Why do you need protection to climb the sloping side? You do not need this if rock is dry. You can climb the sloping side free and abseil from the summit block (this requires you to carry a rope of sufficient doubled length so that you can pull it down after you).
It has been raining all day and the rock was soaked. We played it safe and stuck with protection. It was still an easy climb but you can never be too safe! Especially if you slip...
Some people manage without protection which might be ok on a good day but we are always on the more cautious side. We used quite a few slings, medium sized nuts and 2 cams. Better to be save then sorry. It was so wet we didn't bother with climbing shoes and just climbed in boots. All the others who were climbing that day had a climbing guide so depending on your experience, that could be a good option.
Really enjoyed this, guys - if you've got a shorter version then you should enter it into our short film competition, Mountain Bound. There's some top prizes on offer: wildbounds.com/pages/mountainbound-submissions
