Saturday, July 25, 2009

Scald Law Ridge

We were just back from a great tour of the west coast of Scotland and to my astonishment, the good weather was still here in Edinburgh. My folks were still over from the IOM, so we wanted to make the most of the time with them too; this meant that we didn't want to travel too far to make the most of the weather. I had explored much of the Pentland Hills during my time in Edinburgh, but it struck me that I had never stood on top of Scald Law. Emily had never been up there either so she was keen on getting up there too.
Carnethy Hill summit looking northwest to Turnhouse Hill and Allermuir Hill
Carnethy Hill summit looking northwest to Turnhouse Hill and Allermuir Hill
We had a bit of a long lie, so we didn't set off that early but we had parked up at the Flotterstone Ranger Centre by midday and were soon on our way with our light packs. Being such a nice day, there were plenty of local Edinburgh folk out enjoying the hills and we met many a dog walker and mountain biker on our way up the tarmac road through the woods. We headed off the road to the left and through the gate to take the large track along the edge of the wood before crossing the river to the left. Now on the path heading west, we were certainly climbing now; straight up the steep grassy (muddy) slopes of Turnhouse Hill. It was certainly good training, and we paused under a small clump of trees, halfway up, to catch our breath. Another push and we were soon at the top. On our way we passed a number of 'tourists' who had clearly underestimated the scale of the undertaking that lay ahead of them and were now clearly struggling and contemplating retreat. Our reward was spectacular views over Edinburgh in every direction, as it was a superbly clear afternoon.
Scald Law from Carnethy Hill, Pentland Hills
Scald Law from Carnethy Hill, Pentland Hills
We headed along the ridge to the southwest and began to enjoy the easy walking on the soft, grassy turf. Great views down to the reservoirs to the north with the sun glistening on the chilly waters below. The gradient steepened a little to gain the summit of Carnethy Hill, where we looked across to the main event: Scald Law. We then had to loose over 120 metres in height to reach the bealach; much to Emily's disgust! It was a bit of a slog to the top but it wasn't long before we were triumphantly leaning on the trig point at the top and admiring more stunning views. We paused here for a bite, and while Emily munched down her piece, I ran over to bag South Black Hill just because... it was there.
Allermuir Hill above the Loganlea and Glencorse Reservoirs from Carnethy Hill, Pentland Hills
Allermuir Hill above the Loganlea and Glencorse Reservoirs from Carnethy Hill, Pentland Hills
After a nice rest and some catching of rays, we headed back down to the bealach to pick up the path heading down to The Howe. On reaching the road, we really regretted not bringing our bikes and dropping them off here before starting out on the route. On a bike, we would have been back at the car in no time. Nevertheless, we had a very enjoyable stroll along the by the water on our way back to Flotterstone; no rush, and back just in time to meet up with the folks for dinner. What a day.
Scald Law summit trig, looking north, Pentland Hills
Scald Law summit trig, looking north, Pentland Hills

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

An Cliseam

So far, the rain had limited our adventures on Harris and Lewis but today was forecast to be mostly sunshine with patch showers - certainly the best weather so far. The morning was a hot one, so we took the opportunity to head to Luskentyre beach and enjoy the sun. Herbie and I had our eye on the Clisham horseshoe but the entire ridge had been in cloud all morning. However, while we were having lunch on the beach, we watched as the clouds suddenly lifted. It's funny how a simple glance between two people can mean so much; we were straight into action - gear sorted and in the car heading back towards Tarbert. Just as we approached the parking bay at the side of the A859, the clouds reappeared and the heavens opened on us.
Herbie, ready to go!
Herbie, ready to go!
Undeterred, we merrily set off straight up the grassy slopes around Sron Carsacleit. Despite the rain, it was still rather warm; almost too warm for waterproofs... annoyingly warm. Herbie was super-excited, as this would be his first 'proper' summit in Scotland and he had been nagging me to take him up a hill for a while. As it was quite late in the day and the weather wasn't great, I knew we wouldn't be able to take in the entire horseshoe; instead we took the direct route.
Heading into the Clisham boulder field
Heading into the Clisham boulder field
Heading into the Clisham boulder field
Heading into the Clisham boulder field
We were going well and we gained a lot of height very quickly and we would have had a great view... but unfortunately we were well and truly in the mist and cloud. Just over half way up, the gradient steepened and we entered into the Clisham boulder field. It was a little tricky picking our way through the large rocks but it didn't slow us down too much, but some care was needed as the rocks were wet and slippery. On exiting the rocks, I picked up a well-trodden path heading straight up the last steep grassy section. The wind had picked up and we were being buffeted a little so it was hoods up and heads down for the final push to the top.
Soaked - glad to be at the top of Clisham
Soaked - glad to be at the top of Clisham
Clisham summit
Clisham summit
Herbie enjoying the rain at the top of Clisham
Herbie enjoying the rain at the top of Clisham
Looking north from the summit of Clisham, Harris
Looking north from the summit of Clisham, Harris
Looking south from the summit of Clisham, Harris
Looking south from the summit of Clisham, Harris
We found a large drystone circle surrounding the trig point at the top - we also found more cloud, lots of it in fact. No view, but spirits were high; Herbie was well chuffed and I was proud that he had made it to the top with ease. We took shelter and had a quick snack and just before we started to set off back down to the car, the cloud started to lift and we were treated to spectacular views all around Harris and Lewis. The clouds stayed away for the descent back down to the road and we held the grins on our faces all the way down. A great day with great company.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Kinlochewe to Sconser

Today, there would be no climbing or walking or biking... only driving. Luckily, it was through some of the best scenery there is; so not so bad.
Beinn Eighe, Torridon
Beinn Eighe, Torridon
We left Kinlochewe shortly after 9am and headed along the single-track road to Torridon. Almost immediately, we were treated to a spectacular view of Beinn Eighe to our right - amazing. When we reached Torridon, we turned of the main road and headed through the village and continued past Beinn Alligin towards Diabeg. If you're not a confident driver and don't really have a head for heights, then this isn't the road for you - you have been warned! I thought it was great fun, however, and there is a viewpoint at the highest point of the road that gives spectacular views down over Loch Torridon. After taking in the views, we headed back to the main road and continued on towards Lochcarron, before turning off onto the tourist route around the Applecross Peninsula - another crazy road in places. Once at the headland, we were treated to great views across Skye and Raasay. Unfortunately the mighty Cuillin were engulfed in thick cloud on this occasion - gutted.
Loch Torridon from Upper Diabeg
Loch Torridon from Upper Diabeg
Applecross Peninsula
Applecross Peninsula
Next was a quick lunch stop at the Applecross Inn for a pint of prawns and some crusty bread; highly recommended. Then it was time to head over the famous Bealach na Bà (once again: not for the fainthearted!). This I was most looking forward to, as I had heard so much about it. It didn't disappoint and the scenery is simply breathtaking - watch out for bikes! On our way down, Emily spotted some climbers on what looked like a huge multi-pitch route right up the nose of one of the buttresses. It looked simply awesome - one for the bucket list indeed.
Bealach na Bà
Bealach na Bà
Bealach na Bà
Bealach na Bà
Bealach na Bà
Bealach na Bà
Bealach na Bà
Bealach na Bà
Climbers at Bealach na Bà
Climbers at Bealach na Bà
Climbers at Bealach na Bà
Climbers at Bealach na Bà
The remainder of the drive was fairly uneventful but the scenery was still amazing and the rain had stayed away. Unfortunately, as we crossed over the Skye bridge, the Cuillin were still covered in cloud. We arrived at Sconser Lodge in time for an excellent dinner. Tomorrow evening we would take the Calmac ferry from Uig to Tarbert to explore Harris and Lewis.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Grass Crag, Gairloch

After a great start to the summer so far, my folks were due over for a couple of weeks holiday in July. They hadn't been very far north before so they fancied doing a bit of a road trip - with me as tour guide. Naturally, I was more than willing; as I never miss an excuse to go north for some outdoor action.
Our first day was spent driving to Kinlochewe from Glasgow; a lovely scenic drive but not forth mentioning here. We settled into our B+B and then made some plans for the next day. I was keen to show my folks Gairloch, as I knew it would be right up their street, and I was also keen to do some climbing (I had really got the bug after The Lakes, some bouldering and having just purchased some shiny gear). I had borrowed a copy of Scottish Rock - North and had just had a quick skim through the local area. Being new to trading, I didn't really want to try anything too daunting and I wasn't too clued up on anchors at the moment so I was a bit unsure about what we could do. But then I found Grass Crag, very close to Gairloch. A small sports crag with a short approach and some easier graded routes - perfect.
Grass Crag, Gairloch
Grass Crag, Gairloch
After exploring Gairloch in the sun and taking in a hot chocolate from the excellent Mountain Coffee Company, Emily and I set off to find this crag. We parked at the tip entrance on the right hand side of the road, as you head out of Gairloch towards Poolewe. We grabbed our gear an set off due northwest over the boggy terrain. After around 15 minutes of bog-slogging, we spotted the shiny bolts glinting in the sunlight - we had arrived!
Grass Crag, Gairloch
Grass Crag, Gairloch
We geared up and were soon ready to climb. We were focussed on the far right end of the crag - where the easy routes were. I set off leading Third and Final F5+ and it looked ok from the bottom. The rock was warm but rather harsh on the skin; fingertips especially. It was quite easy climbing and it didn't feel daunting in the slightest, considering it was my first sport lead in the outdoors. I was soon at the top and clipped into the lower-off... not to attempt the thread.
Grass Crag, Gairloch
Grass Crag, Gairloch
I recently invested in a copy of Libby Peter's excellent book: Rock Climbing - Essential Skills and Techniques and I had read up on what to do at the top of a sport climb with a lower-off. It was fairly straightforward but I just had to concentrate to make sure that I did everything in the right order. But it was nae bother and I was soon securely attached to my figure-of-eight on a bite of the rope and being lowered safely to the ground with a huge grin on my face :-D
Next it was Emily's turn. She had never climbed outside before but was super-keen to give it a try and she flew up it in no time at all - I was most impressed. With the rope still up, I thought it would be rude not to give something harder a shot on a bottom rope so I had a bash at Kick Ass Yoga F6a+. This felt a lot harder than what we had just done and I struggled up to the top but ticked it nonetheless - happy with that.
Grass Crag, Gairloch
Grass Crag, Gairloch
We packed up and headed back to the car and then met up with my folks at The Old Inn for some excellent grub. I was nice to share and reflect on our afternoon at the crag over good food and with good company. When we headed outside later on, we saw that the sun was heading towards the horizon and that it was going to be a spectacular sunset that evening. We headed back to Kinlochewe and I remembered from the Cycling Project last year, that there was a fantastic viewpoint just a wee bit up the road from Kinlochewe.
We made it there just in time to snap a few amazing pictures of the sunset - what an end to a great day.
Sunset over Loch Maree
Sunset over Loch Maree

Friday, July 10, 2009

First Trad Climbing Rack - New Shiny Stuff!

Today... the postman came!
After purchasing my first set of nuts during our trip to The Lakes and leading my first Trad route, I was keen to get more climbing done over the summer. For that, I was going to need a bit more than a set of wires...
I had a bit of extra cash and I figured it was a good investment in the long term so I started shopping around online for the best deals on a basic Trad rack. I shopped around, but I still couldn't beat TheOutdoorShop.com on price, and their service has always been excellent. I got the usual selection of Dyneema slings of various lengths, and I already had a set of Wild Country Classic Rock Set, so all I really had to get was some screwgates, hexes and quick draws.
In the end I went for a set of 10 Wild Country Wild Wire quick draws of various lengths. I went for these mainly for the price - they were the cheapest ones I could find by a well-known brand. Again, because of the price, I went for a set of Wild Country Rockcentric Dyneema hexes. For the screwgates, I opted for Wild Country Synergy Lite Keylock Screwgates. To rack everything, I also bought a 5 pack of the Wild Country Oxygen Straight Gates - mainly because of the price (cheap) but also because they were straight gates rather than wire gates so hopefully the nose wouldn't snag on anything in my inexperienced hands!
I'm happy with what I've purchased for now as a starting point, so now I'm super-excited to try it out on some real rock!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Blackford Bouldering

After an amazing week in The Lakes, I was super keen to climb as much as possible this summer. During the trip, Adam had suggested that I try a bit of bouldering at Blackford Glen on Agassiz Rock. Keen to make this my local crag, Emily and I set off after work with a couple of school bouldering mats into Blackford Glen. I had purchased a copy of the excellent guide book: Bouldering in Scotland and a bit of our local knowledge helped us find the crag in no time at all. The guide book and the ScottishClimbs page show diagrams of some of the illuminate (harder!) problems but I found them quite hard to pick out, to be honest. I stuck to the traverse problem: High Traverse F6b**
Agassiz Rock, Blackford
Agassiz Rock, Blackford
Agassiz Rock, Blackford
Agassiz Rock, Blackford
It was quite hard, I thought! Obviously not having climbed outside much wasn't doing me any favours, and the rock was quite harsh on the skin... to say the least! I had a few goes on it but couldn't quite get through the middle part, so I decided to split it up into two. The first section was easy and was mostly good jugs with polished footholds. The second half, from left to right, is on smaller holds and some slopers. I found the crux was moving from the high first section to the lower second part. I just couldn't make the link. Ah well... I would be back... hopefully frequently!
Climbing Hands, Blackford
Climbing Hands, Blackford

Sunday, July 5, 2009

GWC Climbing Club Trip 2009 - The Lakes

I had been looking forward to this trip for as long as I care to remember and now it was finally here! We met at school on Monday morning and loaded up the vans with kids and kit and headed South down the M6. Our destination was The Lakes; Buttermere Hostel to be precise. However, before we could get very far, we suddenly realised that we hadn't packed the reel of rigging rope. A quick stop, some chat and a quick u-turn later; Richard T and I headed back to GWC. The remainder of the group headed onto Keswick for lunch. In the end, as it turned out, we made good time and weren't too far behind. We had soon left the M6 at the Penrith junction and were heading towards Keswick on the A66. The sun was shining and we were treated to a splendid view of Blencathra. As this was my first trip to The Lakes, I was amazed by the scenery and knew that I would be back to take in some of the many hills.
Richard T sealing the lengths of rigging rope, Langdale
Richard T sealing the lengths of rigging rope, Langdale
Chapel Stile from Raven Crag, Langdale
Chapel Stile from Raven Crag, Langdale
Our first climbing venue was Dalt Quarry and our instructors for the week were Adam and Mhari. It was only a short walk in to the Quarry and the top ropes were up in no time at all. The group had a range of experience and aged from 12 to 18 years old. Some had climbed a little on outside rock, while others had not. A quick survey soon revealed that none of them had ever climbed on slate before - and neither had I so I was really looking forward to giving it a try. It was a great intro venue that Adam had chosen; with lots of easy routes to practice (not) smearing on the slate. The kids really enjoyed it and it was the perfect start to the trip. The heat was relentless however, so we didn't stay too late and we heard that the weather-men were predicting a heat wave for the rest of the week! Hungry and thursty, we headed for the hostel to get settled in.

In the morning, Adam took us to Raven Crag near Chapel Stile in Langdale. This was a high crag close to the road that gave the kids the opportunity to try some longer and harder routes. We happened to have a massive 70m rope that Adam used to bottom rope one of the longer classics in the middle of the crag - much to our amusement. Before this however, Richard T and I were tasked with cutting the rigging rope to length. This was quite difficult due to the lack of space on the tiny country lane and we had to resort to laying the rope out on the road whilst checking for approaching traffic! Job done, we were keen to get on some of the classics at the crag. The climbing was excellent; but some of the younger ones were a bit intimidated by the height of the climbs. After lunch, we had a play on the Chapel Stile Boulders. The kids jumped on everything and showed great spirit, while Adam and Mhari tried a tricky looking traverse problem that was waaay out of our league but great to watch. The day was capped off with ice cream in Ambleside.
Raven Crag, Langdale
Raven Crag, Langdale
Raven Crag, Langdale
Raven Crag, Langdale

Wednesday was our 'rest' day from climbing and Richard T had canoeing planned for us. As this was the hottest day so far, we were glad we weren't climbing in the heat. It gave the kids a chance to blow off a little steam and try something different and they seemed to get a lot out of the day. That evening, Adam, Mhari and Richard T took the 4 older lads to Moss Crags in the Honister Pass so that they could have a go at seconding on some trad routes. The lads had showed Adam that they were super keen and quite sensible so he was more than willing to help them progress with their climbing skills. Richard G and I took the remainder of the group down to the lakeside at Buttermere for some Ultimate Frisbee - awesome!
Buttermere at dusk
Buttermere at dusk
Buttermere at dusk
Buttermere at dusk
Buttermere
Buttermere
The next morning we headed to Shepherds Crag, via the cafe... of course! I was rather excited about this particular crag because I had heard and read so much about it and it certainly lived up to all the hype. Adam and Mhari quickly rigged a bunch of bottom ropes in the Brown Slabs area and the kids were straight on the routes and tearing them to shreds. Then it was our turn and I have to say: the quality of the climbing was excellent and highly enjoyable; as expected. Adam and Mhari took some of the older kids to learn how to second a trad route and then we moved the bottom ropes to the Jackdaw Ridge area - also highly enjoyable. Adam then took two of the older lads to have a go at their first trad lead on Little Chamonix - an incredible opportunity for them. Later we called in to the cafe again and topped off an amazing day with a refreshing dip in the cool waters of Buttermere. A truly memorable day of adventure.

The forecast for Friday was for it to be a wet one. Adam's plan was to take us to Headend Quarry, as he said we could get lots done in the morning; even with the threat of rain. Sure enough, the clouds gathered but the rain held off for quite a while and Adam and Mhari had a bunch of bottom ropes set up in no time. The kids jumped on and quickly set about dispatching everything in sight. Adam then pre-placed some runners for the older lads to have a go at clipping them on lead; which they really enjoyed. Meanwhile, I had my own mission in mind; my first trad lead. Adam suggested that Richard G could lead something easy, then I could second him up but leave his runners in place. Then I could lead it and place my own gear but also clip into his runners for extra safety - a sensible plan I thought! A few days ago we had made a quick visit to the excellent Needle Sports in Keswick and I had purchased a set of Wild Country Classic Rocks. This was the first piece of trad gear I had ever owned and the plan was to build on that and add to it. Obviously I was very keen to put them to use and it was a great opportunity with Adam and Mhari around to keep an eye on things. Richard had picked out Soap Gut (Severe). Adam laughed and said that it was probably the dirtiest line at the crag but that it would be fine. Rich was soon at the top of the route and had placed 4 nuts on the way up. I swiftly followed, un-clipping as I went; it was rather dirty! Happy with that, I hopped to the bottom of the crag, tied in and I was off. My tactics were to clip Rich's runner before placing any nuts of my own. I soon discovered, however, that Rich had certainly picked the best of the placements and I struggled to get more than two of my own rocks in. I was soon at the top and Adam had already prepared anchors for me. Rich soon followed after me and grinned all the way at the poorness of my nut placements! Still chuffed with my first trad lead though; that was me grinning for the rest of the day! It was just then that the heavens opened and we packed up and made a dash for the vans. Late afternoon was spent wandering in Keswick and a trip to the cinema with the group later that evening... another fantastic day.

We only had the morning for some climbing before we headed home on the Saturday afternoon so Adam suggested that we cram in some final bouldering with the kids. Our first stop was at Honister Boulders, just up the road. The sun was out and everyone had great fun trying a number of problems. Once again, Adam and Mhari stole the show by completing one of the harder traverses. We then made a stop at The Bowderstone (more for historical reasons!). It was soon pretty clear that none of us would be able to climb anything on this massive boulder so we decided to have lunch instead; while Mhari got stuck into a problem that she had her eye on. But it was great that we were able to show the kids and give them a bit of climbing history chat. After lunch it was time for the long drive back to Edinburgh and time to reflect on a fantastic week in The Lakes.
Adam on one of the Honister Boulders
Adam on one of the Honister Boulders
Honister Boulders
Honister Boulders
Honister Boulders, Honister Pass
Honister Boulders, Honister Pass
GWC at Honister Boulders, Honister Pass
GWC at Honister Boulders, Honister Pass
The Bowderstone
The Bowderstone
Picnic at The Bowderstone
Picnic at The Bowderstone