…well, we did make it back through the tunnel – though a slight asymmetry in the van roof meant we had to let the tyres down for an extra inch of clearance! Phew. 

With another glorious day in prospect we headed to the nearest crag at Berodia. This is a newly developed area, again in a lovely setting, just a few km from Arrenas de Cabreras where we stayed a couple of weeks ago. 

We could tell instantly that we were back in Asturias – the grades seemed far more reasonable than we’d experienced in our week in Leon. A steeper, juggier style of climbing too, with really prickly rock – some of it still cleaning up, but highly  enjoyable routes nonetheless.

It’s probably indicative of an unhealthy regard for grades and achievement, but I’m afraid it really does make a difference whether a bit of rock you’ve just battled up gets a grade of 6b or 7a. For all the joy of the movement and puzzling out the sequence, you’ve also got to acknowledge the importance of an arbitrary number to the enjoyment of a route.