Chris Davies returned to the Rhiw Goch boulders near Dolwyddelan (p171 in NWB guide) and climbed Light Weight V11/Font 8a, a left hand variant on Poppy’s Reach (originally graded V12/Font 8a+).

Chris explains: “With Poppy’s Reach in mind, the new problem is just about independent. With Poppy’s, you start left hand in shallow flake, and right hand on side pull in the roof. For the new one, you start matching the shallow flake, go up with your left for a tiny crimp, then throw up and right to a slopey lip. It’s about V11/Font 8a, in comparison to Poppy’s, which is definitely V13/Font 8b!”

Chris also repeated Sam Cattell’s Ride the Wild Smurf, confirming the V10/7c+ grade.

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