Penmaenbach climbing

Crag: Penmaenbach, Conwy
Routes: Jack the Jeffer (f6a+:led), A55 Hole Arete (f5:sec), A55 Crack (f6b+:led*), Kiss my A55 Slab (f6c:sec), A55 Crack (f6b+:sec), Y Clip Aur (f5c:sec), Agent Orange (f5c:led), Big A55 Arete (f6a+:sec)
One of the finest evening venues on the coast, with its distinctive red diorite glowing as the sun sets in the west. I've been here four or five times before, but never at this time of day, when it is undoubtedly at its best. It all meant a glorious few hours climbing, mostly on routes I've done before. Jack the Jeffer was an exception though, a new route taking the smooth slab left of the arete. Easy climbing leads to a nice thin slab with some delicate moves to gain an easier finish: overgraded, as is often the case with slate-style routes like this. Vic led the easy arete, then I had a bash at the 6b+ crack which I've failed on before. I failed on it again initially, but this time I did manage to dog my way up the hard section where the crack steepens. It is very awkward taken direct, small holds sloping the wrong way, although I eventually got my feet high enough to go for a more positive hold and got to the lower-off. Later, I did it entirely clean with rope above: climbing from the left allows for the awkward slopers to be used more effectively. We also did the f6c slab, at our technical limits. This goes easily into the corner, where thin moves up a closed crack with nothing for the feet eventually allow for a lunge to gain a horizontal crack on the wall above. A highly tenuous traverse follows: good climbing. After these big numbers, not ideal in the heat (it has been a hot and sunny bank holiday) we retreated further left where we did two routes I've done before - Agent Orange is particularly pleasant up a steepish wall on good holds, and the arete is enjoyable too. Still tired after yesterday's race, so this was more than enough for one weekend.