Glen Clova

I was out with Ross and Patrick on Friday for a days climbing at Glen Clova.  The focus of the day was the introduction of multipitch climbing and stance management to their existing experience.

Patrick climbing Beanstalk (VS 4b*).

We started on Beanstalk (VS 4b*) for the guys to second moving onto Twenty Minute Route (Moderate *).  This gave some nice and easy terrain to introduce setting up and working with stances and changeovers.

Ross threading a block on Twenty Minute Route (Mod*).

"That way!"; stance two on Twenty Minute Route.

With the weather holding we carried on optimistically and ventured up to the Upper North West crag to get on Alder VS**.  This was split into two pitches; Patrick leading the first and Ross the second pitch.  With more difficult terrain to climb this proved to be a little tricky.

The hand!

Arm jam on Alder (VS**).

Patrick climbing the second pitch of Alder.

A winding descent back to the bags and a bite to eat provided a little breather before moving over to the South East crag.  By combining the short Parapet Route Direct (HS) and the longer Central Crack (HS***) the pair ascended the crag in three pitches.

Two distant climbers at the bottom of South East crag.

Pitch one of Central Crack (HS***) but pitch two of our chosen route.

After the traverse and before the steepening.

Belaying at the stance.

Ross found the second pitch (the main crack on Central crack) quite challenging and later discovered that Patrick managed to get the two slightly easier pitches!  For Patrick's last pitch his added hurdle to overcome was the rain that was now coming down quite frequent making the rock a little slippery.  Nonetheless he breezed on through topping out on pleasant rock.

Patrick climbing confidently.

Changeover.

Leading the last pitch on Central Crack.

Belaying at the top of South East Crag.