Llanberis slate climbing

Crag: Llanberis Slate
Routes: First Stop (f5:led), Septuagenarian (f6a:led), Big Easy (f4:sec), Jagged Face (f4:sec), Ferrero Roche (MVS 4b:led), Plastic Soldier (f6a:led), Act Naturally (VS 4c:sec), Clash of the Titans (f6a:sec), Harri Bach Llanrug (f6a:led)
It was still drizzling as I neared Llanberis this morning, and since it had rained all day yesterday slate was the only realistic option. We warmed up on short and nondescript routes in Bus Stop Quarry - as Mick hadn't done much bolt clipping - before moving up to the Skyline Buttress at the top of Australia for the main business of the day. The routes in Bus Stop are wildly overgraded, and I'd done the reasonably good 'f6a' before, but worked OK as a warm-up exercise. After a bite at the car, we took the steep walk through the levels gently, mindful of tomorrow's fell race, but located it easily (it is by far the most impressive piece of rock up here). I led Plastic Soldier to begin. Even after our recent Provencal bolt clipping extravaganza, which often renders UK sports climbing a preposterously shoddy concept by comparison, I found this a fine route. It is at least 40m, absorbing and in a great exposed position looking out over the quarries and Snowdonia. The climbing is gentle for the grade, as long as you are reasonably tall, as so often with slate. Small edges, little positive holds lead up a steep slab to an overlap. This looks like the crux, but it is easy in execution - just a few moves on big holds. The position is cracking, though, and it leads to easy climbing up a smaller slab to the top. Mick then led the obvious VS line of Act Naturally - which is scruffy but interesting, taking the big stepped groove to an easy traverse ledge before finishing up the bigger continuation of the groove - partly by using ledges and big holds on the right wall of the groove. Another big pitch - we had around an inch spare on our 50m rope! I then seconded Mick up Clash of the Titans, an obvious companion to the first route, taking the right-hand side of the same slab. Not quite such a good position or route, but it did have a harder crux half way up - typical slate edging to gain a tiny flake, before easier climbing up a juggy crack to the top. After failing on a harder route (f7a?) I led Harri Bach on a different slabby wall much further right. Another reach-dependent route - which climbs a crack before a steepening series of moves on flat ledges to the top.