Stone Valley Crags - 2nd to 4th June 2011

We headed back up from the lakes on the promise of some decent weather in the far North-West. We headed up to the lovely campsite near Kinlochewe. We spent 3 days climbing at the Stone Valley Crags. Roddy joined us for two of the days.
We put up a number of apparently new routes on a wee crag, when our intended crag was seeping:

Flowerdale Beag

(NG 868 719) Alt. 270m South-West Facing

Approach: As for Flowerdale Wall. This crag is just below and slightly to the left of Flowerdale Wall. It provides short routes suitable for novices.

Descent: Walk off to the right.

Too Windy for Blood Suckers 10m Severe. J. Northover, S. Macfarlane. 2^nd June 2011.

An eliminate up the wall between Cracking On and Central Crack. Use of either crack is not permitted for holds. Central Crack may be required for gear by the less bold.

Rowan wall 10m Severe. S. Macfarlane, J. Northover. 2^nd June 2011.

An eliminate up the wall to the right of Central Crack. The use of Central Crack and the crack line to the right is not permitted for holds or gear.

Cracking On 10m Very Difficult. J. Northover, S. Macfarlane. 2^nd June 2011.

The first crack line left of Central Crack.

Central Crack 10m Very Difficult. S. Macfarlane, J. Northover. 2^nd June 2011.

The most obvious and central crack line.

Wanting something a little more challenging we moved further up the valley, although our intended route wasn't much meatier, despite the gorgeous rock!

The Valley Walls

(NG 868 719) Alt. 270m. South-West facing

Approach: As per guidebook.

Descent: Walk off to the right.

Windy Cracks 15m Severe. S. Macfarlane, J. Northover. 2^nd June 2011.

In the bay beyond Three Stepped Slab is a short steep crack. Climb this and move slightly left to another hidden crack that continues to the top. The bottom crack is severe and the upper crack Difficult.

Evening sun on the Bonaid Dhonn (Brown Bonnet) with Slioch, to the left, a golden glow above Loch Maree.

Some suberb climbing here on impeccable rock (gneiss)

Here you get an idea of the scale of the longer routes

Roddy making short work of the worryingly named 'Cheesegrater'

While Stuart takes on the alarming 'Touch and Go'

What a view, with Beinn Alligin in the distance

'Bald Eagle', one of the best continuous lines here

A belay with a view. Thanks for this, and other, pics Roddy!

Next new route (or start to route, too irresistable to resist!):

Stone Valley Crag

(NG 868 717) Alt. 250m. South Facing

Arete Direct 25m VS 4c. J. Northover, R. Mackenzie, S. Macfarlane. 3^rd June 2011. 

To the right of the prominent corner of Updraught is an arete. Climb the arete direct and continue to the top. This route joins onto Updraught but is a more direct start.

Jeanie on the lead (left) then belaying Stuart

Borrowdale, Lakes - 29th to 31st May 2011

We had a weeks holiday ahead of us but unfortunately the weather forecast didn't seem great anywhere. We opted for a few days down in the lakes to begin with. In general whilst in Borrowdale it rained in the morning and cleared to a lovely afternoon and evening.

Kirrie Hill - 22nd May 2011

A poor forecast for the weekend. On the Sunday we headed up to Kirriemuir via a garden centre to climb at Kirrie Hill. It's a sports climbing venue that dries very quickly and is sheltered from the westerly winds. Just as well as it was very windy. The Sandstone rock did dry very quickly and most of the climbs were on dry rock.

Stone Valley Crags - 1st May 2011

A weekend with Elke and Roddy, and our first visit to the Stone Valley Crags...and now we can't stay away!!

The gang, with our playground in the distance 

Elke setting off

Jeanie topping out on 'Rum Doodle Arete'; and adding what may be a new and harder  finish to the route, submitted as:

Rum Doodle Crag

 

(NG 867 717) Alt. 220m. South Facing

Rum Doodle Arete – Variation finish VS 4c. J. Northover, S. Macfarlane. 1^st May 2011.

Rather than walk off or climb a straightforward groove on the left a better finish is to climb the steep crack of the back wall.

Up at Flowerdale Crag we were bothered by annoying little flies that kept buzzing around us and settling on our skin. Only later did we discover that we were both badly bitten with trickles of black, dry blood from our arms (Stuart) and face and neck (Jeanie). This resulted in large magenta patches over the next week. We've been completely unable to identify these insects.

 

And to make matters worse, while Stuart and I had to dash back down the road on the Sunday evening, Elke and Roddy got to drive off into the beautiful sunset for lovely food in Gairloch and the promise of brilliant weather for their day off on Monday!

East Buttress, Beinn Eighe - 30th April 2011

We were up in Torridon again, on an amazingly dry, sunny weekend. Our goal for years had been a route on the Triple Buttresses of Beinn Eighe and finally the conditions matched our availability! Unfortuantely this was also the weekend of a horrendous fire in the mountains which caused much devastation in surrounding areas.

After a long walk in, the Triple Buttresses loom up above the lovely Corrie Mhic Fhearchair. While a lovely day, the buttresses are north facing and, together with the high wind which had buffetted us around in the corrie and sent up large waves in the loch, this lent  a somewhat forbidding atmosphere

The crazed appearance of the rock (quartzite above an optional first pitch of Torridonian sandstone), while providing wonderful holds, also meant a lot of loose material on the ledges. Great care was in order...

We chose the 'Ordinary Route' on the East Butress, climbable in big boots. A highly satisfying 200m at Diff grade. Climbers to our right, doing a VS, sent a block crashing down - without harm. We were keen to move fast on this route as we didn't want any climbers going above us! 

Below in the boulders are the atmospheric scattered remains of an ancient aircraft

I somehow managed to end up with the most satisfying pitches...sorry Stuart!!

And the climb just went on...and on...

What a fabulous view, looking down into the corrie and loch below the hulking Sail Mhor

Up on the plateau the moss was like a tinder box. We went on to do the munro tops (Ruadh-stac Mor and Spidean Coire nan Clach) before a long descent to the south. A BIG day, but what a day!

Easter weekend at Reiff - 22nd to 25th April 2011

A club weekend staying at the newly (almost!) opened campsite at the Am Fuaran pub in Altandu, punctuated by beautiful weather, great company and great food at the bar

 

The exciting Black Rocks area, reached by abseil (below)

Always atmospheric at Reiff, with the sparkling sea and crashing waves. I had actually gone flying at one point, trying to dodge the waves to cross slippery rock to the start of the climbs. Result? Grazed hands, knee and pride