Wales - where the sun never sets

What a fab day. Got up at 8 and made breakfast. Left house at 930 and delivered the honey monster to Manchester where I met her boss and a minibus. Continued on to Llandudno, ultimately arriving at about 1200. Temperature in the car = 24.5degrees! basically - well well hot.

Drove past the cave and spied Mr Robinson, stripped to the waist and doing a few curls with his bag to get his burl on. Nearly crashed the car. Parked up and collected belongings. Walked back down with armfuls of stuff. Within moments Foley, Huffy and Dylan had arrived.

It was boiling.

Really - there was no sense in climbing, we should have gone downstairs (LPT) or just chilled our boots until evening. But we didn't. We were psyched, so we got involved. Huffy as good as did Lou Ferrino - amazing. He looked strong and able. I couldn't do a single move, it felt fully desperate! quite disappointed. Pulled on Rockattrocity and blazed out to the end - felt great, had loads left, adjusted, sorted the feet and fell off! damn it! it's these classic 7c's that I can't do. I can climb harder and easier, but not 7c classics. Rock attrocity and powerband are bogey problems for me. Got to the end three more times, all of them in complete control, but each time ended in failure.

Doyle and Mawson showed up and were going downstairs. Have a few goes on Trigger cut but don't really get anywhere. Manage to rouse some support for LPT and the team descend with ropes and gear (Tom Newman, Micky and Liam Desroy arrive at the cave). On arrival downstairs we weigh up Night glue and Under the board walk. They look good. The crag looks good - I am psyched, but at least partially spent. Decide to do Under the boardwalk which is 6b+. I onsight it, placing the clips as I go - its brilliant and I have a great time. Thoroughly enjoyable climbing with some fun run outs. Still not scared (which is good) and love every minute of it. Lower off and James adds his name to the list of flashes. Both agree its fully fully boiling and that trying mussel beach would be folly. Walk to the right and although the tide is imminent, get started on Night Glue. I feel pumped still - hmm. Hands are soft and red.

Night Glue is even better! Rumble up the incredibly sharp pockets to a massive undercut. Clip. Right hand up, no thats wrong, left hand up - oh I can't see whats going on here, I'll just campus to the next jug! do so and its all fine but what am I doing!? foot off campus dynos between holds are not generally part of the scenery on 7a+'s! continue on up and right and get to a nice rest. Chill my boots for a few minutes, but the sea is fully lapping at the heels of Dylan on belay duty and I can't see what to do! theres a rat crimp, but I can't see that that would be it! but it is! I have a bit of a go at the move, but it hurts, and my fingers feel way sore and I think - fuck it. So I slump back onto the rope and look at where I was going and just after the rat crimp is a massive sinker of a jug. Am gutted. Only had to commit to the move and that would have been it. Bloody onsighting. Thread the bolt and lower off. Run away before the sea gets us.

Back at the cave Micky and Tom Newman are still hanging out. Mickey looks well strong. I do LWT and am preparing to wait 5 mins for another lap when huffy announces plans to go to Pill box wall. Never been there so sack LWT in its favour. We pile the stuff into the cars and zip round the corner. The Pill box wall is ace! its no cave substitute, but it is in a lovely lovely place, set up above the road, just around the corner from Normans wisdom. A beautiful 260degree view of the sea is wasted on your back as you face the dirty crimps of the wall. Huffy talks us through Pill box original and the whisky bitch. Pill box org seems a funny problem that basically involves standing on the floor. I don't want to stand on the floor as it seems gay, (oh sheffield, look at what you've done to me!) so I have three goes where it feels like its about 8c (its 7a) before having the floor pointed out. Have even more goes where I abortively wobble off the top. Work out what to do and take a back seat for a minute. Dylan looks like he could do it, but his fingers are hurting, James is too busy giving the passing pleasure cruisers an eyeful of his wall of muscle that he doesnt do it either, Huffy keeps getting to the top but doesnt finish it, but thankfully I manage to haul my ass to the top for a team ascent.

Huff pulls the pads to the whisky bitch. He shows us the way, nailing to the cross through but jumps off before really trying. Dylan has a go and looks strong, but again, his fingers are sore and he jumps rather than falls off. I clean all the holds and reconcile a sequence in my head. I speak it out loud and Huffy confirms. The problem starts from a good left hand pinchy hold, right underneath. Right foot is far down right on a rugosity. You power up right to a crimper, left foot back on the hold your right hand was on and cross the left hand through to another good crimp. right foot down to a rail, jump right hand to a positive edge - catch it, body and feet swing round - its just like a board! - left comes in for the match - feels a bit like I might be off, but aware that this is the flash I try quite hard and nail it. Quick pop for the jug and its done. Pleased, but it did suit me.

All sack it to the triband (?) chippy for fish and chips before caning back home (1hr53mins to broomhill). A great great day. Climbing to me is more than just about the moves, its about hanging out with cool people in nice places. I feel happy with the world. Huffy and I put the world to rights in the car on the way home. Marvellous.