UKH

Acid Drop (7a)

Had a crack at this today, was wondering if there was anyone who could clear up some confusion I had. At around the 7th bolt (I think just after the "rest on the right below the Drop Test flake") there's a choice of either doing a couple of moves up a big flake a little bit to the right (presumably the Drop Test flake) before pulling back onto the face and going up to the break, or going up a slightly blank section straight in front of you. The blank wall felt absolutely desperate (couldn't even work out how someone with stronger fingers than me would do it), but I couldn't tell if the flake was allowed. It feels a bit eliminate to disallow it, since the previous sequence leads really naturally to the bottom of it, and it's really not far off the bolt line, but it doesn't quite fit the write-up.

Anyway I'd just like to know whether I cheated by using the flake. My grade calibration is a bit off at the moment - if the flake is in then the mercenary part of my brain would be keen to go back for the redpoint, but if not then I don't think there's much point trying, since the blank wall felt a long way beyond me. Thanks in advance!

I've not tried it but flakes are mentioned in the description....

"Take flakes to the right of the bolts leading up and slightly right to a big spike."

There are some more flakes after the break, which I was assuming was what that was referring to 

The hardest moves, by some way, are the moves up to the fifth bolt (from memory) where you then step right for a bit of a rest, before more tricky moves using flake holds with the right hand allow a decent left hand hold and a hardish move to better holds were the flake holds then lead up right to the spike.

Hope that makes some sense and helps? 

That does indeed make sense, thanks!