Ecky goes fishing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PPWDglTboI

Mon weather

© Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland; C/40032. Licensor www.scran.ac.uk.

Hopefully be climbing there, but any cliffs would be good was think about dungeon hill in d&g?

nae clue whats goin on!!

dude, beaut of a time to lose your phone! tims home phone is down at the mo aswell so organisation a bit of a mission. still, looks like the weather should be ok for goin to reiff :-)

anyway, tims mobile is 07870356541, andy 07725013102 and mine is 07734058003 so gie us a call to let us know the craic. work will probably keep me til 5ish but dunno what the others are up to......

'mon the golden walls!!!!

nae phone

Hello
Ive lost my phone, but should be getting new one with same number later today so give me a shout about tomorrows plans.
sean

Pics

Tim on Little Chamonix
Andy on Gobi Roof
Tim on frustration wall
Ali and the pigeon(bottom right) on North Crag eliminate
Neil and a yew tree, North crag eliminate

Pics

Humping the pigeon

The Ben the Ben was calling......
But as usual, the big bad rain clouds were laying down their pishy cloud juice all over the west highlands
So we opted for a gay day in the English countryside.The venue for the days traditional rock climbing activity was Castle Rock in the Thirlmere area of the Cake District..
After a mossy first pitch, the real meat of North Crag Eliminate found us.I dont think Ive had to climb a tree on a route before but theres a first for everything, and it was fairly good fun clambering up to the top of the yew, grabbing a jug on the nearby wall, swinging out into space and back into rockland.
On the belay ledge ahead of pitch three we met a scruffy pigeon, he never moved an inch as Ali and Neil passed within centimetres of his wee perch, he just stared at us and bobbed his head a bit, next up it was myself to second the exposed third pitch and I did so with no style whatsoever, it is an off balancy ramp with undercut holds and big exposure, i mustve kneed the pigeon in the beak about 4 times before finally finding the sequence, poor wee bird, im sure I heard him say 'twat, its only E1, get on with it you div and leave me in peace'.
We also climbed Harlot Face, Triermain Eliminate and Via media..
All of them really good routes, especially Trierman, a superb and sustained E2 with a foxy finish which nails you just when you are pumped the most.
Its a superb crag with ace views up the valley and the walk in is minimal, the exposure is real and although mostly friendly it still felt serious in bits..
I really wanted to do Overhanging Bastion as its a bit of a classic but it was chocked with climbers on it already, so if anyone fancies heading down there Id be happy to go back...

If anyone is around during the day Tuesday/Wednesday give me a shout if youre up for a climb..

Roll on Thursday and the road trip.....

cheers

Sean

Top Future Destination

So the votes are in and Rieff wins! followed by Etive. Lets see if we can get an ace trip away sorted, looking forward to a big trip after my work related non-climbing hell.

So when y'all free? I'm good for any weekend next month... maybe even a 4 day weekend and go for both venues?

Live climb canceled/work = sucks!

So the Great climb was a wash out, pity was looking forward to watching it while I worked. The climbers and bbc must also be pissed with all the effort they’ve put in, hopefully they be back sometime! That’s how it goes!

Anyway some great vids on the climb site, liking mega route x(this winter?) and white magic(looks nails will see how the dt sashes go).

I've got a shed load to do work wise but will hopefully get a few evening sessions (Roslin G)on the go, also good for Sunday?

Spank the Ramp, Font 6b, Brin Boulders

Just a little video of a great problem we tried at the weekend, Spank the Ramp at Brin Boulders. Didn't try for long, due to wave after wave of savage Highland midgies. One to nail next time!

Home is where the heart is

a weekend that my childhood had longed for.... the finest tunes known to any young toerag rabbling their way through every highland summer, were gracing the banks of Loch Ness. thats right, you guessed it, the mighty Runrig were to be pulling 10,000 heart stings at the one night only 'Beat the Drum' festival!

before the carnage was to begin, some climbing had to be done at Brin Rock. having seen the cliffs towering over me my whole Runrig fuelled childhood, i had been long awaiting the day i was capable of breeching their mean defences. having primed my favoured climbing state by drinking copius amounts of fine whisky the prior evening, we set off with stomachs churning and thighs burning. through high braken and hoards of midgies the imposing cliffs revealed their overhanging nature and second thoughts were spinning through my head, maybe that Severe could be a better option..... but no 'The Gangplank' HVS 5a** was going down and for some unusual reason i appeared entirely focused on the job in hand. must have been the pure Runrig flowing through my veins! some of the scariest climbing i have ever enjoyed then ensued with the difficulties never seeming to let up, two steep crux sections gained and exited the ramp before a sensational traverse led to a thrucksy corner finnish! Sweet!

a good view rewarded my ascent and the site of my dogs running wild in the garden 200m below added to the occasion, not to mention the noise! lewis then followed with as much morals as those french hold-bolters, requiring finely placed aid and (semi)fixed ropes, all the while the wind had dropped and the midgies were hungry! after being savaged for what seemed like a epoch both lewis and tim had made it up and we seeked the shelter of the breeze on the summit. the midgies on the hill then forced movement so we went down to inspect the boulders in vague hope that the midgies might have vacated the woods, haha... aye right! having found the boulders it didnt take long for the midgies to find us so brief attemps were made on the tree slab boulder, swamp boulder and then spank the ramp. i resisted the temptation to try my nemesis, fearing further difficulties so acted only as a knowing host before return to the house and more whisky!

awakening to a fine dreich highland morning the day had arrived and 'with hearts of olden glory' we set off 'down the glory road' for the 'once in a lifetime' concert at 'beat the drum' festival on the bonnie bonnie banks........ yaaaaasssssssssss!!!!

A lament..

Its been 6 days since I last climbed but it feels like the longest sentence known to man.
Ive been more horizontally orientated since then, Ive drunk around 49 gallons of ale, smoked endless fags and spent monday in a recording studio, tired and hungover, laying down an old rock song for my mate as a wedding present.Its safe to say its not been a normal week.
So Ive nothing really to add to the blog except a few old pix of Tim, Neil, Bry and Marc at Bowden( the back variety), and one of my hungover self, recording country rock.
Im away this weekend but will be up for a day next week If anyone is around.We must all get to reiff soon, lets try organise some dates, im happy to drive/be driven.
meantime...
happy tradding

more alps piccies......

was gonna write a wee report but Still Game was on the box so i couldn't be arsed, might do it some other day............... or, havin spent the past two hours thinkin ive been uploadin the best of ma photos i publish the post to see no photos. bloody computers, appears they hate me as much as i hate them!!

eventually got it sorted, although they're a bit big when you click on them, but im a mongol. what can i say. on that note, if any of you know how to move the three at the bottom from the centre, just go into edit post and do the business...... cheers!

The Buachaille is my shepherd

Wall to wall blue, pishing with sunshine and the Northerly breeze meant the visibilty was indeed 'fuckin ace man' This is the kind of start to a day in the hills which makes you feel anything is possible...........
until we got to Crianlarich, where a schoolbus reversed into us during a stand off with a big lorry.Were the kids driving? I dunno, probably.
Anyway, as we drove towards Glencoe, over our newly dented bonnet we watched as the hills grew taller and prettier, and so the talk of routes began.
We decided on Bludgers revelation if the slime wall was dry, but of course, being the slime wall, it was moister than a very moist place and slippy bold HVS' climbing isnt on my Wednesday favourites list, So we carried on round and headed towards Rannoch wall and the North east face, hoping to decide when we got there.Neil quickly decided on Grooved Arete VS4b and skipped the 3 pitch version for a more straightforward 2, the first pitch being exactly 50m and the second, a mere 40m scrambly type affair.All the beef is in the first pitch and its lovely flowy climbing on sticky rock.Defo 4b but defo not HS as stated in some guides.It was fairly gearless as I recall, having only taken out 2 pieces over 50m and Anitra(our Kiwi friend for the day) only abt 3.Its not so obvious either so well worth it for the route finding 'fun'.
We then abbed back down the Rannoch Wall in two stages and climbed Engineers crack, a magical E15b just around the corner from Agags Groove, Neil fancied the lead, so I was happy to take pics and Anitra belayed, kinda wished I had lead it but it was still cool on second, a great line and some lovely feety layawy moves. Im sure Andy would find a jam in one of those cracks!(I crimped :-)). Its low in the grade and if you fancy a Mountain E1 for a kick off its highly recommended....
Next I lead Fracture Route VS4c, which joins Engineers at 3/4 height.Its a nice wee line but over too soon really, an interesting chimney type start followed by a wee bit face climbing and then a mantleshelf to glory...
I looked over from the belay and watched a climber in a blue top pissing all the way down North Buttress, I imagine he was saying something like "Look out scramblers, here come the warm jets!"..

Its was nice to be back on the Buachaille and we all had big grins during the descent back down curved ridge, having eaten a big faceful of lovely mountain fun...

Where next?

My hand is up for ArdverikieWall btw!
I'd love to do it...
(Dressed as the Ladyboys of Bangkok)

limekilns for the punters!!

a merry we band we were, 5 of the punters finest piled into the back of Neils range rover on this sunny evening with thoughts of maybe a 1st E1 or that nasty (nettley) E3 for andy......
it all started well, Neil got back into gear by soloing a severe, tim finally mastered D-Day finding more to place than the measly micro that held him last time, but still throwing in a good measure of faff. i managed Humbug as a warm up whilst andy got involved in dead-ringer, a route that was to have greater significance later in this tale of what had now become 6 merry punters!

joseph decided that no gear on Hunter and the Hunted meant only one thing - we had to set up the dreaded TR! punters we certainly are. anyhow, it was a fine route and i did not spot a single secure placement so was glad for a bit of moral support from above! meanwhile andy had his eyes on cruel summer, which true to his name was indeed cruel on this fine summers evening and spat him out with contempt.... it shall be beaten next time!

then after little trouble leadin D-day it occured to me that there was little left for me to do within my grade so id better move up to E1 and do dead ringer. a fine idea, when i was knackered and the light was begin to fade, with little confidence i faced this beast, whilst my trusty belayer was being munched by a smaller more numerous beast of the forrest. assured he was fully concentrating on preventing my imminent death rather than running away from the midgies i set off cautiously, placing far too much gear and pumpin out. going for the mid way rest 'ledge' i knew it was over but was reassured by the numerous gear i had laced on route...... hold me!! PING! out goes one nut, ok ok got plenty more.... AHHH on the next piece the extender was trying its best to unclip itself as the fall had somehow twisted it and i could be left to swing onto my one remaining gear. i think this took Josephs mind off the midgies and the rest of the many tired climbers came to observe this entertaining spectacle, me shitting masel but managing to get to the safety of the big ledge and orchestrate a less than dignified retreat, pah, E1... maybe another day.

Dumby Andy

Sometime within the next century I will post some pix of the Lakes trip and a full report including the results of the 'Slug Moustache' competition and how lakeland severes in the pishing rain are right proper scary...
For now though heres a snap of Andy at work on Stonefall Crack HVS 5a at Dumbarton Rock, it looked like an interesting route wi tons of jamming and chimneying and humping required.Hence, I stayed on the ground, unable to make any upwards progress.
I must learn to jam
I must learn to jam
I must learn to jam

Heading to Coe tomorrow (wed)
Report back soon

I may be game for the Roslin on Thursday nite

nite.

Guess where i want to go this weekend....

what do we think lads??
A.wall still has to be done. marks up for doin somethin so should have a car which ever mountain area has the best weather. votes for Beinn Shuaus?

Brill wee donder up the gorms

Sun and wind; then rain and midges. Two ridges and an ace bivi under shelter stone. Nice we weekend like.

A few alps pics

First Post

Up and running, hopefully we can used this to get some trips orginised, share our adventures and have some krac.

Andy