After yesterdays battle Tom and I decided that we should have a rematch with the Far End of Main Cliff, and that we should get on Scavenger, which is supposed to be one of the classic of Gogarth, but since it is at the far end, requiring not only the walk in from South Stack but and Epic traverse across the base of Main Cliff at low tide, I had yet to climb the route.
We went with a different plan of approach today, whereby instead of taking one of the two halfs of the rope that yeasterday we neatly cut in two, instead we would take both and tie them back together. You have got to laugh at our stupidity, but it worked and the descent was a lot easier, and we arrived dry on a ledge about 8 metres away from the start of the route, and then traversed back to its base.
From below, scavenger really doesn’t look that much, main as you simply can’t see the groove line that it takes from the ground. However the short crack leads up a corner to a great belay ledge, before it heads on up and then traverse out right to the most amazing groove feature. We did some bad plannign again as the belays were in the shade, so I shivered whilst Tom lead the main pitch.
Again we headed into the twilight zone and emerged some 3 hours later into our glowering spot high on the edge of the abyss that is that far end of main cliff. Soaking up the sun, and cowering from the wind. Another great day, and having climbed the route, not only is the route classic, it is one of the best HVS’s anywhere, and if you use our approach beta from day two its relatively easy to get to, and if the tides in you could climb the first pitch of Nightride to get to the large sloping ledge at the top of the first pitch.
