Winter sun!!!

With plans for this weekend thrown into turmoil by the weather, attention turns to the coming winter....

im stoked for the white stuff and with the frosts starting there may be some routes to be done before christmas but the real season is unlikely to start until late january, so what to do until then? cragging is still on when we can catch glimpse of sunshine, at the very least a bouldering trip to Brin is in order but what about a bit of winter sun and some sports climbin in southern europe?

i know, i know..... its not only unethical to clip bolts but also the pure fact of heading for sunshine when we should be dreaming of a white christmas makes me sick! but when climbings to be done what choice do we have?

so what are the criteria?
Cheap and easy to get to
Limited travel requirements once there
Decent temperatures
Awesome climbing of variety in type and grade

ive put a couple of options on a poll, but there must be other places so if you got ideas or experience then let us know!

and when? either the week over christmas or the week over new year

whos up for it? (hopefully this should not be up on SC, if so apologies to all those who are outwith the punters - but your more than welcome to join us!)

Scottish Climbs

A couple of unsavoury comments have been made about this amazing blog on Scottish Climbs. To deal with what the complainants called 'weak' posts, a system has been put in place so only certain posts appear on Scottish Climbs.

If you want you post to appear on SC, add the label "scottishclimbs" to the label option at the bottom of your post.

Later Bawbags

Logie Head rocks

Last weekend a car of three headed for the only dry place in Scotland the Moray Coast. Darkness fell as we set off on what was to be a troublesome journey and we headed for the bridge. Apone which was a knarly jam was found, entertainment was provided by a coach load of pissed football supporters merrily reliving themselves at the side of the road and one by one running after there disappearing transport. Just as we got to the toll booths Wee Mark who was meant to be heading to dungeon hill called lo and behold he was in the next one along also heading north with talk of Binnein Shuas and a possible rendezvous on Sunday. An eventful journey, a puncture, fun with air hoses, loads of wrong turns and the misty scenery of Aberdeen final led us to our camp at about 1am, we pitched up under cornflake wall at Cummingston and got stuck into the bouldering.















After dondering about for ages looking for a cooked breakfast we finally got some climbing in. After our first route we were joined by Mark and his crew of wiper-snappers; Dunacan, Scot and Warren, who had retreated form the wet and misty hills. Cummingston provided some entertainment with a few routes getting done, includeing the very fine "left" and "right". But the rock was damp and sweaty and Logie was calling.












Logie is an easy 20 min walk round a pleasant bay that leads to the pinnacle, over one last ridge and the main climbing is reached. aAbeautiful fin of rock reminiscent of the Souter, but friendlier, open, more cracked and having that sandstone grippy-ness. The lethargic mood of the morning was forgotten and all of the best routes on the fist wall were quickly dispatched.











Darkness soon descended but the fun was not over, a heroic gathering effort by myself, Sandy and Neil produced and cheery blaze of drift wood, which eliminated the frantic efforts of the young ins attempting to get as many routes in as possible. The barbby was fired up and a great feast of 1/4 pounders with bacon, brie and cherry tomatoes was had and for desert, wasted bouldering!










The next day we rose with the dawn and the low tide heading for the impeccable rock of the star area, Neil and Warren both had good leads on "Rising Star" E0? "Fallen Star", "Moray Ele" and "Sea Pink" were also quickly dispatched, with some talk of "Dark Star" but wetness dissuading.













We were chased away by the rising tide and headed back to nail some of the harder routes on the first 2 sections, some E points were had as I shoot up the fantastic "No hands crack", knee bar rest in the middle!!!!! Mark did "Dave's Dilemma" and Duncan "Sunny Side Direct" his first E1!









We left with the sun setting on the pinnacle as Mark and Duncan attempted one last route. Well it was actually like 4.30 but good photo to end on. Awesome weekend, quality climbing and some good crack. Will need to head back soon "Holy Ground " E2 looks insanely hard/good/ improbable climbing and "Dark Star" is just begging to be climbed.

calling all punters!!!

orite folks? whats the krac for next weekend (27th/28th)? where do we wanna go, whos in and most importantly how we gettin there?

Lewis seemed keen, so for that to work lakes is probably best, an i still aint been there so am well up for that.... whats public transport like to get there?

Joseph, andy and i were thinkin Glen Nevis, if we had a big enough crew then tonnes of climbin, bouldering and a few of us can commit the henious crime of goin for a big walk (ahhhhh!!!!)

Tim is up for the NW. i need say no more! i doubt anyone could find any reason not to go up there (except transport) so ma vote is with the NW (torridon, diabeg, stac polly, reiff....... list goes on!)

what do we think chaps?

Rainy Lakes!!

Went to the Lakes camping with brother-in-law, nephew and niece at the weekend. Planned to get some bouldering done on the excellent looking Eskdale granite. Surprise, surprise it rained on and off all weekend. In a brief lull of slightly lighter rain I bolted up the boulders, to find them, surprisingly soaking. Attempted to climb them, didn't really work, granite and rain do not mix.

Posting some piccies to hopefully motivate some fellow punters to make a trip there at some point :-) (And because I'm bored at work)

The Animal Boulder


The Diamond


White Wall


The Gem


Nice looking granite crag nearby


As you can tell from the photo's - lovely weather!

Dealing with an obsession..........

What is it that makes you want to climb certain routes? what was it that put this route into my head and made me want to do it so desperately that, until it was done, any other routes were of no interest? it was unlikely to be a challenge for even the lowliest punter, it was on a scottish mountain like so many other routes ive done this year. it was beautiful rock like the majority of 3star classics....... so what made it stand out? no bloody idea! but there it was, the best line Patey ever walked past had been calling my name since i started climbing and any who had gone before me had all sang its praises.

Ardverikie Wall on Beinin Shuas had been niggling in my mind all summer. Any weekend there was a choice of where we should go, i had no other thoughts (save perhaps Reiff which, fishing gear in hand, i was as keen as any to get to!) and the rest of the punters stopped even asking as they all knew the answer. time and time again, a lack of transport, rain, drunkenness and for all i know, unwilling partners, conjured all the powers on earth to stop me from climbing this route. the more this happened the more the obsession grew. for the hundredth time i went over the guide book description. with the help of Classic Rock the visualisation became so real that when i got there it was sure to be a disappointment.......

at last, Mark was out of the hell that is the life of a junior Dr and from alcohol fueled slumber he awoke with every intention of joining me. i had infected him with some of my narrow minded determination, but he still tried to shock me declaring that DJ yoda was surely a better plan than a cold bivvy on the shores of Loch n Earba. my heart sank, not again! but with an eye on the fine weather forecast we settled the matter and the road north was open. Pickin up Andy on the way did little for my quest as he declared the BBC weather showed mist all around and 'we were too late for mountain routes by now, bound to be seeping!' the journey was torturous, was i goin to get it done, for if not i may have to wait until spring and this would be a torture so great that i would surely be crushed under the weight of such anxiety!!

on arrival clear, starry skies and the distant roar of rutting stags suggested it was all worth the wait. this pleasure was soon turned on its head by the mist brought in by Andys prophesies of doom! an emotional rollercoaster this was proving to be, right until the end! the mist saw fit to hang low in the glens until mid morning and blasphemous suggestions of quitting and heading for cummingston were being uttered by a heathen in our midst! slander, we shall have blue skies and we will complete this quest! something in the world understood my pain and the mist cleared to reveal one of the finest views in the highlands and a great line of unceassing featured slabs...........

suffice to say the route was ace and you'll find many a detailed description of this famous route so i shall not waste your time, there are far deeper issues to consider; not least what i can use to fill the void created by the completion of this obsession? (and whether it is ethical to climb in socks?) for when such a thing has occupied the mind for so long it is sorely missed. thinkin of classic lines that are a struggle to get to, i reckon Main Wall of Cwm Las could fit the bill. Bring it on!!

A tale of two seasons..

These pictures were taken within a week of each other, totally different days but both damn fine.
Andy on Coffin Corner HVS at Dunkeld and Bry on Ledge route at The Ben.(Andy and Ecky are behind Bry in the photo, somewhere on Tower Ridge, hauling their tents, probably with another 12 hours in front of them if the epic tale is anything to go by, I believe they slept in an igloo near gardyloo gully?)

Andy fought hard on Coffin Corner in April, but a head jam(patent pending) an inverted yoga thing, some skity feet, a few 'holy shiites' and a 'woohoo' saw him to the top.It made for superbly entertaining viewing, this is the kind of stuff the BBC's Great climb is crying out for, real live puntermen using their heads as pro in big wet corners in Perthshire.The Moin is the master of the jam, with any part of the body.We salute you!

Ledge route was grand that day, scenic and never hard.It was good to see the full fat face of the Ben as I had never seen it so clear, a nice recce for future winter lines..
If I ever get my bottle up!
Another season of II/IIIs then? Aye!..... squeak.....

and out...