of competence between both lead and second, because if either were to take a fall, it'd likely result in a pretty substantial pendulum into a pretty substantial amount of space.

Sunlover (E3 5c)

Sunlover has changed since I first did it, insofar as the huge boulders at the base have shifted around, meaning you no longer have to do the hard (and height dependent) start. Instead, you can step off the giant lump of rock that's leaning against the right arete. I'm divided as to whether this makes it a better or worse route, because the start wasn't all that pleasant, but equally - stepping off the boulder does feel like a bit of a cop-out! All of that aside, it's still a great route, and whilst it is a bit easier - it's still not easy!

Chimera (E2 5c)

Penally deserves more attention than it currently gets, so I'm including this to encourage people to make the effort, because it's totally worth it. You could easily do The Magic Flute, which was included within our Finest E1s in Pembroke article, and Chimera in a day, but if you do - do Magic Flute first (you'll thank me for it later). Chimera is a pumpy number and was previously considered a high in the grade E2, but has recently been upgraded to E3 - and if truth be told, it still isn't low in the grade! It starts with a pumpy flake, which is why you want a warm-up beforehand, then goes into a technical slab, and finishes with a fairly unrelenting crack - the final sting in the tail. 

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Guidebook

Pembroke and Gower Trad

A huge book covering nearly 2100 routes on the coastal crags of southwest Wales. The main section covers the magnificent cliffs of Pembrokeshire from the North Coast slabs and walls, through the superb Range East and on to Mowing Word, Stackpole and the Lydstep and Penally areas. Added to this is the beautiful cliffs of Gower and the impressive crags of Ogmore and Box Bay.

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