Continuing on from what was a rather dramatic end to the winter we were then subjected to, not just the lambing snows but then the cuckoo snows, each providing a very substantial covering. A few diehards took advantage of the extended season but by that time, late April to early May, I think the majority of Scottish climbers had adjusted their mindset to rock climbing again. Of interest however, on Creag Meagaidh the coldest day of the season was recorded there – a wind chill factor of between minus 17 and minus 20. I can vouch for that as I was in the coire that day myself and believe me it was cold – not a soul to be seen though!!


Julian Lines continuing to do what he does best of all - seen here soloing Menghini (E1 5b), Garbh Beinn.

Well, the rock climbing season got off to an excellent start, especially in the west and north where all the crags were tinder dry although it was a little bit cold for climbing on the mountains. There is a surprisingly little in the way of new route activity to report from the Spring, no doubt due to the changeable weather experienced by the more populated areas of the Central belt. Having said that, I do know of some covert developments taking place in the Outer Isles but as we all know how paranoid new routers can be, I’m afraid I’m sworn to secrecy.

Dave MacLeod makes the 2nd ascent of Kelpie (E6 6b), Garbh Beinn - one of the last of Hamilton's 80's test pieces to finally receive a repeat ascent.

First up some sport climbing news. In the North-West, south of Ullapool, Lawrence Hughes dispensed with an excellent 7c on a newly developed sport climbing venue, details of which I am apparently not allowed to disclose but I’m sure you’ll learn of its whereabouts in due course. Further south in Perthshire, Tom Bolger has succeeded where numerous others haven’t, on the second ascent of Dave MacLeod’s Hurly Burly, graded 8b at Birnam near Dunkeld. Over on the west at Dumbuck, Rob Sutton another southerner resident in Glasgow, repeated Voodoo Magic, 8b as did Alan Cassidy, bringing the total number of ascents to six and the most climbed 8b in Scotland, albeit a short one.


When not climbing Lawrence Hughes wears protective clothing, Burberry cap and Elvis-style sun glasses - kitted up prior to taking on the big hill north of Ullapool! .... "this hill is so sweet, you just push off get tucked down and just thunder down all theway into Ullapool"....

Fresh back from Spain, an on form Trevor Woods flashed Silk Purse (7c+) at Cave Crag, Dunkeld, while at Steall in Gen Nevis, and sort of following in the footsteps of his mother (Alison Hargreaves), sixteen year old Tom Ballard made an early possible 3rd or 4th ascent of Leopold (8a/8a+). Tom and dad, Jim, have adopted Glen Nevis as their local playground which has resulted in an unpresidented number of new boulder problems, so much so that Tom’s written a guide. See Jo’s article for more info.

While we’re on the subject of bouldering - the crisp, cold Spring weather has provided excellent conditions for bouldering with MacLeod taking full advantage to complete Perfect Crime at Dumbarton, and at Font 8b he has scored another first in Scottish bouldering. The thirty-move problem traverses the cave beneath the BNI boulder, emerging to finish up Sabotage (in itself and 8a+). The sequence is so complicated that even an interested Malcolm Smith preferred to have the beta. Now resident in Glasgow, Malcolm and Dave are symbiotically working another long link starting to the right of Pongo Sit Start, utilising that route, reversing In Bloom and finishing up Slab Happy. This time it was Malcolm who came out on top with Super Size Me and another 8b ticked. Also at Dumbarton, Tom Bolger made the third ascent of King Kong, Font 8a. While on a recent trip to the Isle of Lewis, Dave MacLeod added a quality problem at Port Niss with Lip Service (Font 7b+). This starts on the same ledge as Trace Elements and follows the lip rightwards to its end involving some tenuous heel hooking. And on the way back to the ferry in Glen Scaladale, Hard Line (Font 7a+) was added to a small overhung boulder beneath the road. Other esoteric bouldering developments have been taking place in Glen Coe and Glen Etive, details of which will be covered in a feature by Jo on this website. For more bouldering developments and news I would recommend looking at the Scottish Climbs website and John Watson’s Stone Country website which is dedicated to bouldering.


Malc Smith on In Bloom, an intregal part of the link Super Size Me (Font 8b), Dumbarton Rock.

After a winter in Spain Trevor Woods has put his new found fitness to good effect in the Outer Isles, adding two new routes on Pabbay and one on Mingulay. At the undercut wall at Guersay Mor, climbing with Gary Latter, the pair established a four pitch route called One Foot Over a Fulmars Nest (105m, E5 6a, 5b, 5c, 6a). Trev described the route as magnificent with a totally “out there” final pitch which climbs through a succession of spectacular sculptured, Sardinesque roofs. By contrast, Lipo Suction (E5 6a) takes a twenty metre crack across the lip of a roof to provide some graunchy climbing. On Pabbay, poor weather and wet conditions denied the same pair an ascent of the Great Arch (by the Welsh Variant, which avoids the top roof). Despite Trev comfortably completing the crux of the route he described the bottomless slot as “minging” and decided to turn back. Oh well, there’s always another day! On the spectacular overhanging Pink Wall, the same pair again forged a super direct between the Bonxie and A Comorant’s Out Of The Question to give Huffin and Puffin (E6 6b, 6b). Trev described the route as really excellent and sustained, with good protection where needed although a little run out in parts. Elsewhere on Pabbay in the Bay Area, Niall McNair and Ali Robb added the Herbaloner (E6 6b), which is essentially a bold start and independent finish to the Herbrodean! On Hoofers Geo, Honey Trap (E5 6a) is a counter diagonal to More Lads and Mollasses and described by Niall as superb. A number of other one pitch routes were added, including an E6 to the right of Spit in Paradise by Paul Thorburn and Rick Campbell. I have no further details at the moment as this team are currently out on the Isle of Lewis.


Dave MacLeod headpoints the first ascent of Flock Talk (E8 6c), Dalbeg, Lewis.

During an earlier visit to Lewis while on holiday with his wife Clare, MacLeod managed to find time to establish the first E8 on the Outer Isles with Whirlwind, E8 6c. The route is located on the Upper Tier of Screaming Geo and follows the incipient crack to the left of In The Shop which is known as the Y Y unclimbed crack as described in the guidebook – talk about on a plate! Dave failed to on-sight the line back in 2003, although he did climb the initial bold E6 6b section. He then reversed it with the intention of returning at a later date. However Dave succumbed to working the route on a top-rope but couldn’t make any links on that occasion. This year he top-roped it first go and head-pointed the line five days later during the first available break in unsettled weather. Although the start is serious, the main difficulties are concentrated in the upper half, culminating in the final move which is the crux at 6c. Ironically, the name comes from the epic experienced while stripping the route in stormy weather! On a more recent trip this time on Dalbeg Buttress, Dave established another E8 6c. Once again this was attempted on-sight back in 2003, but on that occasion he got no where on the bouldery crux. On the head-point, having instructed his belayer to sprint if he came off the crux, Dave got it first go much to everyone’s relief. The route is called Flock Talk. As a measure of their difficulty, both E8’s would be given an equivalent sport grade of 8a. And over on Bernera, Scott Muir found space between the showers to establish Deepest Blue (E2 5c) which climbs the left arête of Conception Corner.


Between the showers, Scot Muir makes the first ascent of Deepest Blue (E2 5c), Bernera, Lewis.

Back on the mainland on Beinn a Mhuinidh in the North-West, Andy Nisbet and Ross Jones have added a three pitch Severe to the Waterfall Buttress with Blanco, which is 100m long and given two stars by a normally very conservative Andy! On neighbouring Bonaid Dhonn, Superbug, (85m VS 4a,4b) takes a direct line up clean slabs left of the Virus Corner, while Netsky (HVS 4c,4c(5b) follows a bolder line of slabs right of the big corner of Virus. Incidentally, this is a generally neglected area with some spectacular climbing. Vertigo at HVS is the established classic on clean, good quality quartzite.The adjacent E3 is said to boost a particularly fine top pitch but unfortunately is slow to dry, while North by North West, Paul Thorburn’s test piece from 1997 is still unrepeated at E7.

Over on Loch Torridon, Nisbet and Jones climbed two routes on the prominent buttress left of the big roofed corner in the main cliff of Hairpin Crag. Man-eating Troll (HVS 5b) climbs a bottomless narrow groove and crack above, while Speckled Frog (VS 4c) takes the wider more obvious groove to its right.

At Rubha Reidh, Ross Jones with various partners, predominately Carlos Las Heras, has been very busy exploring the vast array of sea stacks, arches and caves on the coastline north of Gairloch. Three areas in particular have yielded a number of climbs, graded between Moderate and E1, generally one pitch in length and almost certainly in the adventurous mould. These areas are; the cliffs and stacks to the north and south of Port Erradale and the stacks to the east of the lighthouse at Rubha Reidh. Given there esoteric and adventurous nature, I’m not entirely certain that there will be a mad rush to repeat these climbs. However as a one time self confesses lover of the occasional loose hold myself, I have every respect for their sense of exploration. Ross Jones described the area south of Port Erradale as “a hidden gem of beautiful small bays, arches, caves and two fine stacks”, and certainly sounds worth a visit. For more details on these and other climbs I would recommend referring to the new routes section of the forthcoming SMC Journal.


Carlos Las Heras on the first ascent of Society of Whispers (E2 5b/c), Whispering Buttress, Fuar Tholl.
Photo: with thanks to Ross Jones.

South of Edinburgh by The Souter , Niall McNair and Tom Charles Edwards found a solution to the unclimbed groove as described in the Lowlands Outcrop guide with Cut Foot Island (E4 5c) on Blockbuster Crag. And finally back up at Upper Cave Crag, Dunkeld, Niall this time with Ian Small, established the Gnomes of Passion (E5 6b) which climbs the wall left of Laughing Gnome.

Congratulations to Alan Hinkes who successfully climbed his last 8000m peak with Kachenjunga, thereby becoming the first Brit to complete all the 8000ers.


Alan Hinkes in training for the 8000'ers - Aonach Mor!

And sadly, and in a rather bizarre twist, the American/Scott, Rob Milne died suddenly while high on Everest this May. Rob was seen to be going very well above 8400m, showing no signs of strain when, after a short rest he suffered a fatal stroke. Everest was Rob’s last hurdle in an attempt to climb the Seven Summits and was part of an overall plan to complete the Corbets and Donalds all in the same year. Rob had always been a popular and very enthusiastic figure on the Scottish climbing scene, especially in winter where he played an active and supportive role in the mixed climbing revival of the 70’s and 80’s. Perhaps unknown to the climbing world, Rob was something of an icon within the computing industry and highly respected globally. Originally from Montana in the US, he was financed by the American government to study computing at Edinburgh Uni, where he finished a PHd. He returned to the US and was chief scientist at the Pentagon for the next 3-4 years. After that he moved back to Scotland and started his own business. Apparently within the computing world, the term artificial intelligence (AI) is widely disliked so Rob came up with a twist and called his new business Intelligent Applications. Those who know him will be aware of his recent financial success but it was not an overnight affair and took considerable time and effort. It would appear that the icing on the cake was a software package designed by Rob and used to operate gas turbines which are in use all over the world. But mountaineering had always been his great passion in life. He was one of the few climbers I knew who didn’t appear to suffer or suggest an aggressive, competitive or obsessive approach in his climbing., rather, he was simply always there to go climbing regardless of the venue or itinerary. He wasn’t without focus however. In 1975 (in his teens), Rob was part of a successful expedition which made the first ascent of the long North East Ridge of Mount Vancouver and hinting of a desire to scale the big mountains. In 1978, a successful trip to the Kichatna Spires in Alaska followed. The North Face of the Eiger in 1980 and Denali. In 1984, he was part of a highly successful trip, with Galen Rowall to make the first ascent of the impressive granite spires on Lukpillabrakk in the Biafo region of the Karakorum. His love of the outdoors never waned and he continued to be an active member of the SMC (he was also a member of the American Alpine Club and The Alpine Club) in his typically understated, yet proud manner right up until Everest. His enthusiastic chit chat will be greatly missed by all those who knew and climbed with him.

Cubby

all photos Cubby Images unless otherwise credited.