Castle Inn climbing

Crag: Castle Inn, Llysfaen
Routes: School Mam (f6a:led), The Cakewalk (f6b+:led), Cakewalk Direct (f6b+:sec), Finale (f5:sec), Indian Summer (f6a:sec), Happy Return (f4+:led)
Just a short outing to keep things ticking over after the Spanish trip. After warming up on the 6a School Mam, a route I have led many times over the years, I decided to test my finger strength on The Cakewalk at f6b+. This is one of the best routes here, but I haven't led it for many years (20+ probably). As with many UK sports climbs, I consider it a tad overgraded: it would get 6b at the most in Spain or France. It gives excellent technical climbing and is a very satisfying onsight lead, remarkably unpolished given the popularity of the venue (dozens of climbers here today, Easter Saturday). Above the first bolt the route gets rather thin with excellent moves on small but positive holds. It is all there, but does take a bit of reading from below. This style of climbing suits me fairly well, and a few more moves on pinch holds and small ledges eventually gains an uncomfortable finish up unhelpful flat holds. A pleasing lead. I took the opportunity to take in the similar Cakewalk Direct to its left, but avoided the final crux move due to the pendulum (keeping the grade at 6b). Vic then led the now polished Finale, and we moved round to the Fine View wall as the sun broke through the clouds. Warm rock and blue skies: shame our time was limited.