Minus one direct

Due to weekend commitments, poor weather and many other excuses I only got one multi-pitch route done this year which was Inbred right at the beginning. A good forecast for the 12/13th of September gave hope for the Cuillin ridge but then the forecast changed for Skye but was good for the Ben. Minus One Direct E1 5b**** was what Robbie and I independently came up with and so on Saturday at 6.30 am sharp we walked in from the North Face car park.

The route consists of 10 pitches and here Robbie is starting the climb proper with a 4b pitch.

Two other teams were behind us. A couple from Edinburgh (you fancy a wee climb darling?) and two seasoned campaigners from Glasgow, Neil Adams and Ross Barnes while Andy Inglis managed to climb a wet Centurion. Here are the teams below.

Well I managed to get onto a wet and scary 4c pitch while the other teams avoided this pitch on the right. Apart from that the route was dry. As we got higher the exposure increased with Zero gully below.

The minus buttresses and Orion faces are the largest rock face in the UK. The photo below gives an impression of the Alpine atmostphere.

The first 5b pitch was led smoothly by Robbie and it is very soft for 5b and I had no problems climbing it with a rucksack. The following 5a pitch was much trickier with an akward layback mini-dyno. If you are short: good luck! After that a 4c pitch followed by the airy 5b crux traverse below an overhang onto a tiny pedestal above a lot of air. Here is Neil Adams placing a good nut, the best piece of gear on the traverse...

... and here Neil on joining the mini stance.

From there on climbing got progressively easier with a 4c crack towards the great terrace...

... before a 4b pitch and then a final four pitch romp up Northeast buttress.

Here Robbie is on the Mantrap probably 4b (start the UKC post now) but traditionally Vdiff (but can be avoided).

Well, a good end to a season with a good start and nothing in-between. Fourteen pitches of climbing.

HW

Searching for new routes in Knoydart

After a 12 h+ session on Saturday we drove to the end of loch Arkaig, camped and got up at 6.30 am in order to search for first ascents in Knoydart. On the walk in I spotted what seemed a decent crag high up (there is no lack of outcrops in Knoydart) and after more than half an hour of steep bogwalking we saw an unprotected, vegetated, short, uninspiring slab. So we carried on walking...

... higher up we spotted the Old Man of Knoy, two blocks of snappy rock and thought about a first ascent. But being old (40+), wise (a rescue would take probably over half a day) and a bit of a chicken we decided against an attempt. Soon after we passed a slightly overhanging, 10 m high crag. But when having a try a flake of a size of a fridge moved and all first ascent dreams were put on ice. Nice views though!

After hours and hours of walking we saw this 15 m high crackline and went to have a look. The right hand wall was soaking and the crack is two fists wide (we brought no gear for that) with a dodgy top out. Again, old and wise.

Finally the cliff that I had spotted on an earlier trip. Over 100 m wide, up to 30 m high, great lines but vegetated, crumbly, wet. Where is Mick Fowler when you need him? Or global warming?

Again, nice views. The Isle of Eigg in the Atlantic.

On the way down we passed a sizeable boulder and had to do something. We managed to get up a V0/1 boulder problem, termed the Knoydartonian. Here is the video on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MEPMSc#play/all/uploads-all/0/TteI83kDlgk
HW

Angus Sport

Trad climbing rules in Scotland but good quality sport climbing often in abandoned quarries emerges in various areas. A Scottish Sport climbing guidebook has been proposed for many years now but it is still in the making. When it comes to well bolted sport routes at a level that most punters can climb (French5-6c) with often better weather than in the rest of Scotland then Angus is the place to go. Here Neil Shepherd, Ken Edwards & Co have bolted the Abroath sea cliffs and Angus quarries. Because of poor weather forecasts, time limitations and not much practice Robin and I have spent the last three weekends sportclimbing at Kirrie Hill, Robs Read and in Legaston Quarry climbing from 5+ up to the softest ever 7a published in a guidebook (well, I could do it). Here are some photos and comments about the venues.

Robs Reed (closed from 1st of September for 2 months due to rutting season [the deer, not the climbers, are rutting])
The wall on the right is a mixture of usually solid, crimpy sandstone at the bottom with wall of pebble conglomerate above. Right at the top it can be a bit lose and a couple of pebbles usually fall down during a climbing session. So belayers should either wear a helmet and/or be alert. The following photo shows the main wall.

My two favourites at Robs Reed are ‘High Voltage’ and ‘Squeal like a piggy’. They are hard to get as an onsight because like with many routes hereabouts the holds are hard to find and read.

High voltage 6b+: A series of thin, crimpy moves on the sandstone lower bit leads to the break and a good rest. After a good rest climb the easier but steep crack on not obvious holds to the lower off. An Angus sport climbing classic.

Squeal like a piggy 6b: A thin start to a layback hold, followed to a series of crimps before a reach to a hold ends the hard bit. The crimps are hard to see from below. But it is still hard for 6b once you have worked the moves. The following two pictures show Pete Trugdill working the crimps...

...and finding the jug, belayed by Jackie.

Kirrie Hill
This is all red sandstone, a bit lose but there are nearly 60 sport routes mainly 5-6b, so a perfect vertical mileage venue for 6a-6c climbers but there is plenty for beginners but little for the >7a men and women.

Legaston
One or the earliest venues to be bolted in Scotland. There are fewer routes but plenty of 5a’s to 6c’s. The grades are pretty good value here and also in Robs Reed while Kirrie is a bit softer. My personal favourite is the ‘flight of the Mad Magician’, a 6b with a fantastic crux followed by long reaches.

HW

Sandy on Islander E3 5c, Whisky cliff

Many weekend trips got Sandy and Brian into very good climbing shape and on Tuesday they climbed for the second time on the rather obscure Whisky cliff on the Aberdeen coast. Brian climbed an E3 6a but got pumped, lowered down and handed the controls to young Sandy.

Sandy then took on Islander E3 5c. The initial bit is balancy and above a ledge the climbing is steep, pumpy and quite technical. Sandy battled hard to get the gear in but managed to continue to climb smoothly to an easier bit just below the grassy top out.

Here is Brian seconding without a problem...

... and here a view of the Whisky cliff and the North Sea at Aberdeen.

Yesterday I also got again a trad session at Clashrodney with Adam and we went for mileage doing Birthday treat E1 5a, Gorgon VS 5a, Cairngorm Club's other crack HVS 5a, Streetwise E2 5b (never 5c) and Schoolboy Alcoholic VS 4c. Adam battled hard and it is good to get going again.

Sandy and Brian were also there and Sandy looked a bit wet due to a hold breaking on sun(water?) lovers traverse. It is a solo traverse thankfully with water below. My personal conclusion: deep water soloing = maybe, soloing = no (it is not only Bachar who ended up as a pile of meat and bones on the bottom of a cliff).

HW
HW

Cumming Crofton on wet rock

Last week Roger came up from Oxford and after a rainy midweek we were looking forward to a decent forecast on Saturday and walked in to spend the night in the secret howff.

We left some of our stuff in the howff and just after 7 am we were plodding towards the sneck on a very good path. It is very different than in winter under powder in the darkness!

Unfortunately it was showery and thus we walked up Ben Avon first rather than going straight down to Mitre ridge.

We then descended into Garbh Coire and there were plenty of wet streaks and almost the whole of our planned route seemed wet. So we went for the Cumming Crofton route instead, a classic severe and VI,6 in winter. The line is the large corner on the west face that is approached by a somewhat hidden access chimney.

Here is me setting off on cold rock soon with numb fingers...

... and here is Adam following and getting over the large rock blocking the chimney.

Here we start the second pitch (if you can spot us) which was for 20 m on soaking, slimy rock. The corner is a drainage line and after a wet week this came as no surprise.

We finished by Bell's variation by a traverse onto the exposed West face. We needed 2 h for the whole route. During that time Roger did the Beinn a Bhuird tops and we were lying for 1 h in the sun and started to panic because Roger was nowhere to be seen. At the time when we were about to leave Roger appeared and we made our way back to the howff. Here are the Eastern corries of Beinn a Bhuird with some decent climbs...

... and here we are on our way down.

HW

Portlethen problems

Yesterday evening showers were forecast but it was dry and windy resulting in very good friction. Here are some of the easier Porty problems including some slabs. There is potential for some good slab surfing!

Sandwood bay: bouldering away from it all

Sandwood bay is simply one of the most beautiful places on this planet. It can be reached by a 8 km walk from Blairmore. At the Northern end of the beach there are some Gneiss crags which are OK for some trad but very good for bouldering over sand landings. It is the rock at the end of the beach.

I went with a friend and did four problems between V0-V2/3. I am not experienced at grading this stuff but here is a wee video showing the beach and the problems.

If they are have no name then I propose Sandwood Babe, Sandwood Barbie, Sandwood Bertha & Sandwood b**** but they have probably been climbed many times before and have a name in the head of those that have done them.
HW

Electric blue and a Scottish VS

Despite a 'showers' forecast Adam, John and I went to Craig Stirling. It is up to 30 m high and the venue of the Aberdeen Deep Water Soloing festival. Take a parachute and a dry suit.

John was happy to belay me on Electric blue E1 5a** on the left hand side of the West buttress (the buttress on the right). Here is a short video...

It started on barnacles and wet rock, definately a turn off for me...

... but the rock was dry higher up with some great climbing and sufficient protection. The finish was steep...

... and I struggled at times a bit to find the holds...

... before topping out. Btw. Adam took the photos. John was the first to second and raced up itbeing in top form at the moment.

But Adam won the price of the evening for, to my knowledge, his first clean ascent of an E1. Brilliant effort! After that John fancied a no star VS that makes even distinguished veterans of the art shudder. It all starts with an innocent corner up to a ledge...

... but then there is a leaning crack requiring an awkard mantleshelf at the top onto a ledge with no space above due to the leaning wall above. Invariably even stylish performers end up in a 'Venus of Urbino' position (the wrong way round though). Compare http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_of_Urbino with John. I did the same whereas Adam had a power grunt, a rest and then attacked it frontally.

After that a crumbly top out to give it a good Scottish VS.

This little cutie is definately recommended as a first VS lead!

HW

Solace at the Luath stones

After several phonecalls there was still no outdoors climbing partner and at the pass of Ballater the hoped for climbing partners were not there. So I went to the Luath stones for solace and did a few of the easier problems shown in the wee clip below.

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Clashrodney practice

Ryan and I had a wee training session at Clashrodney to screw my leading head back on. We did Birthday treat E1 5a, Capitol wall VS 4b, Gorgon VS 5a and Chester VS 4c.

Above is a video of Birthday treat just before the midway ledge and below one of the starting moves on Gorgon. Both climbs are classics of the crag.

HW

Jock's road, four Munros & the old chateau

Declan Lunny is a friend who used to work in Dundee but who moved to Singapore a couple of years back. We had some good mountaineering sessions together before his move (buy him a Guiness and you might be lucky to hear them) and every year we meet up to add a walk. On Saturday Ana and I picked up Declan but also Celine, another friend of ours, and we drove to Glen Clova. We walked up Jock's road...

... to a shelter which is marked on the 1:50,000 OS map. Here is Declan enjoying a well deserved rest.

We left some gear and did four Munros, first Tom Buidhe and Tolmont (Declan shown at the summit of the latter)...

... follwed by Cairn Bannoch and Broad Cairn. Still snow left in the high Cairngorms and happy bunnies on the plateau (spot the bunny on the picture below). A 330 ml Glenmorangie oxygen bottle helped us to cope with the effects of altitude.

We returned to the shelter which we had renamed 'the old chateau' and had a three course dinner. It consisted of Spanish lomo as a starter, pasta with aubergine pesto as a main course and caramel cookies as a desert. This was complemented with a good selection of beers, French wine and the remaining oxygen. Prof. Lunny then gave an account of his harrowing experiences in the most hostile places on Earth. The ladies nearly fainted when hearing of the various acts of gallantry on steep North faces or on the oceans of this planet.

BBC Scotland had heard of the presence of the distinguished Prof. and conducted an inverview in the morning:

We then parted with the bonny place and walked down Jock's road.

HW

Bank holiday weekend, Meackie point, Promontory wall and Huntly's cave

With three days off work and the weather forecasters giving a poor outlook for the West coast, it looked best to stay local and explore the crags on the coast that take time to find, time we never really get in an evening. Paul, Chris, Matt and myself headed north to Meackie point. A steep compact Granite crag with nothing below HVS this is well worth a visit.

Paul and Chris started on the classic Killing moon, E1 5b***. Whilst i took Matt up an equally good HVS called Flurry. Well worth the 3 stars it receives. Having not climbed for a couple of months Matt had a tough time on this steep line, thought I'm sure he gave it his best. Paul then jumped on the un-starred Water margin E1 5a, taking the corner/groove direct making it 5b, and stating it was tough and deserved stars.

Feeling slightly guilty on Matt's behalf i suggested we go somewhere more friendly. Paul suggested Promontory wall, not far up the road.

There's a sea level traverse of the wall described in the guide book as 'a fine excursion'. Being only a Severe with a couple of stars I thought this would bee a good one for Matt to second. I had trouble finding the start proper so started it on an over hanging wall, harder than Severe i was sure I'd gone wrong somewhere. Easy traversing fallowed on slabby ground with jugs and good gear. Matt wasn't too keen on the direct line I'd taken (and the possibility of getting wet!) so backed off and called it a day. Paul was up for it, i needed to get my gear back anyway!

This is Paul starting the traverse, which is slightly overhanging and tricky. We both agreed it was about HVS 4c.

good fun was to be had.

this one shows Paul on the tricky 'crux' of the proper route.

Chris hadn't led yet and had his eye on toe cap, VS 4b*. After abbing in I set up the rope to get some shots of Chris dispatching another VS. The photo above shows him climbing the tricky hanging groove.

Sole fusion, E1 5b**, is the only E1 here and the i didn't fancy the E2 as it looks bold as brass! Not really my cup of tea at the moment. This one proved tricky to start. Once on it though (after much swearing and shouting), steep climbing with good gear led me to a flake crack on an exposed position.

Chris being about 10 stone lighter than me seconded this without even breaking a sweat!

We called it day after this as the threat of more showers loomed. With the moisture in the air a rainbow formed near Boddam light house and gave me the opportunity to capture a bonny photo.

Sunday started clear and dry so after a short phone call with Chris we decided that Hunly's cave would be a good choice for the day. I'd been told a couple of horror stories from local climbers about a route here called Pete's wall and thus was keen to go have a look and see what all the fuss was about.

This is a steep schist crag with big roofs and routes across the board crossing improbable ground. Chris started on cave route, HS 4b***. He led it all in one pitch with good rope work to reduce drag this is a fine pitch up a corner and out under a roof to the chimney crack and thus the top is gained.

Chris led this in fine style, though I'm sure he'd easily fit in to the crack at the top and body jam up!

Next up was the classic of the crag, Double overhang HVS 5b***. A steep wide chimney blocked by two roofs provides exiting and tricky climbing that sometimes resembles karma sudra and yoga mixed. On good gear the roofs are cleared in the least elegant way.

After a short lunch break I was keen to give Pete's wall a go. Getting ready below it i was nervous, two good climbers from Aberdeen had already failed on this one recently. The climbing started off ok, not too hard. A couple of moves and I was under the roof, the so called crux, getting the gear well placed, I shook out and tried the long move. It didn't go at first. Along way up for a shortie. Putting my feet higher I made the long reach up to the hold and rocked over, placed a couple of good cams had a wee shake out and moved right on good but flat holds, getting pumped with every move. Then the rain started. I was near the top, pumped stupid and struggling to hold on with the rock now getting damp. I somehow managed to get back to the cams and had a rest as the rain poured, I lowered off, stripping all the gear, disappointed at being so close.

It took a short while for the crag to dry after the rain stopped. We waited, I was confident now I could bag this and was reluctant to leave with my tail between my legs. This time the climbing was fluid, no nervousness. I reached the cams and my high point in no time, moved up and back down, now getting pumped. I made a good nut placement under the final wall, giving me confidence to push on to the top with some yelping and shouting on the way!

This shot shows Chris on the 'good' rest above the roof.

And this one is Chris on the final wall, gritting his teeth, working thought the pump.

Traverses for training

Little time, no money and no endurance? Traverses are the solution. Here are two: a crimpy one at the Fraser Noble building and a pumpy one at Dyke's cliff.

1) Fraser Noble traverse: Chalky spots mark a traverse on often tiny crimps. It is about F6b.

The building is located on the Old Aberdeen campus (building 14): http://www.abdn.ac.uk/central/vcampus/kings/index.shtml

2) Dyke's cliff traverse. The second traverse is at Dyke's cliff at Newtonhill. From the car park walk directly down on steep grass and approach the cliff from the right. It is an overhanging wall with big, now chalky holds all the way. A slimy puddle towards the end focusses the mind. About F6a. It is usually possible after rain.

HW