"I was about the only one who went further up the valley a couple of years ago, but it avoids the crags and the congestion that goes with them and I recon I gained 100m or so, and quite a few places doing this."

So you followed the beck beyond the reservoir, towards the head of the valley, and then swung right to climb and meet the ridge above the rock steps? How's the path beyond the res? I walked part way a couple of years ago and seemed to be getting more rocky and less runnable.