REPORTS
Welcome to Cubby Images Climbing Reports. Each month we'll be adding reports to keep you up to date with the latest Scottish climbing news. - significant new routes and repeats, expeditions, events, competitions and much more. For future reference, all climbing reports will be archived at the bottom of this page. If you have any news you'd like share, please e-mail us info@cubbyimages.co.uk
Winter Round Up - no.2
Monday, January 10, 2005
In the run up to Christmas, three distinct snowfalls constitute the winter so far – the first two wee short lived and separated by total thaw, the third and most recent was widespread and the most substantial. During this period two excellent days coincided with the weekend of the 18th/19th of December and must have been appreciated by many. With a thaw set for the middle of that week and the return of colder more snowy weather over the festive season, the winter is beginning to look more promising.
Things were looking hopeful - the Buachaille, 18th December
Photo: Dave Cuthbertson
View to the Pap of Glencoe and Mamores beyond - 19th December
Photo: Jo George
Starting with the Cairngorms, in Sneachda Dave MacLeod and Scott Muir kicked off this season with a first winter ascent of Babes in the Wood at VIII,8. This summer E2 5b was much eyed, and the scene of a very near ascent a couple of years back by Graeme Ettle. Though short, the off-vertical granite provided Dave with a very tenuous pitch and a few exciting moments towards the top, which would appear to be the crux of the climb. The route was climbed ground-up and involved a fall on the previous weekend. This is a worthy addition and a harder companion to Nightline (VII,7), an area worth remembering when weather and conditions are wild elsewhere.
Dave MacLeod on the first winter ascent of Babes in the Wood, (VIII,8)
Photo: Dave Cuthbertson
Ben Vorlich. With snow down to the road and temperatures below freezing, a rare in-condition Logical Progression received its second ascent by Dave MacLeod. Dave flashed the route having watched Scott Muir working it. Unfortunately Scott popped off the finishing moves on the final red-point and didn’t recover in time before the next thaw stopped any further attempts. With the gear in-situ, Dave thought the grade to be M9.
On Stob Bhan in the Mamores, the Nisbet/ McGimpsey, Preston/Chelton teams climbed a mixed line to the left of North Ridge on the South Buttress with Banjo, 200m IV,4.
In the North West, Nisbet and McGimpsey climbed the leftmost of the three main ridges on the west face of An Sgurr (Seana Vhraigh), the other two having been climbed last winter. The route has been named Corrie Mulzie Rib, II.
On Christmas eve, temperatures plummeted yet again and on Christmas day snow fell down to sea level. Since then gale force winds and unseasonably high temperatures have made climbing both difficult and dangerous. I don’t think that I’ve ever witnessed a period of weather where temperatures and precipitation has fluctuated so wildly and unfortunately this would appear to be a present trend. The sensible ones however sought shelter at the Ice Factor where at least some ice was guaranteed, while the seasoned sensible ones headed to the Alps, Scandanavia and Canada where conditions are said to be superb.
Scott Muir setting some new routes at the Ice Factor
(It should be noted that for safety reasons leashless climbing is not permitted at the Ice Factor).
Photo: Dave Cuthbertson
Ben Cruachan. On the 18th December Iain Small and Jason Walker climbed a counter diagonal line to Noe Buttress Direct. The crux sporting a steep groove that was climbed on good ice at a respectable V,6. Small, this time with Chris Cartwright returned on the 28th December to brave some wild conditions. The pair followed the leftmost and steepest crackline to the left of In The Knoe with Fat Lip Fandango. At VII,7 the route is said to be bold, steep and technical requiring a very positive approach.
Today, Sunday the day after New Year, I drove into Glencoe primarily to test my new twenty year old Fiat Panda 4x4 (£450 on e-bay), which worked a treat. The wind howled across Rannoch Moor and I could see great plumes of powder lifting from the windward facets of the Buachaille and deposited on the East Face. Within half an hour the next thaw had set in, the snowline rose in front of my eyes. The sun roof leaked profusely and the single wiper struggled to shift the misery from the windscreen. All begged the question (as it always does at this time of year), what the hell am I doing here! A text comes through on the mobile… Happy New Year Cubby and Jo. In Austria boarding till the 8th, conditions ace, fresh snow every day, Cogne is amazing this year, Alps in good conditions, Scott.
Ah well, see you soon.
Cubby.
Some late news!
At Limekilns, Dave MacLeod has climbed a serious new route on the wall to the right of Iron Fist (as a rock route that is!). This had been given a projected grade of E9 by other interested parties but Dave has given it hard E7 6c. He comments however, you have two options at the crux if you don’t think you can do it – either take a fall onto a poor skyhook or leap backwards for a young tree and hope that it will yield slowly towards the ground!
Archived ReportsThings were looking hopeful - the Buachaille, 18th December
Photo: Dave Cuthbertson
View to the Pap of Glencoe and Mamores beyond - 19th December
Photo: Jo George
Starting with the Cairngorms, in Sneachda Dave MacLeod and Scott Muir kicked off this season with a first winter ascent of Babes in the Wood at VIII,8. This summer E2 5b was much eyed, and the scene of a very near ascent a couple of years back by Graeme Ettle. Though short, the off-vertical granite provided Dave with a very tenuous pitch and a few exciting moments towards the top, which would appear to be the crux of the climb. The route was climbed ground-up and involved a fall on the previous weekend. This is a worthy addition and a harder companion to Nightline (VII,7), an area worth remembering when weather and conditions are wild elsewhere.
Dave MacLeod on the first winter ascent of Babes in the Wood, (VIII,8)
Photo: Dave Cuthbertson
Ben Vorlich. With snow down to the road and temperatures below freezing, a rare in-condition Logical Progression received its second ascent by Dave MacLeod. Dave flashed the route having watched Scott Muir working it. Unfortunately Scott popped off the finishing moves on the final red-point and didn’t recover in time before the next thaw stopped any further attempts. With the gear in-situ, Dave thought the grade to be M9.
On Stob Bhan in the Mamores, the Nisbet/ McGimpsey, Preston/Chelton teams climbed a mixed line to the left of North Ridge on the South Buttress with Banjo, 200m IV,4.
In the North West, Nisbet and McGimpsey climbed the leftmost of the three main ridges on the west face of An Sgurr (Seana Vhraigh), the other two having been climbed last winter. The route has been named Corrie Mulzie Rib, II.
On Christmas eve, temperatures plummeted yet again and on Christmas day snow fell down to sea level. Since then gale force winds and unseasonably high temperatures have made climbing both difficult and dangerous. I don’t think that I’ve ever witnessed a period of weather where temperatures and precipitation has fluctuated so wildly and unfortunately this would appear to be a present trend. The sensible ones however sought shelter at the Ice Factor where at least some ice was guaranteed, while the seasoned sensible ones headed to the Alps, Scandanavia and Canada where conditions are said to be superb.
Scott Muir setting some new routes at the Ice Factor
(It should be noted that for safety reasons leashless climbing is not permitted at the Ice Factor).
Photo: Dave Cuthbertson
Ben Cruachan. On the 18th December Iain Small and Jason Walker climbed a counter diagonal line to Noe Buttress Direct. The crux sporting a steep groove that was climbed on good ice at a respectable V,6. Small, this time with Chris Cartwright returned on the 28th December to brave some wild conditions. The pair followed the leftmost and steepest crackline to the left of In The Knoe with Fat Lip Fandango. At VII,7 the route is said to be bold, steep and technical requiring a very positive approach.
Today, Sunday the day after New Year, I drove into Glencoe primarily to test my new twenty year old Fiat Panda 4x4 (£450 on e-bay), which worked a treat. The wind howled across Rannoch Moor and I could see great plumes of powder lifting from the windward facets of the Buachaille and deposited on the East Face. Within half an hour the next thaw had set in, the snowline rose in front of my eyes. The sun roof leaked profusely and the single wiper struggled to shift the misery from the windscreen. All begged the question (as it always does at this time of year), what the hell am I doing here! A text comes through on the mobile… Happy New Year Cubby and Jo. In Austria boarding till the 8th, conditions ace, fresh snow every day, Cogne is amazing this year, Alps in good conditions, Scott.
Ah well, see you soon.
Cubby.
Some late news!
At Limekilns, Dave MacLeod has climbed a serious new route on the wall to the right of Iron Fist (as a rock route that is!). This had been given a projected grade of E9 by other interested parties but Dave has given it hard E7 6c. He comments however, you have two options at the crux if you don’t think you can do it – either take a fall onto a poor skyhook or leap backwards for a young tree and hope that it will yield slowly towards the ground!
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