Gary Latter

the best Mountain, crag, sea cliff & sport cliMbing in scotland

Volume 2 North12 ISLE OF SKYE13 APPLECROSS14 TORRIDON15 GAIRLOCH16 COIGACH & ASSYNT17 SUTHERLAND18 CAITHNESS19 LEWIS & HARRIS20 PABBAY & MINGULAY21 ORKNEY

Fort William

Stornoway

Scrabster

Ullapool

Mallaig

Wick

Stromness

Lerwick

ZeebruggeRosyth

Prestwick

Stirling

Perth

Ardrossan

Brodick

Kirkwall

Tarbert

Uig

Castlebay

ObanCrianlarich

Arrochar

Newtonmore

Aberfeldy

CallanderCallander

Aviemore

BallaterBraemar

GREAT GLE

N F

AULT

HIGHLAND

BOUNDARY

FAULT

Lochinver

Kinlochbervie

0

0

50km

30 miles

Craignure

OvERvIEW MAP

vOLUME 1 SOUTH01 ISLE OF ARRAN02 THE ARROCHAR ALPS03 ISLE OF MULL04 GLEN COE & GLEN ETIvE05 ARDGOUR06 ARDNAMURCHAN07 GLEN NEvIS08 BEN NEvIS09 CENTRAL HIGHLANDS10 CAIRNGORMS11 EASTER ROSS

vOLUME 2 NORTH12 ISLE OF SKYE13 APPLECROSS14 TORRIDON15 GAIRLOCH16 COIGACH & ASSYNT17 SUTHERLAND18 CAITHNESS19 LEWIS & HARRIS20 PABBAY & MINGULAY21 ORKNEY

MILD STANDARD HARD

E2 The Pillar Steeple Shibboleth & True FinishTorro Club Crack SpockPlague of Blazes The Bat Swastika

E3 Cougar Temple of Doom Quality StreetRuff Licks Delayed Attack The ClearancesCrackattack Titan’s Wall Edgehog

E4 Freak-Out Osiris Cupid’s BowRat Race The Banana Groove The Lost ArkThe Fuhrer Sugar Cane Country Voyage of the Beagle

E5 Lady Charlotte Thor CosmopolitanRest and be Thankful Ling Dynasty SlartibartfastThe Risk Business The Raven Agrippa

E6 Edge of Extinction Cannibal Wild CountryThe Improbability Drive The Bonxie KelpieFlodden Major-domo The Screaming Abdabs

E7 Buddha Romantic Reality The Realm of the SensesThe Scoop Aphrodite Longhope RouteDalriada Arcadia Fascist Groove Thang

MILD STANDARD HARD

M Curved Ridge Collie’s Route Afterthought ArêteA’Chir Ridge Dubhs Ridge Pygmy RidgeBroad Buttress East Ridge, In Pin

D Tower Ridge The Gutter The Great RidgeNorth Buttress Final Selection Quiver Rib

Clach Glas-Bla Bheinn

VD North-East Buttress Agag’s Groove Cioch NoseObservatory Ridge Squareface Savage SlitTystie Slab Sou’wester Slabs Arrow Route

S Great Ridge Direct Start January Jigsaw IntegrityCioch West Archer Ridge Direct Eagle Ridge

Punster's Crack Ardverikie Wall

VS Butterknife Spartan Slab Whither WetherThe Clean Sweep The Long Climb DjibangiRainmaker South Ridge Direct The Chasm

HVS Route 3 The Magic Crack The BullroarThe Snake Bludger’s Revelation CenturionVulcan Wall Storm A Likely Story

E1 Minus One Direct The Big Top Yo-YoDragon Unicorn The NeedleTrophy Crack Grey Panther The Long Reach

BENCHMARK GRADESBelow is a table of ‘benchmark routes’ typifying the classic route of any particular grade, with routes considered mild, standard and hard within that grade.

01

10

0905

03

04

0708

02

111213

14

15

16

17

21

18

19

2006

EDINBURGH

INvERNESS

GLASGOW

ABERDEEN

DUNDEE

Volume 2 North

Gary Latter

First published in Great Britain 2009 by Pesda PressGaleri 22, Doc Victoria,Caernarfon, GwyneddLL55 1SQWales

Copyright © 2009 Gary LatterISBN 978-1-906095-07-9

The Author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

Maps by Bute Cartographics.Printed and bound in Poland.www.polskabook.pl

2 Contents

IntRoDUCtIon 4

IsLe oF sKYe 10BLA BHeInn 18

The Great Prow 18

CLACH GLAs 20

CoRUIsK 21Mad Burn Buttress 21Coruisk Hut Crag 22Sgurr Dubh Mor 22Coir’-Uisg Buttress 23

stRAtHAIRD 24Schoolhouse Buttress 24Suidhe Biorach 24

sGURR nAn GILLeAn 27

AM BAsteIR 28

sGURR DeARG 29The Inaccessible Pinnacle 29

sRon nA CICHe 31Western Buttress 32Cioch Buttress 33Cioch & Cioch Slab 35Cioch Upper Buttress 38Eastern Buttress 40

sGURR sGUMAIn 44

CoIR’ A’ GHRUnnDA 46

sGURR MHIC CHoInnICH 49Coireachan Ruadha Face 49Bealach Buttress 51

KILt RoCK AReA 53Elishader Wall 54Kilt Rock 55South of Tempest Buttress 58Tempest Buttress 58Chimney Stack Area 59Fallen Pillars Area 60

stAFFIn sLIP BUttResses 61

Staffin Slip North 61Staffin Slip South 62South Buttress 64

RUBHA HUnIsH 65Meall Tuath 65Meall Deas 67

neIst 68Upper Crag – South Sector 69Financial Sector 70

Tower Gully Buttress 73The Green Lady 73Poverty Point 74Destitution Point 76An t-Aigeach 78Bay 1 79Bay 2 79Bay 3 80Bay 4 82Cumhann Geodha 82Conductor Cove 83Lighthouse Wall 84Foghorn Cove 84Eastern Crags The Fin 85

APPLeCRoss 86sGURR A’ CHAoRACHAIn 88

A’ Chioch 88South Face 91Summit Buttress 93

toRRIDon 94BeInn eIGHe 98

Coire Mhic Fhearchair 98Far East Wall 99The Eastern Ramparts 103The Triple Buttresses 104

seAnA MHeALLAn 107Glac Dhorc 107Western Sector 110

CReAG nAM LeUMnACH 113

BeGInneR’s sLABs 115

DIABAIG 116The Pillar 117The Little Big Wall 118The Red Wall 119The Main Cliff 120The Con Dome 123The South Wall 124

DIABAIG PenInsULA CRAGs 124

Ugly Crag 124Crofters Crag 125Rolling Wall 125

GAIRLoCH 126BeInn A’ MHUInIDH 131

Waterfall Buttress 131The Bonaid Dhonn 132

stone VALLeY CRAGs 135Atlantic Wall 135Rum Doodle Crag 136Viking Crag 136Red Wall Crag 137Stone Valley Crag 138Playtime Walls 140Flowerdale Wall 140The Left Dome 141

RAVen’s CRAG 142

AZteC toWeR 144

GRAss CRAG 145

LoCH toLLAIDH CRAGs 146Raven’s Nest 147The Ewe Walls 148Gairloch Wall 149The Curra Wall 150Dinosaur Wall 151Fraggle Rock 151Inlet Wall 153The Recessed Wall 153Siren Slab 154The Cloiche Wall 154Feoir Buttress 154Hidden Crag 155

CReAG MHoR tHoLLAIDH 156

Creag nan Luch 156Lower Tollie Crag 158Upper Tollie Crag 162White Wall Crag 163Loch Maree Crag 163

FIsHeRFIeLD 165

CReAG nA GAoRACH 165

BeInn LAIR 166

CARn MoR 167

CARnAn BAn 175Barndance Slabs 175Maiden Buttress 176

GRUInARD CRAGs 178Birch Crag 179Beach Crag 180Post Crag 181Bog Meadow Wall 181Road Crag 182Gruinard Crag 183Car Park Slabs – Flake Buttress 185Very Difficult Slabs 186

The Side Wall 186Triangular Slab 187Inverianvie Crag 187Dog Crag 188Riverside Slabs 190The Apron 190Lochan Dubh Crag 191

GRUInARD RIVeR CRAGs 193Goat Crag 194Am Fasgadh 195

CARn GoRAIG 197

JettY BUttRess 200

MUnGAsDALe CRAG 204

CoIGACH & AssYnt 206ARDMAIR CRAGs 212

Fish Farm Walls 212Laggavoulin Buttress 213Monster Buttress 213Dancing Buttress 214Beast Buttress 215Edinburgh Rock 216Airs Rock 217Big Roof Buttress 217

sGURR An FHIDLeIR 221

stAC PoLLAIDH 222West Buttress 222Upper No. 2 Buttress 226No. 2 Buttress 226Pinnacle Basin 227No. 3 Buttress 228

ReIFF 229The Stone Pig Cliff 230

RoInn A’ MHILL 233Pinnacle Area 233Bouldering Cliff 237Black Rocks 239

An stIUIR 241Seal Song Area 241The Minch Wall 244The Bay of Pigs 245Piglet Wall 247Pooh Cliff 247

RUBHA CoIGeACH 248Golden Walls 248Black Magic Wall 251Slab Inlet 251

Contents

3Contents

Platform Walls 252Rampant Wall 253

sPACeD oUt RoCKeRs CLIFF 254

tHe LeAnInG BLoCK CLIFFs 256

AMPHItHeAtRe BAY 260Jigsaw Wall Point 261

RUBHA PLoYtACH 261

InBHIRPoLLAIDH RoCK GYM 264

oLD MAn oF stoeR 266

sUtHeRLAnD 268RoADsIDe CRAGs 273

Laxford Bay Slabs 274Creag Cnoc Thull 275Rock Garden Crags 275Ridgeway View Crag 276The Balcony 277Rhiconich Crag 278

CReAG GHARBH MoR 279Red Wall 279Glaciated Slab 280Red Slab 281

CReAG An FHItHICH 281Ruby Wall 282Russet Wall 283Triangular Buttress 284Back Stage 284

sHeIGRA 285The First Geo 286The Second Geo 291Treasure Island Wall 294Na Stacain Area 295Cnoc an Staca 296

AM BUACHAILLe 297

sAnDWooD BAY CRAGs 298

FoInAVen 301Cnoc a’ Mhadaidh 302Creag Urbhard 302First Dionard Buttress 304Second Dionard Buttress 305

CReAG sHoMHAIRLe 305

CAItHness 308LAtHeRonWHeeL 311

Peninsula Wall 312Big Flat Wall 314The Stack Area 315

sARCLet 317Pudding Stone Buttress 318Occum’s Buttress 318Big Buttress 319Djapana Buttress 321Surfer Buttress 321Tilted Ledge 322

stACK oF oLD WICK 323

LeWIs & HARRIs 324CRULIVIG CRAG 329

CReAG LIAM 330

BeInn nA BeRIe 333

eALA sHeADHA 334The Misplaced Point 334The Arch 335Pink Wall 336Geodha Maladail 336

AIRD UIG AReA 337Geodha Gunna 337Unnamed Geo 337Gallan Beag Geo 1 338The Boardwalk Walls 339

tHe PAInteD WALL 343

toRAsGeo 345

FLAnnAn AReA 347Aurora Geo 347Magic Geo 350The Black Wall 352Mitre Wall 353

ARD MoRe MAnGeRstA 354

MAnGeRstA 354

RUBH’ An tARoIn 361

AIRD FenIsH 362

AIRD MHoR BHRAGAIR 363

DALBeG 365Dalbeg Buttress 365Cave Slab 366Black Geo 367Small West Wall 367Big West Wall 370

Preacher Geo 370Storm Geo 371

CReAG DUBH DIBADALe 372

GRIoMAVAL 374Tealasdale Slabs 374

sRon ULLADALe 376

PABBAY & MInGULAY 382PABBAY 388

BIG BLoCK sLoC 389

tHe BAY AReA 390

sHAG’s Geo 392

PInK & GReY WALLs 393The Pink Wall 393The Grey Wall 395Grey Wall Recess 396

BAnDeD WALL 398The Shield 401South Face 403

RUBHA GReotACH 405The Galley 405The Poop Deck 406

tHe GReAt ARCH 410

ALLAnIsH PenInsULA 413Allanish Walls 413Hoofer’s Geo 414

MInGULAY 417

RUBH’ An DRoMA 418Geo an Droma 418Waterfall Geo 418Bigfoot Geo 419

toM A’ ReItHeAn PenInsULA 419

Haunted Geo 419

CReAG DHeARG 420

GUARsAY BeAG 422Wee Geo – Ryan’s Wall 422Wee Geo – Tarmacadam Wall 422Shag’s Point 422West Face of Shag’s Point 423Black Geo 423

GUARsAY MoR 424The Boulevard 424West Face of Guarsay Mor 427Big Arch 427

The Arena 428The South Pillar 429The Undercut Wall 429Cobweb Wall 430

sLoC CHIAsIGeo 431Morning Wall 431South Wall 431

LIAnAMUL WALL 432

DUn MInGULAY 432Sron an Duin 432

RUBHA LIAtH 439Seal Song Geo 439The Point 444

tHe GeIRUM WALLs 445Hidden Wall 445The Platform Wall 445The Main Walls 446

oRKneY 450HoY 453

tHe neeDLe 453

tHe BeRRY 453

RoRA HeAD 454Lang (Number 1) Geo 455Geo 3 456Between Geo 3 & Flingi Geo 456Flingi (Number 4) Geo 456Waterfall Walls 457Mucklehouse Wall 457

oLD MAn oF HoY 459

st. JoHn’s HeAD 461

YesnABY 464Point Wall 465Tower Face 466Arch Wall 467Gardyloo Wall 469The False Stack 470Castle of Yesnaby Area 471Spectators Geo 472The Loose Headland 473

ACKnoWLeDGeMents 474

RoUte InDex 475

Karin Magog on the steep Cross-Eyed up the edge of The Leaning Block, Rubha Coigeach, Reiff, Coigach & Assynt with the Assynt hills presenting a stunning backdrop.

4 IntRoDUCtIon

harbour the only multi-day big wall route in the country – the 23 pitch Longhope Route; the steepest cliff (Sron Ulladale, Harris). But size isn’t everything. In contrast, a myriad of miniature sport routes have appeared in recent years, together with a resurgence of interest in outcrop climbing in general. There has also been the opening up of some wonderfully situated bouldering venues, together with exquisite deep-water soloing on a few esoteric locations.This book is intended as a celebration of the wealth and variety of great climbing that Scotland has to offer. The selection of routes should have something for everyone, from the athlete to the aesthete. Climbing in Scotland is about more than the rock alone; there is the magnificent and awe-inspiring scenery, the sense of history, the wide open spaces, the clean fresh air and the possibility of solitude.

The area covered by this book, the Highlands and Islands, lies entirely to the north of the Highland Boundary Fault. With its mountain landscapes, deep glens, lochs, rivers and hundreds of islands, it represents one of the most extensive and least populated semi-natural areas remain-ing in Western Europe. Scotland can also lay claim to the only true areas of ‘wilderness’ remaining in Britain, with vast tracts of uninhabited areas in the far North West, and the similarly wild and unspoilt high arctic plateaux of the Cairngorm massif. Often, by choosing your venue carefully, it is possible not just to avoid queues but to have whole mountains to yourself.Within this incredibly varied setting can be found stunning examples of every sub-sport that rock climbing has evolved. In UK terms, we have the longest mountain routes (such as The Long Climb on Ben Nevis); the biggest sea cliffs (St John’s Head, Hoy), which also

sCottIsH RoCK

UsInG tHe GUIDeAll the areas covered are described as approaching from the south, where the majority of visitors originate. Similarly, the routes are also laid out in the order they are encountered from the approach. Each area has an introduction outlining the style of climbing, together with detailed up-to-date information on Accommodation and Amenities – in short everything the visitor requires to familiarise themselves with an area. Each cliff or crag is described in summary, together with specific Access, Approach and Descent details clearly laid out. In addition, maps and photo-diagrams illustrate further.Routes are given an overall technical grade alongside the adjectival grade, with the individual pitch grades incorporated within the description. The abbreviations FA and FFA refer to the first ascent and first free ascent respectively. PA refers to the number of points of aid used on the first ascent. There are very few routes containing aid in this book, though in some instances the use of a couple of points of aid may give a more

consistent route, and an alternative grade is offered. On a few harder routes, usually unrepeated, rest points were used and this is mentioned in the hope of encouraging subsequent free ascents. PR and PB refer to peg runner and belay respectively; F and R to friends and rocks; BB and Lo refer to bolt belays and lower-offs on the sport crags. tIC stands for Tourist Information Centre; AtM for Automated Teller Machine.You should have the relevant Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 map and, particularly for the remoter mountain crags, knowledge of how to use a map and compass is assumed. The middle of the Cairngorms or the top of Ben Nevis is not the place to attempt to learn to navigate. The Grid Reference and Altitude refers to the base of the cliff or crag. The approach times quoted are intended as a general guide (racing greyhounds and ramblers/tortoises can make their own adaptations accordingly), along the lines of Naismith’s Rule (4.5km per hour and one minute for every 10m of ascent).

5IntRoDUCtIon

ACCessThe Land Reform (scotland) Act 2003 gives statutory access rights to most land and inland water. These rights exist only if exercised responsibly by respecting the privacy, safety and livelihoods of others and by look-ing after the environment. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code provides detailed guidance on the responsibilities of those exercising access rights and those managing land and water.•Takeresponsibility for your own actions and act safely.•Respectpeople’s privacy.•Assistland managers to work safely and effectively.•Carefor the environment and take any litter home.•Keepall dogs under proper control.•Takeextra care if organising an event

or running a business.

WILD CAMPInGIn the rural areas it is often possible to camp at the side of the road. If in doubt, ask permission locally from farmers and crofters. Remember, lighting fires is illegal (not to mention unnecessary) and remove all litter. It should almost always be possible to camp in the hills, except perhaps in some areas during the stalking season.

CARAVAnsThose wishing to bring caravans please don’t – go to the Lakes, the Borders or some other rolling hills well away from the Highlands and Islands. Even better, stay at home and play tiddlywinks or golf, or take up macramé or embroidery or some other suitably sedate pastime. Alternatively, travel under the cover of darkness, preferably at 3am on a Sunday morning.

BIRDsSome of the sea cliffs are affected by nesting seabirds and should be avoided during the nesting season of April – July inclusive. Almost all birds, their nests and eggs are protected. The proliferation of guano on such cliffs makes it in the climber’s interest to choose another venue. In particular, some popular routes, such as the Old Man of Stoer and Hoy, have the occasional fulmar nest

I have attempted to consult as many active climbers in Scotland as possible to get a broad range of opinions and a consensus on grades and quality, but the final selection of routes is a personal one. For instance, not all the routes are on immaculate rock, with some of the older routes in the traditional character-building mode. Jim Bell’s famous adage, "Any fool can climb good rock. It takes craft and cunning to get up vegetatious schist or granite." may be worth bearing in mind.

ACCoMMoDAtIonInformation on a range of budget accommodation is included for each area, from camp sites and youth hostels to private bunkhouses. There are also a number of well-situated mountaineering club huts in all the main mountain areas. These are available for booking by members of the MC of S, the BMC and affiliated clubs. In addition, Tourist Information Centres (tICs) are detailed at the start of each main area. These are a good source of information on bed and breakfast, guest house and hotel accommodation. Each area tourist board publishes a Local Accommodation and Visitor Guide annually, and these are available free of charge by calling or writing to the respective offices.

eAtInG oUtOne important point worth bearing in mind, (especially for those used to continental and transatlantic hospital-ity) is that the majority of Scotland still lurks in the dark ages when it comes to the service industry. Most pubs only serve food over a short period at lunchtime; often 12 – 2pm, and more importantly, the majority of pubs and hotels stop serving food at 9pm, some at 8pm even! I’ve had the misfortune to turn up at a restaurant/pub in Skye (in July, the height of the tourist season) to be informed "We’re not serving food: the chef’s on his lunch"

– unbelievable. Establishments that are particularly good and worth seeking out are highlighted within the introductory section of each relevant chapter.

6

such as private and forest roads or rights of way, not soft paths and open hillsides where considerable erosion can occur. Where there is a substantial time-saving advantage, such information is included in the approach information. Where repeated abseils from trees is the norm (such as on Creag Dhubh), slings and karabiners or maillons have been left in place, and their use is encouraged to prevent ringing of the bark, leading to the eventual demise of the trees. Always park with consideration for others, and avoid damage to fences and walls. And of course, as the country code stresses, avoid ’interfering‘ with animals (Aberdonians and Rick Campbell take note!). Do not leave any litter, including food scraps, finger tape, chalk wrappers and cigarette ends and remove any left by others. Bury or burn toilet paper. Scratching arrows or names at the base of routes can clearly be viewed in a modern light as nothing short of vandalism. Established markings are mentioned to aid identification, and it is hoped no further additions will be thought necessary. Many of the areas covered are within National Scenic Areas (NSA), National Nature Reserves (NNR) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), controlling development and ensuring the retention and preservation of the natural environment.

etHICsThe vast majority of routes included are in the traditional or adventure mould, where there is little or no protection in situ. The following policy statement on bolts has been drawn up by the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, after consultation with all interested parties.

“The MC of S acknowledge that there is a place for bolts in the future development of Scottish climbing. However, to ensure that the highly regarded ethos of, and future development of, traditional climbing (involving the use of leader-placed and second-removed protection) is not threatened, it is felt that the use of bolts should be limited to the production of sport climbs. There should be no retrospective bolting of established climbs for protection or belays, and there should be no minimalist bolting.

on ledges, and it is definitely in the climber’s interest to avoid close encounters, as they have the nasty habit of vomiting semi-digested fish oil onto uninvited visitors. It should still, however, be possible to climb these routes during the nesting season. In the unlikely event of coming across birds of prey (especially peregrine falcons, golden or white tailed sea eagles – all Schedule 1 birds) choose another route or cliff. It is an offence, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, to disturb any Schedule 1 bird, with fines of up to £5,000 and possible imprisonment. Their continued existence is surely more important than another tick in the guidebook? Information on current restrictions is available from the Mountaineering Council of Scotland (p 01738 638227; www.mcofs.org.uk).

seAsonAL RestRICtIonsThe grouse shooting season is from 12 August (the ‘glorious’ twelfth) – 10 December and deer from 1 July – 20 October for stags and 21 October – 15 February for hinds. There are few crags or cliffs included where access problems have been encountered in the past. A caring, responsible attitude towards parking, litter, conservation and a polite approach to landowners should ensure that the present situation continues. If any difficulties are encountered, contact the Access and Conservation Officer of the Mountaineering Council for Scotland (p 01738 638227; www.mcofs.org.uk). No commercial stalking takes place on National Trust for Scotland properties (such as Glen Coe and Torridon), ensuring access at all times.

DIReCtIonsAll directions (left and right) are given for climbers facing the crag, except in descent. Any ambiguous descriptions also include a compass point, but if you don’t know your left from your right, chances are you won’t have a clue where the North Pole lies.

ConseRVAtIonTry to adopt a minimum impact approach at all times, leaving the place as you would like to find it. Approaches to some of the cliffs can be greatly aided by the use of bicycles. Their use should be restricted to solid paths

IntRoDUCtIon

7

"The production of sport climbs with bolts is acceptable on natural rock only when all the following conditions have been satisfied:

1 On low-lying cliffs, provided that such development is not against the wishes of the landowner. Bolts are inappropriate on mountain cliffs and sea cliffs.

2 On routes where natural protection is absent or is inadequate for the repeated falls that such routes necessitate.

3 Where the rock is steep and provides climbs of a high order of difficulty, at the forefront of developments of the day.

4 Where there is no historical or anti-bolt ethic.

"Concerning quarried rock, it is felt that any future develop-ment should only be constrained by points 2 and 4 above.Finally, it is felt that bolts should be located to ensure minimum visual impact and should be placed according to current best practices. It is intended that these principles are not seen as simply restrictive rules, but as a guide to promote the positive development of Scottish climbing, where sport climbing, rather than a substitute for traditional climbing, grows alongside it.”

stYLe, PeGs & In sItU PRoteCtIon"Ethics change the experience for others, style only

changes your own personal experience." The use of chalk is no longer a burning issue. Nevertheless, its use should be kept to a minimum, hopefully only on extremes. Chalk has been spotted on descent routes (I kid you not) and on VDiffs, such as Agag’s Groove, which must be an ultimate low point. Hold improvement is unacceptable on natural rock. If you can’t climb a piece of rock with the holds available, leave it unclimbed rather than resort to the hammer and chisel. The use of hammered nuts should be discouraged, as their rapid deterioration soon blocks the placement possibilities for subsequent ascentionists.Whilst the style a route is climbed in is a personal one, I feel obliged to make a few comments. The use of ’rest points‘ (i.e. aid) and prior top-roping should be reserved

for routes that are pushing new frontiers. It is true to say that such tactics percolate downwards. Try to give the rock a fighting chance, and approach the route on its own terms, in accordance with local practices. The majority of active pioneers in Scotland have attempted to push standards, and many very audacious leads have been achieved on-sight or ground up.

QUALItY AssessMentI had originally intended to adopt the Farquhar rating system, with its two extremes of PS and FB, but as hopefully there are no ‘pure sh≈@‡' routes herein (unless included for historical interest, or to aid in crag descriptions) and masses of ‘#µ©k*≈g brilliant’ routes, I have decided to opt for the conventional star rating system, with three star routes being of truly outstanding quality. As the climbing in Scotland is clearly superior to anything south of the border, a few exceptional routes have the honour of four stars. These are absolute

‘must do’s’ that would rate amongst the best anywhere on the planet, such is their undeniable brilliance. On a few isolated routes, a wire brush symbol denotes that the route may require prior cleaning in its present state, and the stars assume the route is in a clean state. These are routes which were originally climbed following cleaning on abseil, but at the time of writing have not had much repeat traffic, and may require a quick abseil with a wire brush prior to an ascent.

CLIMAte"They’ll all be doing them when the sun comes out." – Don Whillans.The Highlands and Islands are dominated by the prevailing southwesterly winds, bringing moist and usually mild air from the Atlantic. In addition, many of the Atlantic depressions pass close to or over Scotland.

"It always rains up there" is a commonly held myth. It is easy at first sight to confuse a map of annual rainfall with that of a relief map, for the two are closely linked. The wettest belt extends from the Cowal peninsula (south and west of Arrochar) in a broad band as far as the hills just south of Torridon. In the mountains an

IntRoDUCtIon

8

tIDAL InFoRMAtIonIn general, the tide ebbs and flows twice daily. As a rough guide, the tide takes 6 hours to come in, spends a half an hour 'on the turn', then 6 hours to recede, before repeating the same process. Spring tides occur after a new and full moon, and have the greatest amplitude. Tide tables are published annually for specific areas and are available from yacht chandlers and in many newsagents, or from harbour offices.

WeAtHeR InFoRMAtIonBoth quality Scottish daily newspapers, the Herald and the scotsman, publish detailed forecasts, including synoptic charts, and a hillwalking forecast appears in the scotsman on a Saturday. ScotlandonSunday also has a similarly detailed 36-hour forecast and a forecast for the coming week, including specific mountain, coastal and sailing conditions. There are a multitude of recorded weather forecasts, including Weathercall, providing a daily or 5-day outlook. Grampian & East Highlands p 09014 722 074. West Highlands & Islands p 09014 722 075. Caithness, Sutherland, Orkney & Shetland p 09014 722 076. Calls cost 60p per minute.Scottish Television broadcast Scottish Weather forecasts at 1.30pm, 6.28pm and 9.28pm; Radio Scotland (810 AM; 92 – 95 FM) has detailed outdoor forecasts at 6.28am, 5.58pm and 11.55pm; there is a Forecast for outdoor Activities with detailed conditions for climbers and hillwalkers at 6.58pm on weekday evenings, and at 7.00am and 6.25pm on a Saturday. Many of the better climbing shops in mountain areas display a 72-hour MetFax mountain weather forecast, as do Glenmore Lodge (p 01479 861256).

Wee BAstARDsLittle biting creatures, which the vast majority of tourist-orientated brochures and guidebooks fail to mention, can make a massive difference to one’s stay in the Highlands and Islands. Of the thirty-four species of biting midge

annual precipitation of between 200 – 300cm and more is the norm, these dreich figures dropping markedly to 150 – 200cm on the coastal fringe. Within this broad belt there is much variation. As an example, at Dundonnel at the head of Little Loch Broom the annual rainfall is 180cm; 10km south it is 250cm, and 10km further north in Ullapool the average is 120cm.The coastal promontories, especially in the north, and the Outer Hebrides receive only 100 – 150cm. Similarly, low ground around the Cairngorms and the eastern edge of the Central Highlands (such as Craig a Barns and The Pass of Ballater) benefit from the rain shadow effect of the hills further west (70 – 90cm). The higher ground in the Cairngorms receive around half the precipitation than the hills just in from the main Atlantic seaboard, with an average of 225cm recorded on Cairn Gorm summit. Lying in the centre of the country, their climate is more continental, with warmer summers than on the coasts. Many districts in the north and east have, on average over the four summer months from May – August, a total rainfall of less than 25cm, comparing favourably with the drier parts of England. Throughout the country the driest and sunniest period is from mid-May to the end of June, the next driest from mid-September to mid-October. In the Outer Hebrides gales are recorded on over 40 days of the year, and in the Northern Isles this figure is even greater, though most of these occur in the winter. Prolonged spells of strong wind are uncommon between May and August. Especially in the Western Isles and along the west coast, May is the sunniest month, closely followed by June. April is sunnier than the popular holiday months of July and August. The temperatures on the west coast and the islands are generally a couple of degrees cooler than inland, with the Northern Isles a couple of degrees cooler again. Finally, in midsummer there is no complete darkness in the north of Scotland, with Shetland receiving about 4 hours more daylight (including twilight) than London.

IntRoDUCtIon

For even more information, resources and a bibliography, visit www.scottishrock.co.uk

9

found in Scotland, only four or five species bite humans. By far the worst and most prevalent, accounting for more than 90 percent of all bites to humans is the female of the species Culicoides impunctatus, or the Highland Midge. This voracious creature first makes its appearance around the end of May and can persist until the end of September in a mild summer, with early June through to August being the worst periods. They are particularly active on still, cloudy or overcast days, especially twilight (which lasts throughout the night in Scotland in summer). Wind speeds above a slight breeze force them to seek shelter.Mosquitoes and blackfly are less of a problem, though the cleg (or horsefly) feeds mainly during warm bright days. Finally, sheep or deer ticks, small black or brown round-bodied members of the genus arachnid rest on vegetation, awaiting a host. The tick sinks its head into the victim’s flesh, until it eventually swells up and drops off. Do not pull off, unless with tweezers, as this will leave behind the pincers or mouth-parts. Instead, apply alcohol or insect repellent. There is a multitude of insect repellent commercially available, most containing varying concentrations of diethyl toluamide (DEET). Older natural formulas, such as the very aromatic citronella oil (available from chemists), and those containing lemon eucalyptus oil, seem reasonably effective. The leaves of the bog myrtle, when crushed and rubbed into the skin also seem effective though not very long lasting, necessitating repeated application.

MoUntAIn ResCUeIn the event of a serious accident requiring medical attention, contact the Emergency Services (999) and ask for Mountain Rescue, Coastguard or Police. Give concise information about the nature of the injuries, and the exact location, including a six-figure grid reference or the name of the route if possible. Try to leave someone with the victim, who should be made as comfortable as possible, if injuries allow. If unconscious, be sure to place in the recovery position, ensuring the airway is clear. In a few instances Mountain Rescue posts (containing a stretcher and basic rescue kit) are located in the hills, and are noted within the introductory text at the start of relevant cliffs.

GRADesRoutes are graded for on-sight ground up ascents, and the climber is assumed to be fully equipped with a wide range of protection devices. On some of the hardest routes skyhooks may be found useful. It goes without saying that people should make their own judgement regarding any in situ equipment encountered including fixed abseil points, all of which will rapidly deteriorate through exposure to the elements. I have tried to be as consistent as possible, though minor regional variations may occur. Any crucial runner information, especially relating to obscure gadgets or hidden or hard-to-place protection has been included where known. Where a route has only received an ascent after extensive top-rope practice this headpointed ascent has been highlighted within the first ascent details where known, in order to record such prior familiarisation.

DIsCLAIMeRThe author, publisher and distributors of this book do not recognise any liability for injury or damage caused to, or by, climbers, third parties, or property arising from such persons seeking reliance on this guidebook as an assurance for their own safety.

IntRoDUCtIon

Karen Latter climbing The Edge of the Sea, Pinnacle Area, Reiff, Coigach & Assynt.

126 Gairloch

Karen Latter nearing the top of the fine Open Secret, Stone Valley Crag.

127Gairloch

Waterfall Buttress

Gairloch (short loch)

This is the ancient parish between Loch Torridon and Outer Loch Broom. The sea lochs of Gair Loch, Loch Ewe, Little Loch Broom and Gruinard Bay split the coastline into a number of low-lying peninsulas. Sandwiched between Little Loch Broom to the north and Loch Maree to the south, “the great wilderness” of the Letterewe and Fisherfield

‘Forests’ contains the renowned remote Carn Mor and the contrasting Beinn Lair, which presents the greatest escarpment of Hornblende Schist in the country. At the east end of Loch Maree, the varied quartzite walls of the Bonaid Dhonn on the southern slopes of the more readily accessible Beinn a’ Mhuinidh give some atmospheric routes with a fine outlook down the loch. By contrast, around the periphery of the mountains is a fine varied range of easily accessible low lying outcrops, all composed of excellent rough Lewisian gneiss. Recent developments have uncovered a fine range of routes

Gairloch

128 Gairloch

of all grades, many on glaringly obvious venues that must have been driven past on innumerable occasions by countless generations of climbers.accommodation: Bunkhouses: Ledgowan Lodge Bunkhouse & Campsite, Achnasheen (p 01445 720252; www.ledgowanlodge.co.uk); Kinlochewe Hotel Bunkhouse (p 01445 760253; www.kinlochewehotel.co.uk); Auchtercairn Hostel, Gairloch (Mar-Nov; p 01445 712131); Sail Mhor Croft Hostel (p 01854 633224; www.sailmhor.co.uk) at Camusnagaul (1.8 miles/3km west of Dundonnell). Youth hostel: Carn Dearg (May – Sept; p 01445 712219) on the north shore of Loch Gairloch, 2.4miles/4km west down the B8021 from Gairloch.campsites: Taagan Campsite, 1.5 miles north-west of Kinlochewe; Sands Holiday Centre, Gairloch (p 01445 712512; www.highlandcaravancamping.co.uk); Gairloch Holiday Park, Strath (p 01445 712373; www.gairlochcaravanpark.com); Inverewe Caravan & Camping Club Site, Poolewe (p 01445 781249; www.campingandcara-vaningclub.co.uk); Gruinard Bay Caravan Park, Laide (p 01445 731225; www.gruinard.scotshost.co.uk); Northern Lights Campsite, Badcaul (Apr – Aug; 01697 371379); Badrallach Bothy & Camping Site (p 01854 633281; www.badrallach.com) on north side of Little Loch Broom, 5.7 miles/9km from Dundonnell. Wild camping may be possible by the beach at Redpoint. club huts: The Smiddy at Dundonnell, belonging to Glasgow section of JMCS.amenities: Petrol stations in Kinlochewe, Laide and Dundonnell Hotel. Small supermar-kets at Kinlochewe, Poolewe, Gairloch & Laide, though most closed on Sundays. The Poolewe Hotel is in the village. Tiny swimming pool in Poolewe with Slioch outdoor shop at factory nearby. Bridge Cottage Coffee Shop in Poolewe is particularly worth a visit. In Kinlochewe, the cafe adjoining the supermarket is good value. There is a sports centre in Gairloch with a small though dated-looking climbing wall. Also Bank of Scotland with atM in Gairloch. tic: Gairloch (Mar – Oct; p 01445 712071).

historYSome of the earliest worthwhile routes in the area occurred on the Bonaid Dhonn in 1946 when Jim and Pat Bell climbed Route 1 and Route 2. The pair also visited a number of other outcrops in the area, recording the first climbs around Gruinard Bay with Crack Route and Red Slab Route on the left side of Jetty Buttress. Prior to these additions, during the Second World War, the Highland Field Craft Training Centre used a number of crags for training purposes, including Raven’s Nest overlooking Loch Tollaidh, no doubt accounting for the first ascents of Raven’s Edge and Assault Slab amongst others, though nothing was ever recorded at the time.Throughout 1951 a number of University teams added a range of long routes to Beinn Lair, best of the bunch

being Wisdom Buttress and Bats Gash. The following year the first route on the impressive Carn Mor fell to Edward Wrangham and Clegg with their Diagonal Route. From the mid fifties onwards a number of Cambridge University parties then spent some time exploring the superb variety of gneiss crags within striking distance of the barn at Carnmore. Mike O’Hara and Miss Marjorie Langmuir opened up two excellent slabby venues with Zebra Slabs on Creag na Gaorach and Dishonour on Carnan Ban. O’Hara later returned with Bob Kendell to Carnan Ban, adding a further six routes including the superb Ecstasy. The jewel amongst all these crags was Carn Mor, where O’Hara went on to produce ten routes including the now classic Fionn Buttress, climbed with

129Gairloch

W.Blackwood in 1957. The most notable route of this era was O’Hara and George Fraser’s ascent of Dragon, breaching the impressive capping roof in the centre of the Upper Wall in a stunning position. Many other strong teams made the long trek in throughout the sixties. The formidable duo of Dougal Haston and Robin Smith paid a visit in 1960, resulting in Gob. In the late sixties, Creagh Dhu climbers visited, resulting in Balaton from Con Higgins and W.Gorman, and Abomination, from John McLean, John Cunningham and J.Currey. Geoff Cram and Roloff Schipper added the impressive St George, while Dick Isherwood and Eddie Birch had a productive day with The Sword, their third new route. The following year the much-eyed though often wet line of Carnmore Corner fell to Rab Carrington and John Jackson.Tom Patey and Mike Galbraith recorded the first route on Tollie Crag in 1966 with The Handrail. Patey also climbed on both Jetty Buttress and Goat Crag, accounting for some of the earlier routes. At Tollie others soon followed, including Chris Jackson and B. Andrews with The Trip, John Cunningham and Bill March with Stony Broke, and Gudgeon from Jackson and Tom Proctor. A variety of teams produced further routes on the Bonaid Dhonn but it was Cunningham and March who added two of the best lines in 1971 with Vertigo and The Creep. Throughout the early seventies various Joint Services Mountain Training Centre personnel based at Dundonnell developed Jetty Buttress and added some lines on Goat Crag but the SMC Journal new climbs editor neglected to record them. Around the same time, Pete Botterill & Jeff Lamb climbed the very fine The Bug on Upper Tollie Crag with a tension traverse near the top.Carn Mor was brought into the eighties with Dougie Mullin’s impressive on-sight lead of the immaculate left wall of Carnmore Corner. At E4 6a, Wilderness was one of the hardest on-sights in the country at the time. Dougie Dinwoodie took over as the main activist throughout the eighties, his first significant contribution the wonderfully situated pitch of The Orange Bow. A productive trip with Graeme Livingston the following year produced, over three days, no less than four major additions to the Upper Wall including the sustained Lion

Rampant together with the impressively steep exposed slanting roof of Death-Wolf, lead by Livingston. Climbing with Andy Nisbet, Dinwoodie later added many other lines in the area while checking out the crags for the last SMC guide, including Jivaro Crack and The Red Crack either side of Carnmore Corner, together with a hard Left-Hand Start to his own route The Orange Bow. In the late nineties, Gary Latter climbed the surprisingly neglected Carnmore Corner Direct, Tim Rankin and Guy Robertson bringing things up to date in 2000 with the finely positioned Fian Grooves.Raven’s Crag, near Gairloch was developed throughout the early eighties by locally based Steve Chadwick and friends, Doug Lang later filling in some of the gaps. Around the same period, more of the obvious lines on Tollie Crag succumbed, Murray Hamilton climbing the obvious arêtes at either end of the crag, and with Rab Anderson added Decadent Days. Dougie Dinwoodie added the two hardest routes on the crag with Rain in the Face and Each Uisge, while Anderson, climbing with either Chris Greaves or Grahame Nicoll, cleaned up on most of the remaining lines, including a free ascent of Gudgeon, and first ascents of North West Orient and Gulf Coast Highway. Anderson also added The Heretic on the Upper Crag, Kev Howett later creating an independent start with Heresy. Further down the loch around the same time (1987), the impressive front face on Loch Maree Crag saw its first routes from Howett, with four impressive extremes on the overhanging front face, culminating in the airy and sustained arête Spirit Air, together with the hard and committing Jarldom Reach. Howett later returned in the early nineties to produce two further worthy additions, including the excellent Arial, in addition to adding The Shimmer to White Wall Crag.In 1994 a number of crags around Gruinard Bay were developed, mainly by John Mackenzie in the company of either Graham Cullen or Bob Brown, producing almost 30 routes from Difficult-E3, with Gruinard Crag and Lochan Dubh Crag being particularly significant discoveries. The following year others visited, with Martin Moran on-sighting Call of the Wild up the left side of the

130 Gairloch

Chadwick, Dave Neville, Alan Winton, Terry Doe and Paul Tattersall. Amongst the best of the earlier additions are Winton’s Buena Vista, together with a good range of middle grade routes on Fraggle Rock, mainly from the Buchanans, Doe and Neville. Anderson also slotted in a number of hard pitches on Gruinard Crag with Quick on the Draw, How the West Was Won and the more reasonable Pistolero. Later Paul Thorburn straightened out How the West Was Won. Paul Tattersall produced a hard test-piece on Jetty Buttress with Gogmagog, added a trio of contrasting E4s on Raven’s Nest, including the excellent Crossroads and developed Mungasdale Crag, with over a dozen short, steep and fingery extremes including Bodhisattva, Officer Jesus and Thelonius. Further excellent hard finds around Gruinard Bay include Scoobie Dubh from Lawrence Hughes, Summer Breeze from Anderson and the powerful bouldery Tatapult from Tattersall. The nearby Goat Crag also received several good well protected hard routes with Tattersall adding Homosuperior and Freakshow, and Hughes Twilo Thunder.Locals, primarily Tattersall and Buchanan, continued to exploit the vast potential of many of the roadside crags, adding a range of routes to the majority of venues. 2004 saw the development of a number of fine sport crags in the area, initially from Tattersall and Meek. The steep slab and walls of Creag nan Luch received the first activity, with a good range of routes from F6a+ upwards, including Ni Dubh, Toss and the hard Superblue. The much steeper Upper Tier was developed the following year with a number of harder routes, including the airy and exposed King of the Swingers alongside a number of hard projects. Also around this time the obvious potential for hard routes on the sustained overhanging walls of Am Fasgadh was tapped, Colin Meek adding Toiseach; Tattersall a clutch of hard routes including Warm Up and Tog Balla, and Hughes Black Sox. Other venues were soon developed, including a number of shorter easier routes on Grass Crag, along with a range of fine longer routes on the Central Sector on Goat Crag, including the superb lines of Mac Talla and The Prow.

overhanging central wall on the best crag, Lochan Dubh Crag. Soon Rab Anderson snatched two of the area’s finest technical test-pieces with his ascents of the crack lines of Dead Calm and Major-domo, both redpointed.That same year, 1995, Brown and Mackenzie started to develop another major venue, recording over 30 routes on the blatantly obvious Stone Valley Crags, overlooking the main road between Kinlochewe and Gairloch. They first produced Open Secret, soon completing many further superb additions, including Bold as Brass and Bald Eagle. Mackenzie and Blyth Wright added a fine companion nearby with Blood Feud, while on The Dome, Brown led the excellent The Thug. Later good harder routes appeared from Aviemore based teams comprising Ian Taylor, Graeme Ettle and Blyth Wright, with Golden Eagle and Cat Burglar ranking among the best. It later transpired that Open Secret had previously been climbed back in 1989 by Andy Brooks, the initial pitch having previously been climbed in 1984 by Steve Chadwick.The late nineties also saw the rediscovery of the fine remote-feeling Carn Goraig, with Mackenzie, Brown and Wright all thinking they had found a significant new crag, only to be surprised when Fraser Fotheringham and Andy Cunningham turned up. Fotheringham and Alex Taylor had in fact climbed the inaugural classic Wailing Wall and the superb top pitch of Return to Mecca over a decade previously.On the Bonaid Dhonn, Tom Prentice and Charles French added three extremes in 1996, the highlight being the wonderful long sustained main pitch of Dream Ticket. The following year Paul Thorburn redpointed the very impressive line of North by North-West, after a bold on-sight attempt. On the numerous crags overlooking Loch Thollaidh, Rab and Chris Anderson added a large number of short extremes, recording over 60 routes in total on over a dozen crags. Hardest additions were on Gairloch Wall, where Dave Cuthbertson climbed the desperate bouldery Conquistadors with a pre-clipped peg and Rab and Dave both led Old El Pastits. It later transpired that many of the routes up to around E2 had previously been climbed in the early nineties by a number of locally based climbers, including Jim and Mary Buchanan, Steve

131Gairloch BEINN A’ MHUINIDH

DESCENT

12

“We found many attractive possibilities for the making of a delightful and quickly accessible arena for good climbing routes of moderate length on steep, sound rock.” – Jim Bell, Some New Climbs in the North-West, Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal, 1949

This is the escarpment due north of Kinlochewe, encircled on its western flanks by a band of Cambrian quartzite crags. The outlook over Slioch and down Loch Maree is stunning. The translation from the Gaelic refers to the prominent waterfall.

BEiNN a’ MhUiNiDh(MoUNtaiN of thE hEath/pissiNG)

WatErfall BUttrEssThe cliffs flanking the prominent narrow waterfall, Allt an Still (swift stream), though a bit broken, offer some reasonable routes amidst impressive settings.access: Turn north off the A832 towards Incheril 0.3 miles/0.5km east of the Kinlochewe Hotel over a bridge. Turn left after a few hundred metres to park by the farm after a further 400m. If the parking spot is full, there is a larger (signposted) car park to the north-east.approach: Follow the track through the farm then the path heading north-west along the north bank of the Kinlochewe River to a fork in the path after just over 2km. Take the right fork which leads to a small ravine

after 400m. Slog steeply up the hillside to the base of the cliff. a much shorter approach, (saving 20 – 25 minutes) can be made direct from Taagan, the small campsite/farm 1.5 miles/2.4km west of the village. Just beyond the farm, follow the track south-east, then towards the river. Head back downstream for a couple of hundred metres, then wade across the Kinlochewe River (wide and shallow at this point, just upstream of the ravine) to join the path near where it forks.Descent: Down steep grass down the right (east) side of the waterfall.

NH 024 649 alt: 300m

• 1 Blanco 2 90m severe 4a FA Andy Nisbet (solo) 26 April 2005

Fine clean rock with very positive holds. Start 25m right of the waterfall at the right end of the low section of wall 10m right of the end of waterwashed rock. 1 15m 4a Climb up left to finish up an exposed arête.

2 30m – Climb up clean walls with bits of heather until right of the second pine.

3 30m 4a Climb a large clean wall until it peters out then move left to climb another clean wall right of the chimney which bounds the rib of Tuit on the right.

4 15m 4a Finish up the final wall.

aFad 11/4hr

132 Gairloch BEINN A’ MHUINIDH

6

78

9

35 4210

1DESCENT

SCRAMBLEAPPROACH

GOAT TRACK

• 2 chiaroscuro 2 90m severe 4a FA Anthony ‘Ginger’ Cain & P.Davis 25 July 1982

Steep and exposed climbing on good clean rock, though the start may be wet. Start on the black water-washed rock at the right side of the waterfall just left of a prominent corner. 1 40m 4a Climb 10m up black rock on the left of

the corner then move right into the grey crack in the corner. Follow this on superb holds to its top then move left up the wall to the first pine ledge.

2 50m 4a Climb directly behind the pine for a few metres then left towards the base of a rib with a detached block. Step left round the block into the corner and ascend this and the clean wall above, stepping left round a rib at the top.

thE BoNaiD DhoNN

(BroWN BoNNEt)The large buttress at the corner of Gleann Bianasdail. Its steepest and most compact part is a smooth wall in the centre, defined on its right by an obvious chimney-corner system (Safari VS) and on the left by a bulging buttress and corner-crack. At its best the rock is a compact immaculate Cambrian quartzite.approach: As for Waterfall Buttress to the base of the ravine then head up leftwards to a compact buttress, from where a good goat track leads leftwards along an increasingly exposed dwindling terrace round the corner

to beneath the crag. The routes on the flanks (1, 2 & 10) start next to the path. The remaining routes on the main face are all either approached by scrambling up about 60 – 70m of rock and vegetation from the path, the easiest line leading slightly rightwards, starting from beneath the central chimney-corner system. For the routes away from the flanks a better approach may be to gain the top and abseil in to the chosen route. To locate the abseil point, follow the cliff top north from the top of Waterfall Buttress to just below the highest point.

NH 023 656 alt: 460m aGabacad 11/2hr

Karen Latter on the second pitch of Chiaroscuro.

133Gairloch BEINN A’ MHUINIDH

There is a slight bay (NH 022 657; 550m) beneath the last rise, marked by a cairn. Tucked under a small outcrop at the bottom right of the bay is a small exposed platform, from where the big south-facing sidewall of 9 North by North-West is visible. The abseil anchor requires large nuts and 8m of slings to reach the cliff edge. The abseil is 53m (60m ropes ideal), but possible with 50m ropes and a short scramble down with care.

Descent: There are no convenient descents – for the routes starting from the path, best to climb with rucksacks. Head north for 300m to a step down in the cliff top, then make a descending traverse south before scrambling down steep broken ground and heather to gain the goat track. Easier descents (with rucksacks) are also possible at the end of the cliff 1km further north, or the grass slope at the east end of Waterfall Buttress.

• 1 route 1 1 130m Difficult FA Jim & Pat Bell 9 August 1946

The original route with a delightful airy top pitch. Start from the goat track, right of the main section of the cliff beneath a ‘beak’ of rock at the corner of the glen just beyond a recess under an overhang. 1 30m Climb steep slabs to a recess at 20m

then by the edge of a rock rib to a belay. 2 25m After a move to the right climb a

wall from a huge square block for 10m. Easier climbing leads to a stance.

3 40m Climb up a rib then by a short steep wall. Continue up two consecutive steep ribs to easy ground (cairn).

4 35m Continue in the same line up the final crux wall, steep and exposed on small, square-cut holds, followed by 10m of final scrambling to the top.

• 2 route 2 1 110m Very Difficult FA Jim & Pat Bell 10 August 1946

Start about 100m left of Route 1 beyond steep walls and just before the rock becomes vegetated. Rounded ribs leading to a large overhang are visible above. Climb slabby walls for 10m then move left to climb the slabby ribs, passing the left side of the large overhang. Continue up towards the steep wall then traverse right about 20m to a chimney. Climb the wall right of the chimney then the chimney to above the overhang. Finish up the wall on the right leading to scrambling.

• 3 the creep 2 70m hVs 5a FA John Cunningham & Bill March 13 May 1971

Good climbing, poorly protected on pitch 1. 1 40m 5a Move diagonally right, first crossing

grass ledges then small rock ledges until close to the right arête. Move up to a ledge (PR) then directly up the wall to a roof. Belay on the right.

2 30m 4c Continue up the overhanging corner directly above, finishing up a fine steep crack.

• 4 Dream ticket 3 60m E3 5c FA Tom Prentice & Charles French 17 July 1996

A stunning route up the immaculate wall right of Vertigo. “The rock is the finest quartzite around, compact and

totally solid; the climbing pleasantly sustained and quite intimidating and the position superb.” – PrenticeProtection is good but spaced and a double set of cams up to 2" useful. Start at a large block at the base of the wall. 1 45m 5c Climb ledges to a prominent pair of

thin cracks then move up and right to the left end of a long overlap. Return back left into the centre of the wall and continue to a small overlap level with the top of the Vertigo flake. Pull over this, climb the crack above and follow a scoop right to belay on the right edge of the wall.

2 15m 5b Move back left and follow the right edge of the wall and easier ground to the top.

134 Gairloch BEINN A’ MHUINIDH

• 8 superbug 1 85m Vs 4b FA Ross Jones & Andy Nisbet 14 May 2005

A direct line up the clean slabs on the left. Start below and left of a stepped corner. 1 40m 4a Climb the slab direct to the large flake. 2 45m 4b Move left and climb direct up

slabs to break through a steep upper wall by flakes leading left. Step back right and finish at the top of the prominent arête.

• 9 North by North-West 3 45m E7 6b FA p1 Alastair Robertson, Paul Thorburn & Rick Campbell 19 July 1997; p2 Paul Thorburn & Rick Campbell 20 July 1997

Climbs the steep right wall of the crest taken by A Walk on the Wild Side. Start on a grass ledge at the base of a wet corner, below a striking vertical crack. 1 20m 5c Climb the crack past a hollow flake

until near the huge roof then follow the thin break out left to belay on a small ledge on the arête. (Anchors on the large ledge 4m above.)

2 25m 6b From just above the belay, follow a break dipping rightwards to the lower traverse in the roof. Follow this to a spike then climb the sustained right-slanting crack. Continue in the same line to gain a good hold at the top of a faint left-facing groove. Move up left to a break and follow this, pulling over a bulge onto the arête.

•10 a Walk on the Wild side 1 110m Very Difficult FA Ian Rowe & Sandy Trees 2 July 1967

Good climbing up the crest of the bulging buttress left of the big left-bounding corner. Start on the path where the angle relents, right of the first overhung bay. Ascend broken walls. Walk up left on heather to gain the base of the buttress. Follow a line of cracks and grooves near the crest, easier to the left, to finish by a fine exposed wall on the crest.

• 5 Vertigo 3 70m E1 5b FA John Cunningham & Bill March 13 May 1971

In the centre of the wall is a fine flake-crack with an overhanging base. Low in the grade. 1 30m 4c Climb the flake-crack to small ledge. 2 20m 5b Traverse left and step onto a steep

grey wall. Move up and slightly left to an obvious spike. Move up the wall above then make an awkward move leftwards into a shallow corner, which is climbed to a ledge.

3 20m 4b Climb direct over an overlap then trend rightwards towards an obvious easy corner. Avoid this by climbing the slab on the left.

• 6 Balances of fate 2 65m E2 5c FA Charles French & Tom Prentice 17 July 1996

Another excellent route, starting up the wall left of Vertigo and finishing up the steep crack directly above. Start as for Dream Ticket. 1 35m 5b Climb up and left below the flake-crack

of Vertigo. A small overlap guards access to the wall. Pull over at the narrowest point, continue straight up wall and follow a small slab to belay on top of the flake, as for Vertigo.

2 30m 5c Traverse right and climb a steep undercut crack to slabbier ground above. Follow the prominent diagonal crack through a steep bulge to an awkward exit. Follow the groove and easier ground to belay right of a large block.

• 7 stoater 2 90m severe 4a FA John Cunningham & Bill March 13 May 1971

Start at a wide flake-crack left of Vertigo. 1 45m 4a Climb the flake-crack. When this finishes

climb the wall above to belay on a small rock ledge beneath a beak-shaped overhang.

2 45m 4a Up to the overhang, over this and up the wall above on excellent holds, moving right through an overlap, to the top of the crag.

135Gairloch STONE VALLEY CRAGS

FlowerdaleWall

PlaytimeWalls

Rum DoodleCrag

Atlantic Wall

The Left Dome

StoneValley Crag

Red WallCrag

VikingCrag

These crags lie south of the A832 west of Loch Maree on the rocky slopes of the small hill of Meall Lochan a’ Chleirich. They dry quickly due to their hummocky nature and this, together with the wonderful outlook over the sea and Baosbheinn makes it a very pleasant place to climb. Extensive planting of indigenous native tree species on the hillside as part of the Millennium Forestry Project is already transforming the open aspect of the lower slopes.access: Parking for a half-dozen cars is possible just off the A832 by the side of a green barn at the north

side of the road at NG 856 721 just beyond the east end of Loch Bad an Sgalaig. This is 5.5 miles/9km from Gairloch, or 0.6 mile/1km west of where the road leaves the Slattadale Forest if travelling from the east through Kinlochewe.approach: Follow the track across the bridge heading south-east into the Flowerdale Forest (a deer forest, hence there are no trees!) towards Poca Buidhe for about 1km where the crags can be seen on the hillside on the left. Leave the track and cross two streams then steeply up the hillside to the crags.

stoNE VallEY craGs

atlaNtic WallNG 866 718 alt: 210mWell to the left of rum Doodle crag is a shallow amphitheatre with a short vertical back wall.

• 1 Mutineers 1 12m hVs 5a FA Blyth Wright, Lindsey Cannon & John Mackenzie 25 Aug 1997

Start to the right of the left edge of the crag. Go up a steepening wall direct to a short crack at the top. Turn this by a move on the left or climb it direct at 5c.

ad 30 – 45min

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Photo Jim Buchanan, Wild West Topos.

136 Gairloch STONE VALLEY CRAGS

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• 2 the cruel sea 1 12m E2 5c FA John Mackenzie, Lindsey Cannon & Blyth Wright 25 Aug1997

By far the best route here. Start near the centre of the crag in a shallow scoop. Climb up to a horizontal crack then finish direct up the overhanging wall.

• 3 the ancient Mariner 1 12m hVs 5a FA John Mackenzie, Lindsey Cannon & Blyth Wright 25 Aug 1997

Ascend the wall directly to the left of a flake. Step right to a square perch and continue up and slightly left at the top.

• 4 fisherboys 1 12m hVs 5a FA Paul Tattersall 21 September 1999

The thin crack 10m right of 3.

• 5 the cat 1 12m hs 4b FA Blyth Wright (solo) 19 August 1997

Go over a bulge and continue up an exposed wall, moving left to gain hidden holds near the top.

rUM DooDlE craGThis lies several hundred metres down and left of stone Valley crag, easily identified by the prominent arête visible from the approach track.

• 1 rum Doodle arête 1 35m hs 4a FA Bob Brown & John Mackenzie 14 May 1995

Bold and airy climbing but with good friction. Start below the arête at a little groove to the left. Gain the arête and follow the narrow edge directly, turning the mossy last few metres by a crack just to the left. Either walk off at a ledge above or climb a straight-forward groove on the left.

• 2 roman Wall 2 35m severe 4a FA John Mackenzie & Bob Brown 24 July 1996

Very pleasant climbing on superlative rock up the slabby wall right of 1. Climb the central rib to a small tree. Step left onto the wall and climb up to a rightwards slanting ramp. Follow this to below a vertical wall with thin cracks and step left to take the final few metres of the arête direct (crux) to the ledge. Scramble off right or finish by the central crack (4c).

ViKiNG craGNG 867 717 alt: 220mLies midway between rum Doodle crag & red Wall crag, composed of large fallen blocks and short walls.

• 1 helga’s first time 1 30m severe 4a FA Blyth Wright & Asta Parker 14 June 1998

Go up the pleasant rough slab to a boulder-spike. Step left on to a wall then by interesting moves right, finish directly up the rib.

NG 867 717 alt: 220m

aEad 35min

aEad 35min

Photo Jim Buchanan, Wild West Topos. P

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Moderate

A’Chir Ridge Vol1

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TICKLIST – vOLUME 1 & vOLUME 2

4

A selected guide to over 2,400 routes in the North-West, the Far North, the Hebrides and Orkney. Volume 1 extends this area South of the great Glen. These guides will take you to some extraordinary places to experience some of the best rock climbing and scrambling around. Explore the renowned rough Cuillin gabbro on Skye, sample the delights of sea cliff climbing on the islands of Lewis, Pabbay, Mingulay and Orkney. From convenient roadside crags to remote mountain routes and Hebridean sea cliffs, they’re all here.

Featuring:

 •  Over 2,400 of the regions best routes from Moderate difficulty to top-end Extremes.

 •  Accessible multi-pitch mountain routes and scrambles.

 •  Sport climbs from F5 to F8b+.

 •  250 full colour photo topos.

 •  Scale area maps, highlighting the approaches.

 •  Inspirational photographs, including many first ascents.

www.pesdapress.comwww.scottishrock.co.uk

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– C

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Volume 2 North

9 7 8 1 9 0 6 0 9 5 0 7 9

isbn 978-1-906095-07-9

vOLUME 1

vOLUME 2