So perhaps I regard myself as a solid VS leader these days, but occasionally (currently just twice in eighteen years!) one bites back and last night it was Crybaby…
While getting out for our midweek Polldubh Club meet seemed improbable for much of another uncharacteristically miserable May day, we managed to snatch a reasonably dry evening from the rain and Geoff, Wesley, Random Jon and I found ourselves splitting into two pairs and gearing up for Knucklebuster (Severe) and Crybaby (VS) respectively up at Black’s Buttress. But the Knucklebuster team retreated on failing to find sufficient protection for the still slightly greasy conditions, and I have to admit that the start of Crybaby also rather got the better of me as I struggled to match my damp soles to the demands of the delicate footwork required. So I’m afraid I dogged it by taking one small fall as I tried to reverse a sequence back to a low runner and two more tiny slips from just below the triangular niche, but completed most of the route clean and would say that it’s spot on at VS 4c (feeling a grade easier than Shergar on the same buttress) and should be very pleasant when completely dry.
Meanwhile Geoff and Wesley had set up a top-rope on Shergar, and Jon might have joined them but wanted to lead something. So we set off (at nearly 9:00pm!) towards High Crag with Enigma in mind, but ended up skirting its base to Secretaries’ Buttress for a quick ascent of the Direct (Severe) in fading light. And Jon led the first two pitches comfortably in good time before I led through to romp up the easy ridge above, and we were done by about 10:20pm and back to the road (just as the rain came on) about twenty minutes later.
And it’s been chucking it down again for much of today!