UKC

Last time I climbed on plum buttress I swore I'd ab off rather than face the lacerations of the descent. 

I heard rumour that the usual tree had suffered from Ash die back - anyone know of the situation for abbing off (and belaying)?

Alternatively what is the easiest walk (if say left or right please reference to which way you're facing! my guide says "left" but doesn't say if that was facing in or out!). 

It's a while since I was there but I recall a choice between fighting the jungle on a very overgrown buttress or an insecure scramble off right (as you face in) with left looking very dodgy scrub and no way down.

Also I recall some awful tat mess at the top of The Stalk / 1st belay of Aplomb - does anyone know if this has been cleaned in the last couple of years?

I walked (using the word loosely) in to and out from the top of P2 a year or so back for photos. As you look in from the top of P2 (having finished the route) you have 30-40m of sloping earth and grass (slopes down rightwards to a big drop) to traverse before you get to flatter safer ground. Sadly the flatter safer ground has about 25m of waist deep brambles before you get to a path. Top tip - don't wear shorts.

I seem to remember descending very steep ground off to the left (as you look in) when I did the route some years back, and I don't recommend that either as it involved large quantities of nettles. Don't wear shorts for that either. 

Sorry I haven't got any more helpful tips

Paul

Yep, I definitely recall the brambles and nettles!

we did sirplum the other day. abbed off another tree (not dead) to the right (looking in) after topping out pitch 2.

This gets you down to the top on P1 on a 60m rope (through bushes/trees etc)

You can then ab off p1 - alright tat around a big block.

Unless someones nicked them our slings/locking biners should still be there! 

We went at the weekend and (as you climb / face in) belayed from a tree up the top of the slope on the left. 

This had some tat around it and we abbed off this using a pair of 60m ropes from the maillon to the path in the nettles below.  The tree looks ok but is slightly precariously situated.  The abseil goes down through thick ivy  and is directly above the 2nd belay of "Aplomb" (possibly down the line of Victoria). 

The ivy ate our ropes which was a bit of a pain so chuck them way out.

There are loose rocks in the ivy so don't stand under the abseil line!

The more obvious tree for abbing over the nose doesn't look too clever.