Scottish Rock - August '13
For the first time in about 8 years, Maria and I didn't go to the Alps this summer. In its place, we had a long weekend in Florence and a couple of weeks travelling round Scotland, trying to follow the good weather and get plenty of rock climbing in. We didn't think the Florence trip warranted a York MC trip report, so here are a few pictures and words about Scotland...
Ben Lawers
The weather wasn't amazing at the beginning of the trip, so we did some hillwalking, heading up Ben Lawers, then following the ridge round over 3 more Munros (An Stuc, Meall Garbh and Meall Greigh). It was a bit damp and very windy though...
Fingers Ridge (140m, Diff) - Coire an t'Sneachda
The weather was improving in the East, so we headed to the Cairngorms. It was still very windy though, so we didn't want to do anything too tricky, and chose Fingers Ridge, a nice little climb that I'd like to return to in winter (it gets IV, 4 ***).
Savage Slit (80m, Severe) - Coire an Lochain
This route is in 'Classic Rock' so it should be good, and it was! A massive wide crack in the corner of a pretty steep granite wall, it involved some very enjoyable Yorkshire gritstone style climbing, with nice rounded horizontal breaks in the walls on either side of the slit. Savage!
Opinan Slabs - Rubha Mor peninsula
A change in the weather meant we headed Northwest, and stayed in Aultbea for a couple of nights. We attempted to climb on Jetty Buttress (near Gruinard Bay) but got attacked by midges and retreated. Instead we found a nice little sea cliff with a number of good routes, all about 15m long and starting from a semi-tidal platform. The first recorded ascents were only in 1999, and we weren't convinced by the gradings - Precision Decision (HS 4b) had a move of about 4c/5a on it, and Old Salt (V Diff) was harder than Wrack and Tangle (Severe). All good fun though! After a while the tide came in though, so we had to stop for the day...
East Buttress (210m, Diff) - Beinn Eighe
My uncle Rob then came over to the NW for a day, and the three of us climbed the left-hand one of the amazing triple buttresses in Coire Mhic Fhearchair on Beinn Eighe. Great quality climbing on quartzite, with plenty of positive holds. From the top of the climb, we walked along the ridge to Spidean Coire nan Clach before heading back down to a nice dinner in the Kinlochewe Hotel.
Fisherfield - a bit more hillwalking...
We spent the night in Shenavall Bothy before setting off across some very boggy and midge-infested terrain towards Beinn Tarsuinn. It had been forecast to clear up through the day, and we were hoping for good views from the summits, but unfortunately it stayed cloudy and drizzly all day. There was also no wind, so there were midges even on the summits of Beinn Tarsuinn, Mullach Coire Mhic Fhearchair and Sgurr Ban! As we were descending Sgurr Ban it started to rain more heavily, so we decided we couldn't be bothered with the ex-Munro Beinn a' Chlaidheimh.
We found an interesting little shelter on the way down though!
Back to the Cairngorms - Ben Macdui via Crystal Ridge (120m, Diff) on Grey Man's Crag in Coire Sputan Dearg
Teaming up with Rob again, we walked up the goat track, past Hell's Lum, saw some great views of the Loch Avon basin and the Shelter Stone Crag, and dropped into Coire Sputan Dearg before climbing Crystal Ridge. Nice easy climbing on great quality granite led up to meet the path to Ben Macdui's summit.
Ardverikie Wall (180m, HS)
Maria and I then climbed what is possibly the best quality rock route we've ever done - the guidebook gives it four stars and it's worth every one! It takes a pretty direct line up a perfect granite slab in a beautiful location above Lochain Na h-Earba. Rob came along and took some great pictures of us while we were climbing - it's never easy taking good pictures while climbing or belaying so having a photographer with a good view of the route was great!
Observatory Ridge (500m, V Diff) - Ben Nevis
We then headed up to the Ben, and spent a couple of nights in the CIC hut - great accommodation at the foot of the impressive North face. We had hoped to get two or three days' climbing on the Ben, but the weather had other ideas, and we only managed one rather damp climb - Observatory Ridge. Still, it was a good quality route, and although I'm sure we would have moved quicker in the dry, it was perfectly doable with damp rock.
Three shaky bits of gear, tied together to make one decent belay!
After the second night at the CIC hut, we woke up to strong winds and rain, so after sitting around drinking tea for a while, we headed down to the car and drove back to York.
