Archive for Rock Climbing
Return to the North West
August 1st, 2011 • Camping, Cycling, Mountainbiking, Rock Climbing
It’s never enough to satisfy the craving but for a few days at least it’s all there, and you with it.
Tower Ridge
August 26th, 2010 • 2 comments Rock Climbing
Tags: Ben nevis, climbing, Nevis, Rock Climbing, scrambling
Sometimes there’s nothing for it: down tools and head for the hills.
I’ve wanted to take in Tower Ridge on the Ben for years now, and it finally occurred to me just to go and do it. An old mate, Andy Yuill was up for it and since he just finished his masters he actually had the time too. We met at the King’s house on tuesday night about ten minutes after the bar shut (poor planning) and minced for a while taking photos of the Buachaille while we polished off a couple of bottles of Deuchars that Andy had brought.
After a remarkably poor night’s sleep (top tip: don’t forget your sleeping bag) and breakfast at Morrison’s in Fort Bill we started the slog up to the CIC and the Douglas Boulder. The weather was pretty good but the rock still wet and slimy enough in places that soloing the VDiff direct route up the boulder in hiking boots and rucksacks had a little more spice than we’d signed up for…. It all went well though and the rope stayed in the bag, thanks in part to Andy’s technique of chucking a sling tied to your harness over any tiny nubbin that showed itself. I’m fairly sure that if you have to hold it in place it’s psychological protection at best, but it kept us happy enough at the time to carry on.
Once you get off the Douglas Boulder and onto Tower Ridge the ground gets much easier. With the rock at an easier angle and significantly drier we could put a lot more time into enjoying our position and less into bowel and bladder control. The weather towed with us from time to time but it was just playing, testing our resolve rather than teaching us a lesson. And it’d wouldn’t be a day out on the Ben without getting rained on at least a little, would it?
It was surprisingly quiet up there yesterday. We met two groups on the route: one couple gearing up at the bottom that never did seem to top out on the Douglas Boulder, and two lads on their third big ridge of the day and a bit of a mission. We could see a group of three on the North East Buttress from time to time and the occasional tourist poked their head over the skyline as we neared the top. It can’t be often that you get the north face of Nevis almost to yourself, and that combined with the lurking weather made the day all the better.
A fine route, finished with a wee dram on the summit and a spectacular sunset on the way down. You can’t really ask for much more. Except maybe a sleeping bag.
Poll Dubh Climbing
June 8th, 2010 • 1 comment Rock Climbing
Tags: cavalry crag, climbing, glen nevis, misha, poll dubh, rock, scimitar crag, spad
Well rather than go to the mountain bike world cup all weekend, i thought it would be good to get up Glen Nevis for one of the days to take advantage of the good weather. Myself and Misha left Fort Bill and headed up the glen. The area was busy, as you’d expect in good weather – the midges weren’t deterring the tourists and climbers dotted around the glen. We started on Cavalry Crag, doing route called ‘Heatwave’. I started leading the 1st pitch and preceded to battle against the inital fear and also a mild hangover. 2nd pitch went a bit squiffy for Misha but we soon got back on track once we got our bearings… The last pitch takes you to the top of the crag, leaving us with a braw view of the glen and a satisfied feeling inside… thus removing our earlier feelings of ’Why do we do this sport?!’
On way back down we noticed smoke up the glen – some folk had apparently lost control of their fire and the nearby heather and grass went up… carried up the hill by the wind. It looked a bit like a small Australian bush fire! Firemen battled with the blaze and soon had it under control but it was a fair bit of drama nonetheless. We decided to do one more climb – on the scimitar crag further up glen. This was called ‘Razor’ and proved to be a nice short route with one or 2 exposed moves…
Think we’ll have to come here alot more to make even a small dent in the amount of routes here… Next time ill remember to take the midge net for belaying.
SPAD
Amateur night on the Buachaille
June 4th, 2010 • 3 comments Camping, Hill walking, Rock Climbing
Tags: bivi, broad buttress, buchaille, lochaber scrambles, lorraine ishak
Last night decided to solo the broad buttress and bivi on the top, I left Glasgow at 5pm into the rubbish hour traffic. It was a beautiful evening with a warm sunset dropping fast behind me, threatening to leave me in the dark if i didn’t move my arse. The climb was pretty exciting, i lost the route a couple of times and ended up giving over my life to a few clumps of heather and some grass. When i finally topped out it felt amazing to be alive. I walked the last few hundered feet to the summit and ate my sandwich and set up my bivi for the night.
Its the first time i have solo’d a hill never mind a scramble it felt pretty amateur to be honest, but i have learned a lot about my limitations, and where i need to work on stuff. Mostly navigation and route finding.
Would I do it again.. certainly but the bivi was pretty dull without company.
‘nice sunset i said to myself’ ..’aye’ i said back.
A grand day out on the Buachaille
May 27th, 2010 • 3 comments Hill walking, Rock Climbing
Tags: agag's groove, Buachaille, Buachaille Etive Mor, climbing, curved ridge, Glen Coe, glen etive, scrambling, solo, Stob Dearg, walking
I’ve spent the best part of the last two years living down in the Lake District, so it felt like a return to the motherland as we cruised up the A82 past Loch Lomond and onwards towards Glen Coe. The sun was splitting the skies and the hills through Bridge of Orchy and the Black Mount were looking magnificent, putting on a fine show for a long overdue reunion. As we came round the corner and sighted the Buachaille looming in the distance, I finally told Keith where we were going and what we were going to do.
Keith’s a good friend, an old friend. James and I nearly killed him on a walk up the Cobbler about four years ago (“just two more minutes!”), though he loved it afterwards and talked about it for months. Since then we’ve only ever managed gentle wanders together, normally with a group of his work colleagues who all appear to be scared of mud. Keith is moving to Sydney in a couple of weeks, and I wanted to take him up one of Scotland’s classics, show him what it was really all about. The idea was to give him a day to remember and hopefully not scare the crap out of him along the way, just give him some quality memories of the hills he would normally drive past. I thought that Curved Ridge would fit the bill.
I admit that I’ve also had a wee hankering to try to solo Agag’s Groove since trying to lead it a few years back and having to ab off to help a friend who was hit in the head by a falling rock. I chucked my rock shoes in my bag, telling myself I was just going to go and have a wee look at it – much too early in the season to be trying that sort of thing.
The car park was full to bursting, though we didn’t meet anyone on the walk in until we were directly below curved ridge. Keith has been putting in some serious fitness training in the years since our day out on the cobbler and was cruising on up there with a complete absence of swearing, complaining or whining. We stopped to say hello to a film crew making a movie called “a lonely place to die,” and moved on again quickly as they seemed busy (mostly snoozing).
Keith totally cruised up the initial steep start to the ridge, and any lingering concerns quickly evaporated. I’d brought a rope and enough gear to rig a belay just in case I was asking too much of him, but it was clear that it wasn’t going to be necessary. Far from being terrified he seemed to be loving every minute of it: excited, exhilarated, but moving confidently and I began to wish I’d dragged him up here years ago rather than accepting his excuses. We stopped for lunch on one of the large ledges across from the Rannoch wall and I pointed out some of the classic routes, embellished with tales from past days out. Then I got to Agag’s and damn, it looked perfect. Clear, dry, not a soul on the whole wall. I walked down the ledge to better pick out the route – inspecting it for another day when I’d try the solo.
Then I went down to the large block it starts from to check out the opening moves. I took my rock boots with me, just in case I fancied bouldering the start to see how it felt.
It felt good.
All of a sudden I was sitting on the large ledge at what would normally be the second belay, watching Keith watching me. The third pitch looked kind of steep looking up from the ledge, but looking fown from it the first two pitches also looked pretty steep. I’d heard that there was a bit of a hairy step out into a very exposed situation somewhere up there, and I hoped it was around what appeared to be a slightly overhanging bulge. I certainly didn’t want to have to climb over the bulge anyway. Nothing for it really, just got to suck it up and give it a go. It was faint in the distance, but I swear I could hear “you’re nuts,” being muttered in soft weegie tones somewhere nearby. I topped out the route below Crowberry Tower with a curious lack or relief but considerable satisfaction. It had felt good; controlled and comfortable rather than reckless and terrifying.
I think Keith got something very similar from his day when we topped out on Curved Ridge. He achieved something that he will remember for years to come, had a day that other days will be measured against. As he said himself, he raised the bar. I don’t doubt that the next time he drives past the Buachaille, he’ll feel a little differently about it. It’s a funny thing though, I spent two years thinking about that solo but at the end of the day I think I felt more satisfaction giving Keith his big day out than from my climb. It was, I think, a fitting farewell.
Away to Culkein Bay
May 12th, 2010 • 1 comment Hill walking, Rock Climbing
Tags: assynt, bay, climbing, culkein, kayak, Mountains, quinag, storr
It was around 15 years ago when I was last here in Culkein – it’s barely changed at all. This time I spent the week there with around 40 other friends and we had a mighty fine time. Lots of Kayaking and walking, a bit of climbing and cycling… and plenty of good fun. Assynt has to be one of my favourite places to be.
Into Thin Hair
November 12th, 2009 • 1 comment Hill walking, Rock Climbing
Tags: cuillin, skye
Video of Cuillin Ridge Traverse.
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