I've been out of the caching loop recently and so it required pljg to bring this to my attention - I have the expertise and kit to tackle an adventure of this nature. I needed some help with the puzzle but eventually ended up with the information needed to find the cache, although the finer points of the instructions were worked out by pljg. It took a bit of to-ing and fro-ing to come up with a mutually convenient date for pljg, bradlad and I to attempt the cache. In the meantime, pljg and his better half conducted a recce mission and tracked down the exact location of the final so we knew what was in store.

Before heading to the cache, Pljg and I visited the Ascent of Man final to discover the top cache coin (please can I enter a request to discover the inevitable top cache coin for this cache before it's placed in situ :o) - thankyou!

We then met Bradlad and headed to the Laputa final, following the described route. I spent a good while hurling a bag at the tree to little effect, almost permanently losing it to a snag on a dead branch (freeing it by tossing the other end of the line over the offending branch and pulling it back over from the other side), until I eventually got it over a satisfactory branch and shortly after had everything in place to begin the ascent. Once up into the canopy it took a mixture of re-pitching and free climbing alternating the lanyard and my climbing rope as security, to reach the cache. It's one of the highest cache's I have attempted, and as usual, abanazar has chosen his cache location perfectly. It's a great mixture of technical climbing and adrenaline, without being too hard.

It was much less of a formality to sign the log than usual, and I'm not sure I particularly enjoyed it, but the deed was done and then it was a chance to abseil down picking a less tortuous route that I took on the way up.

Much enjoyment was then had as pljg ascended. We contributed to the debate he was having with himself about whether he could make it up to the cache or not, and we also made some helpful, and some not so helpful suggestions. Given how early he started having doubts it was a good effort to make it up to the cache and back down safely (well, with only a little blood spilled). Bradlad chose not to climb with his dodgy back, so we packed up and headed back to the car examining the impressive FTF prize (thanks very much), on the way.

Thanks very much for an excuse to get back up into the trees.