In early May James McHaffie climbed Y Blaidd (8A!), a very impressive highball arête at Bryn Hel in the Cwm Glas Bach area of Dyffryn Peris. The arête, which sits to the right of the Heinous Hone wall, was only recently revealed in all its true glory when the adjacent gully collapsed. It now stands proud, catching the sun, and is without doubt one of the best lines in the valley (you can see it clearly from the main road as you leave Nant Peris).

Although a few people knew about it, Caff was one who moved quickest. He re-jigged the jumble of collapsed rocks into a more conventional landing, worked out the moves on a rope, then returned the following morning on his own, anxious that others might be turning up for a look.

After an aborted attempt where he jumped down from three quarters height, Caff steeled himself and went for it:

”The sun was right in my eyes for the final deadpoint, so I almost bottled it.”

Said Caff, before adding:

”It’s a fucking committing finish, but by breaking down the big top move with a halfway mark I think the fall will be fine. I reckon you’d go like a pin, straight down. It was still scary on my own though. I had a walking date in the afternoon, so needed my ankles!”

Check out the: Insta post with FA video for a look at the action.

On a related note Dave Rudkin climbed a harder righthand variation on Frankie Four Pads, Mark Katz’s excellent wall up and left of Heinous Hone. Fortune Telling Fish climbs directly up the wall right of the crack on the original and rates 7B.

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