Purple Patch

 Things are going pretty well lately. Firstly finally surmounting George's Crack, then putting The Shard to rest. I've been using the progressive psyche like Spengler's proton pack, hosing down neglected projects.

First up was a trip to the hidden valley. There was this rather massive boulder there by the river. Landing wasn't great, but the rock was rather cool; a mass of grit like slopes with an undercut base:

There was a cool cave at the left end with some flat ground and a well defined start. I made this my goal for my first foray.. 

The result (after many many attempts) was Bumshuffler, a high F6/7A. So many attempts in deed, that my camera ran out of memory as I topped out (and I was slightly late for the school run). 

Spurred on by this my next adventure was up to Marchlyn, as I was well keen to push forward on some of the projects there.. 

On reaching the dam, I saw the water level unusually high... 

Oops, the landing for the Super boulder was under water! First time in seven years I've encountered this. After some research I had found that the moving away from nuclear power has meant that its not always the best economy for them to pump up at night, and sometimes (especially when green energy, solar and the like, is doing well), they keep it up top to get the best price... 

Some further sleuthing has shown that you can predict the up top Connie's by looking by fishskin wall (a drive rather than a long walk). It's a closed system, so if it's empty down here it's full up there and vica versa. 

As a rule of thumb, this boulder here is a good marker, if the level is so low that it is linked to the promentary behind, it probably not worth walking in. 

This screen shot shows the same boulder on Google earth. The level here is still good for the super boulder, so lower than this is bad... 

So back to a peed off Mark at the Dam.. I had remembered some unfinished business at a boulder on Elidir Fach, on the same contour as the dam. Some time in 2011 I had done this :

I had given away the full traverse as a project in 2012, then in 2013 Big G named it The Biscuit Tin of Marchlyn Bach and highlighted it as the Boulder of the Month. I'd assumed he'd climbed it and promptly let it fall behind the bookcase of my mind.. 

So a decade after doing the short version, I returned for the complete slopes. 

Turned out he hadn't climbed it, but I liked the name so.. 

Biscuit Tin of Marchlyn Bach (might be 7A)

So man made tidal systems are a little tricky, but good old lunar tides sometimes bless you with a perfect meeting of wind, time and tide..

I'd been intrigued by the seaward wall at Porth Howel, but on previous visits it was either in the sea, or wet and Teflon.. 

Not so today. Bone dry! 

The main wall was at its spring level and that made it high... Even Richie Crouch's 6C sitter on the far right; What a difference a wave makes, was exposed and climbable. 

Peering round the corner to the seaward wall. 

In all its glory! 

Bashed by waves an pebbles, it was as smooth as the Tubes; that Beddgelert Esoteric gem. As usual I was drawn to the highballs, and the groove looked awesome and Jammy. 

This became Paradise Groove 5+!

A mix of slippery slabbyness, Jams and udgeness. Oh and slopers! This wall has class/impossible slopers, flatties are the jugs here.. 

Next easiest thing to try was at the other end of the wall, thankfully the lower end. 

Here lay the two biggest flatties in the insipid lower seam that slashes across the wall. They weren't actually that big but to me they were.. 

 Two Jugs 6B

Now I had a style I turned my attention to the other end of the seam. The last holdable edges that I could reach from the ground. This dyno was a little bit bigger and the upper break was not disclosing where I could actually hold it. Finally spotted a less slopey bit.. 

This is Seams Dynamic, might be 6C. 

I also spent some time failing on other stuff, but that just made me more keen to return. All I need is my skin to grow back.. 

What this space..