Ardnamurchan - 28th April

Freda, Hannah, Ken and Matt enjoying a break between climbs at Ardnamurchan

The search for dry weather and clear blue skies continued last weekend, and upon arrival back in Scotland from a climbing trip in Wales, we headed straight over to Ardnamurchan - the most westerly point on mainland Scotland. This goes with the coastal theme of the last few weeks, visiting Pembrokeshire, Gower, and Holyhead on Anglesey. At Ardnamurchan we had good views of Muck, Eigg, Rum and Skye. We joined up with Matt, Freda, Martyn, Laurie, Ken and Hannah to make a big van dwelling, climbing gang.

Hannah leading pitch 1 of Volcane (E1 4c,5b**)

Upon arrival at Creag Meall an Fhir-Eoin, the teams were already climbing Volcane, Yir and Oswald. Matt was already eyeing up Tremor Crack (E3 6a*) to the side of Oswald. Lena jumped on Yir to remember what the climbing on Ardnamurchan gabbro is like. The huge friction under your feet and hands does help you stick to almost anything, but means that your finger tips can only last a few days.

Lena leading pitch 1 of Yir (VS 4c***)

I'm on pitch 2 variation of Yir

Matt and Freda at the top of Tremor Crack (E3 6a*). You can see the moon rising behind Freda's back.

At the top of Yir, we could see Matt and Freda having fun on Tremor Crack, so we all decided we wanted a go! Ken was up next and climbed it clean.

Ken leading Tremor Crack (E3 6a*)

Hannah seconding Tremor Crack

Laurie at the top of Claude (VS 5a**) with Martyn seconding

Matt seconding Up Pompei (E2 5b**)

I started on Up Pompei, to test the friction under my feet. It was a little run out, but when there was gear it was excellent.

Matt enjoying Up Pompei

After Up Pompei, it was my turn to have a go at Tremor Crack (E3 6a). There was no slab here! Instead, an overhanging crack with a couple of awkward moves - so I only managed to get up with a million rests!

Martyn leading Up Pompei (E2 5b**)

Lena leading Stromboli (HVS 5b*)

Later in the day we moved to Meall an Fhir-Eoin and the Hooded Wall. Realising she had a good feel for the rock and its friction, Lena got onto Stromboli which has a good steep wall.

Lena on the steep wall of Stromboli

Ken leading Etna (E1 5b**) on the left, and Matt leading Stromboli (HVS 5b*) on the right

The other excellent climbs on Hooded wall are Vesuvius, Krakatoa, and Etna, all getting several ascents from the team.

I'm on the top slab of Dead Ringer (E1 5b*)

I had a go on Dead Ringer to finish the day, and enjoyed another slab on the second pitch. This was the end of a brilliant day of socialising and climbing - made even better by a clear sunset in the west off the tip of Sanna Bay.

Fingers Ridge and Afterthought Arete

With a few days off from Transition I was looking to head west to Glen Coe for a couple days climbing with Ben.  Given the mixed yet very likely wet forecast the cairngorms were the fall back option to save the fuel and drive just to get rained on for two days.  After all rain is rain and if we were going to get wet; why not do it closer to home?

So after a nights camp at Loch Morlich Ben and I started off from the Cairngorm Mountain car park for Coire an t'Sneachda.  The weather was rather gloomy at times but we held our heads high in the hope that we would find some dry rock...

There's still plenty of snow on the plateau and in the corries; but its melting and causing a large amount of melt water in the streams!

River crossing anyone?

Fingers Ridge it was as its a wee favourite of mine if its wet and Ben hadn't been on it before.  The lowest slab section was still covered in snow so we started slightly higher up on the right giving some more 'adventurous' moves on wet slimy rock.

Looking up towards Fluted Buttress, Coire an t'Sneachda.

Ben following me up the alternative pitch making a higher traverse than normal on Fingers Ridge (Diff).

Ben led the second and last pitch giving him the change to lead through the fingers that give the route its name.  Ben was handed the camera for the last pitch to get a shot of me in a rather over used photo spot.

Ben on the second pitch.

Me between the fingers.

After a bite to eat we strolled over to the descent path between Hells Lum and Stag Rocks down into the Loch Avon Basin.  The crags here are pretty much completely free of snow with only the usual suspects holding onto a rim of snow at the top or large run outs at the bottom. 

Looking South towards Carn Etchachan and Sheltestone Crag.

 

As it was raining on and off Afterthought Arete (Moderate***) was the chosen route as it gets a fair amount of praise being accessible to both climbers as well as scramblers. A nice climb but I'm not sure it deserves the three stars. This being the first time for me on the route it has inspired me to get on the other ridge and arete type climbs on the crag to compare them.

Ben half way up Afterthought Arete (Mod ***).

A swift ascent later with some moving together on the easy and dry terrain with a couple of pitched sections on the wet, steeper sections we were back on the plateau again and ready for the walk back to the car.

We must have been two of the few folks that were in the northern Cairngorms on Thursday as there were very few cars at the centre, most of which were skiers.

With Friday looking awful weather for not only the hills but most of the crags we had dinner at loch Morlich (pasta and sauce!) then headed back to Aberdeen to save ourselves for cragging at the Pass of Ballater on Saturday.

Our dinnertime companions.

Swastika

Hannah belayed at the end of her pitch 1 (5a)

I teamed up with Hannah Evans to go to Etive Slabs and do 'Swastika' E2 5a,4b,4c,5a,4c,5a,5c,6a****. Hannah took up pitch 1.

I'm at the end of pitch 2, looking up at pitch 3 - belay or link? Link...

At the end of pitch 3 - looking at Hannah coming over the mini overlap.

Hannah tackling the larger overlap of pitch 4. Good effort, she just found a jug, pulled and found herself on the top - awesome..

Even when Hannah's doing the overhang, there's still time to look around...

Pitch 5 now, and it goes up the first quartz band... Awesome slab climbing.

Hannah on pitch 6 with hardly any gear... Just keep going and trust that friction, and maybe don't look down to see where your last runner is!

Pich 7 now - the 5c large overlap... All you have to do is stick 2 finger tips sideways in a tiny peg scar and do a pull up - or put 1 finger in a tiny cam with 2 of the quadcams in the top scar - and as you pull look at the 2 cams and say - 'stay'. So yes, I was gutted to use this aid...

The 6a final pitch. Thankfully it's well protected, and placing the gear was quite easy.

Unfortunately I didn't have the stamina to clean it, so took rests! Gutted again!

Climbing just before a rest on the 2 cams - never leave home without them!

Just when you think it's all over here is the final fun, laybacking the final corner - 3.5 friend very handy at this point, or just go, go, go for the top jugs ...

There's the jugs. A great climb. Long live this April/May summer...
(Hope it isn't THE summer!!)

Mother Carey's Kitchen - 24th April

The approach to 'Sea Groove' on 'The White Tower' - a rogue wave had just got us soaked.

We had to wait a couple of days for another great day of blue skies, no rain and fairly warm temps - but it came and so we went to Mother Carey's for some adventure. Low tide was late in the afternoon, so we started with Sea Groove (VS 4b**) on 'The White Tower'. A couple of hours after high tide we scrambled round to the groove, but a rogue wave caught us full on, and made us think we were coasteering! Now all the chalk was useless!

Lena getting started on the beginning of Sea Groove

'Sea Groove' turned out ot be good but not awesome - however the setting could not be better.

Mother Carey's Star Gate. This is the cleft behind Brazen Buttress. Inner Space (HVS 4c***) climbs the left wall in the photo above, until level with the top roof of the cave, then around into a chimneying position - chimney to the chockstone near the lip. Pitch 2 starts with a sqeeze through, above the second chockstone (the top spot of  light in the photo), out, around, then to the top.

Later in the day the tide had gone out enough for us to abseil into the Kitchen and watch somebody on 'Rock Idol'. I wanted a bit of adventure and had always wanted to do 'Inner Space' in 'Star Gate'. We took a look and thought it looked absolutely amazing.

I'm starting up the wall on pitch 1

The first pitch starts up a slimey steep wall, but mostly on big jugs. I immediately realised I needed all the slings I had left in my rucksack at the top! - There were millions of threads and spikes.

I've just got my leg in a wide bridge position onto the far wall

The guidebook says, 'when level with the top of the roof, pull around into a chimneying position'. The second I looked round the corner I was blinded by daylight, being adjusted to the cave light. So rather than swinging round, I bridged out and slowly let my eyes see where I was going (hoping there would be gear for the traverse to the chockstone!).

Finally I got into the chimneying position at the roof of the cave

All the gear (which was all bomber) was at the roof of the cave - so both leader and second were safe! So now more relaxed, I could enjoy the wild position I was in, and the view down to the sea, between my legs.

Back and footing, chimneying, following the roof of the cave towards the chockstone belay

Just about to get to the chockstone

I'd saved a long sling for a possible thread belay around the chockstone, but when I got there, I found I could just use the top of the upper stone as a spike, and sit on the lower stone. A truly 3 star pitch, and one of my most exciting pitches.

Lena seconding with the camera - here is the drop below - with the tide coming in from the left

Lena managed to leave the belay on the ground before the tide had come in, and soon wondered if she was caving or climbing.

A  fairly comfortable stance. The second chockstone turned out to be brilliant for the belay, and the first (lower) stone was good as a platform. The second pitch starts by sqeezing through the gap behind my head and trying to get to a standing position before climbing the corner crack - brilliant!

There wasn't much space at the belay, and I'm glad we weren't a team of 3! So quickly Lena set off through the gap on the way to the top.

Lena arriving at the chockstone belay at the end of all that chimneying

Lena's pitch. She's done the squeeze and got into a standing position, fiddling gear before starting the awkward corner crack

A great climb, and the easiest climb in 'Star Gate'. The next climb on the tick list will be 'Deep Space' which looks even better. At this point, time and tide put an end to our Pembroke climbing for this trip, but it's all still there for next time.

Craig Caerfai - 21st April

The beginning of Orogeny

We were searching for sun, clear skies and an end to the rain at the end of April. North Wales was still cold and wet, so we headed down to South Wales and chose Craig Caerfai in Pembrokeshire to start. However, a University climbing club had also chosen the same crag, so it was busy busy. Liking slabs, I started on Orogeny (E2 5b**). The climbing is thin to start, but the rock was perfect.

Gaining the arete high on Orogeny

Lena on Nameless (VS 4c*) on the main slab

After the main University crowd had moved on for lunch, Lena finally got onto Nameless on the main slab - and found it straightforward.

The top of Nameless

I'm on Unknown Sentry

I had a second climb on Unknown Sentry (HVS 5a*). This was a great slab to start and then a steep cracked wall to finish - really nice, on perfect rock.

The top of Unknown Sentry

Lena starting Submarine Slab (VS 4b)

We had one last climb for the day when Lena got onto Submarine Slab. This was fine, until the final wall, which is totally unprotected (reason for the VS) - Lena had to stay calm and climb relaxed.

Submarine Slab

So after a brilliant day in the sun with clear blue skies, we were glad we had left the rain of North Wales to search out dry rock. (Unfortunately it didn't stay this way!).