UKC

Finally got round to doing Preposterous Tales this week. Found it an equally exhilarating and anxious experience with a fair amount of whimpering on my part. A party did it about half an hour before us yet we did not find any chalk on the second pitch. Had a brief chat with them and they appeared to have climbed the second pitch a totally different way.

Here’s a description of the way we did it and I am wondering what way other folk went. ( left and right refer to facing inwards away from the sea).

Back and footed with feet on left wall into the chasm descending slightly to a ledge on the left wall after 8 metres ( no gear) before stepping onto the right wall and laying away up a slippery crack ( cams) to a restricted stance. Pitch three traversed right past a spike runner and the up to the skylight with a thread runner round some old munition debris.

if you haven’t done it it’s a fairly unique experience!

Doesn't sound quite how I remember it but could just be phrasing. 

We shuffled back into the cave until possible to step across the chasm onto the rhs, then go around the sort of arete almost 180 degrees and traverse across the hanging wall heading what felt like south-east, i.e. back out to sea and climber's left (your 'right') rising only slightly on buckets and flakes. On reaching the corner head climber's left (east, your 'right') and up to a ledge to belay almost directly below the exit. P3 was straight up into the light on some slippery edges. Major caveat that relying on sense of direction in there is a bit optimistic. When we did it the sun was right in line with the cave so the ripples on the sea were acting like a disco ball. It was spectacular, beautiful, unforgettable, and at the same time really disorienting.

Sorry. I thought this was another thread about the BMC

I'm not sure how much this signifies on that route! I'm pretty sure there wasn't any chalk on the holds I used while my chalky hand was still touching them, the sea grease just gobbled it right up.

Having said that, it's been a couple of years (and I'm not noted for my memory) but I think your description sounds quite different from what I did. I originally quested rightwards into the cave, but changed my mind, retreated and went left, which felt much easier. The slippery laybacking could perhaps be where I retreated from because it was, as hinted at above, extremely slimy.

Just gonna add for the benefit of the archives: 

I can confirm that it's totally possible to have the second tow the end of your ab rope across P1 and coil it at the belay so that it pulls up cleanly after you've completed the route. We didn't need to use it but it was nice having it there in case.

It was 1998 when i did it with Denis, graded HVS 5a.  Took ages to do the first pitch - very tricky for 5a.  Took much longer to do the second pitch - we both had a couple of tries before Denis unlocked it.  From what i remember of p2, it went like this:

Looking into the cave from the belay, continue into the cave for a few metres until you can climb up a groove/corner on the RH wall (the skylight being on the LH wall).  Soon you can turn right and step across the abyss onto the opposite wall.  Now traverse right (and quite possibly up) to a belay below the skylight.

It took us 7 hrs.  A team behind us said their mates took 9 hrs!  It's still seared in my memory as a proper 4 star route (unforgettable, along with Mars at Swanage).

First time I tried it was HVS and my second couldn't (or wouldn't ) follow. Reversing that slimy chimney move to reverse the first pitch was truly gripping. Second attempt went very smoothly.