Well, my first day of freedom was a slow one, managed to get up early enough to do some work on the book, current at page 33 of 195. I sent a mass text out to all the climbers in my phone hoping that there was someone who could come play in the quarries this afternoon. Unfortunately despite living in Llanberis the heart of North Wales rock climbing, there was no one who could come out to play, so start trawling the streets and shops for anyone with half a clue of how to hold a rope.
I eventually found Helena, one of the Centre Assistants from PYB, and we went up and she lead Last Tango in Paris on the Dervish Slab. She put in a Sterling performance and managed to climb the route clean, and then I decided to attempt a direct start via the slab to the left. What was good about the route was it was awesome thin climbing, what was bad was that there was just enough gear to make it possible, although only just.
I am not sure if I will go back and lead it, but if anyone is interested in climbing a new eliminate of the dervish slab then I give you the Strictly Cum Pole Dancing Project. Which goes something like this, climb Flashdance to the first good wire placement above the traverse of Last Tango… make a passadoble right and shimmy up the slab past one hard move. Keep going, past several potential skyhook placements, until just below the crux crack of Last Tango… where a you can American Smoothie right to the crack and finish with relief and the first decent gear up Last Tango. It is about E6 6b i’d imagine if you got on lead, maybe harder, as the potential to crater certainly looks on from the last hard move!