Fourth Wall, Cir Mhor

A lovely day today, and a day off for both of us so we headed in to Glen Rosa and had a look at Fourth Wall (Severe 4b) on the West Face of Cir Mhor. Wally led it in three pitches.  The first one takes the first couple of pitches of Souwester slabs.

The start to Fourth Wall and Souwester Slabs

The angle eases for the second pitch, and being classic Arran granite, there is lots of friction climbing to enjoy and rough flakes to grapple with.  After a full 60m rope length, Wally belayed beneath a menacing looking chimney. This is Variation A of Fourth Wall- the "chimney direct" and the most natural line for the route.  It's described on the web as being unprotectable, but in true Wally style he filled the bottom two thirds with good gear, although the final moves out of the chimney must have felt pretty heady and a long way above his last runner.

Wally at the base of the scary chimney.

It has swallowed him.

It is a scary looking chimney!

#1 and #3 plus some climbing.

Last week we headed south on a mission to catch up with friends, do some cycling, and for Wally to do his Cytech Level 2 Bike mechanic's assessment (he passed- well done Wally!).
We stopped off at Stanage for some climbing on our way to Cambridge to see my best mate from school.

Wally on Castle Crack HS 4B, Stanage Edge

Taffeta was my partner in crime when we were growing up, and I hadn't seen her in years.  She is also one half of the wonderful Scrimshaw's Guerilla Kitchen so I was fed very well during my stay.  Seeing both Taff and my other close pal Aileen (from my uni days) was number three on my list of 41 things for this year. Although years have passed, our friendships have endured, with some humungous gaps between visits, but once together, with either of these two lovely women, its as if time hasn't passed at all.  I won't leave it so long next time.

Myrtle the Turtle, where incredible asian street food is prepared.

 A couple of days later, Wally returned, beaming and happy,  from his Cytech assessment. We loaded our bikes and took the train to Kings Lynn. From here we rode off on a three day tour that took us through varied landscapes of fen, dune and woodland, giving the lie to the assumption that East Anglia is flat and boring. Following Sustrans routes, we wiggled our way across country, up hill (yes, hills) and down dale, and even found ourselves riding off road at times. The final day was brutal- with a strong headwind on the nose for most of the day.  We were relieved when we finally arrived back in Cambridge to a warm welcome and dinner with Taffeta and her lovely family.

Country lanes

Sunset at Wells next the Sea

Roughing it

Roadside nap

Keep right at the Prickly Pear

Right now I'm sitting by the woodburner, all togged up in my winter gear (luckily lofting insulation is on test for the next issue of Outdoor Enthusiast), and the last two weeks would be a distant dusty memory, if it weren't for a little bottle of Argan Oil, from a Berber womens co-operative, carefully carried home from Morcocco in my hold luggage. I'm trying to recreate my favourite dish from the Kasbah Restaurant in Tafraout- a subtly fragranced take on a classic, chicken tagine with olives and lemon. Some incredible smells are wafting from my kitchen and I reckon I've just about nailed it, with the help of that argan oil, (although I might have gone too heavy on the preserved lemon...).

The Ameln Valley, Anti Atlas of Morocco

Sadly I can't recreate the ferocious sunlight, the big views and the lurid orange quartzite of the Jebel L'Kest range in the Anti Atlas of Southwest Morocco.   I've just returned from one of the most exciting climbing trips I've ever had, and luckily it all went pretty much to plan. 

We flew in to Agadir, and picked up a hire car.  After much angst we shelled out for a 4x4 which turned out to be a good call as not only are there lots of rough tracks to negotiate to get to the crags, but while we were out there they were also digging up pretty much the entire stretch of main road from Agadir to Tafraout. Tarmac was in short supply.

The climbing is situated on either side of the Jebel L' Kest escarpment, giving distinct north and south regions. We headed south to start with, and a rented apartment in Tafraout, giving us easy access to the crags of the Ameln Valley. We don't climb hard, but there was plenty to go at amongst the easy routes.  Highlights of this part of our trip included the fabulously alpine Sun Ribbon Arete (S) on the bizarrely shaped (and named) Bunny Ears at Robin Hood rocks, and some superb cragging at Cheshire Cheese Crag and Tizgut gorge.

Bunny Ears, Robin Hood Rocks

 Blacksticks Blue Slabs (S), Cheshire Cheese Crag

Tafraout itself is a busy if scruffy town, not yet given over to all things touristy, but well used to receiving trekkers and climbers, and with a few good eateries and basic hotels. The Kasbah was the place to eat and be seen, and seems to be in league with the brothers over the road at Maison Troc, who will sell you a carpet if you wish (or even if you don't). The food is excellent and I was happy to eat salad and all sorts of other contraband without ill effects. Elsewhere in the town I can recommend the Hotel Tanger for dinner (no idea about the rooms), were the food is almost as good, a quarter the price, the service a bit more relaxed, and the locals dine. Expect to be offered a small selection of delicious tagines with bread.  Couscous generally has to be pre-ordered as round here it isn't the 5 min prep type. On Tuesday night and Wednesday morning there is a souk in town. Its a good place to stock up on picnic goodies such as olives and dates.

On non climbing days we wafted around the hills and scrambled on remote peaks on the edge of the Sahara. On a particularly gentle day headed down south to the oasis at the Gorge D' Ait Mansour. Here actual water sloshes along the bottom of a spectacular palm filled sandstone gorge. The towering walls here are hundreds of metres high, with villages perched on their lower slopes to avoid the occasional flash flood. A clamber to the summit of Jebel L'Kest (2359m) was quite literally the highpoint of the holiday.  We approached from the precarious vilage of Anergui (the drive is an experience in itself), and negotiated a maze of rocky alpine valleys to locate the South Ridge, a great wee scramble to the top with stunning views that stretch accross Morocco from ocean to peak and desert. 

The Summit of Jebel L'Kest 2359m

Gorge'D'Ait Mansour

Moving north and leaving Tafraout behind, we based ourselves for a couple of days at the sumptious Tizourgane Kasbah (a fairytale fortified guesthouse, refreshingly quiet after the town) and barely scraped the surface of the acres of rock located within easy driving distance of Igaoudnidif. We tried  a friendly if occasionally loose little crag at Tizi Gzaouine, and some very accessible (if a little hot) cragging on south facing Ksar Rock,  The classic severe, Desert Man at Ksar is aptly named, as we sweltered in the direct sun at midday.

Wally feeling the heat on Desert Man (S) Ksar Rock

As a finale we went big, with a day up in the high hills at Adrar Asmit. The 1 hour walk in seemed intimidating after a couple of weeks of roadside rock but we soon remembered that we are from Scotland and it's basically still cragging, and got on with it. The highlight of our trip was here: Wild Country, a mere V Diff, with occasionally scrappy climbing, but a fabulous mountaineering experience and stunning views across the northern valleys of the L'Kest range, with the sea visible in the west and the snowcapped main Atlas peaks to the north.

Getting some exposure on Wild Country (V Diff)

Suspect belay (cairn- but the base was good...!)) summit of Adrar Asmit.

With guidebook descriptions that read "keep right of the prickly pear" and "descent straightforward if prickly", it was never going to be an pain-free trip. The climbing was at all times exciting, although this was often as much due to suspect rock as the situations.  The rock is baked in the desert heat of the summer and is prone to fracturing, often without warning.  If in doubt, hit it!  Even in the lower grades, trad climbing here is a serious undertaking, with self rescue being the order of the day. At Tandelt Crag in the Lions Face area of Ameln for example, we found a scary array of loose rock not mentioned in the guide, which may have developed recently? We also witnessed apparently spontaneous rockfall at this crag.

There have been a lot of new routes put up in a short time, and as a result many have seen only a handful of ascents and although we found the grading to be fair, if even quite friendly, stars seem to have been awarded quite enthusiastically so take these with a pinch of salt. However, for us the destination was a superb choice, with lots and lots of rock, at grades to suit all comers. The objective dangers and need for self reliance combined with good mountain sense served mainly to heighten the sense of adventure rather than detract from the experience.
More info and guidebooks: http://www.climb-tafraout.com/

Prospero's Prelude and a mean chimney, Cir Mhor

I'm feeling bruised and a bit exfoliated this morning after a typical day climbing on rough Arran granite yesterday.  Wally and I headed up to the south face of Cir Mhor in Glen Rosa.  The day was damp and clagged in when we set off , but by the time we had set off up the first pitch of Prospero's Prelude (moderate) the mist was lifting. The route gives great views of the harder lines on the South Ridge and the Rosa Pinnacle, and a fun access to the higher climbs near the summit.  After that we did a fierce chimney on the southern side of the summit buttress. We think it was Brodick Chimney (diff), but the guidebook description doesn't really fit so we are not sure. It certainly felt tough at diff with two chockstones and a through route at the top that was not for the broad of beam.

First pitch of Prospero's Prelude.  A mod with a few fun wee boulder problems.

Stunning views of the South Ridge and Rosa Pinnacle

Brodick Chimney? Wally going for full body exfoliation.

A last look up the glen to Cir Mhor on the way out.

Lake District Heatwave: Part 2- Beautiful Borrowdale

So its midweek and we are well and truly stuck in to the climbing in the Lake District and expecting the heatwave to last and then suddenly Woah! It is drizzling on and off.  What to do? Easy, saunter down to the cafe at Shepherds Crag, Borrowdale for a huge fried breakfast and sit and look at the will-it-won't-it weather for an hour or so.

Handy cafe at the bottom of the crag.  It would never catch on in Scotland....

Before long the sultry conditions returned and the day blossomed in to another hot crag fest on nice rock with lovely holds. We started gently with Jackdaw Ridge (left), before ticking the classic lakes V Diff Little Chamonix. This route is a must do, and many have, meaning that the crux holds are polished, and the hilarious step/slither across the void at the top of the third pitch is nervy. Sitting astride The Saddle at the start of the final pitch my relief was palpable. I learned later that there is a secret foothold that makes these moves easy peasy. Oh well. I'll just have to do it again...

 Wally on the first pitch of Little Chamonix

By mid afternoon we were over heating again and returned to the cafe to meet friends for ice cream. A perfect day marred only slightly by the discovery that a mouse at the foot of Little Chamonix had chewed it's way in to my pack, eaten most of my compass cord and had a feast on a granola bar. Hmmm.

We camped further up the glen (oops "Dale") and with the forecast still set fair, the following morning headed for a mountain crag above Combe Gill called Raven Crag (there seem to be a lot of these in the Lakes). On a recommendation from a friend, we headed up the classic Diff, Corvus ("arguably the best diff in the Lakes"), and were not disappointed. The climbing was continuously interesting, despite the broken and green nature of the buttress, and the "celebrated" hand traverse (above right) was great fun. 

The views down Borrowdale from the top of the crag were stupendous.

Enthused by such fantastic climbing, we descended to the base of the crag and also climbed Raven Crag Buttress, an esoteric V Diff that deserves more attention.  The line was very green and vegetated, and yet the climbing was fantastic, on huge steep holds, interspersed with delicate sections of climbing. If you have ever wondered what some of the Lake District classics were like before the crowds and the polish, check out this route!

Climbing amongst the heather on Raven Crag Buttress

All that remained on reaching the top was to run over to the summit of Glaramara, and enjoy the fabulous panoramic views from the top. Another perfect end to a perfect day in the Lake District.  

Up next: Grisedale.

Lake District Heatwave: Part 1- Lovely Langdale

Yep, you read right, I've been south of the border. To some this may not be surprising (it is where I originate from), but those who know me also know that I have vowed never to tousle with traffic, queues and expensive car parking ever again. And yet last week I found myself in the Lake District, in a heatwave, looking for rock to climb.

The story began in Langdale, a place I know reasonably well, and anticipating a long week of climbing, we started gently with a couple of routes on Upper Scout Crag. Even by English standards this is a valley crag with an easy walk in, which is just as well, as the day was roasting hot. The classic routes on this crag are imaginatively named Route 1 and Route 2, both V Diff (ish). The latter takes a rising line through ledges and slabs, while the former is more direct and probably the more satisfying for it. In between routes, it was all I could do to lie very still in the heat, trying to cool down. (We don't get this kind of heat in Scotland...)

Day 2, and we decided to go a little further afield and visit an old favourite, Gimmer Crag.  Gimmer is notorious for having an arduous approach, but after 6 years of living on Arran and stomping up and down Glen Rosa, an hour walk in to a crag feels like roadside! Nevertheless, the heat was astonishing, and we were glad to arrive in a heap at the looming base of Gimmer Chimney (V Diff). 

The compelling line of Gimmer Chimney

The route is really only 4 pitches long, but after a sweaty thrutch in the lower chimney, it was all I could do to lie in the sun a bit more.  Game over. Heat 1, Lucy 0....

Day 3, and at last I'm starting to get the measure of the weather.  An early start put us down a grade and on Middlefell Buttress in the cool morning shade. This is one of the most famous Diffs in the Lake District and rightly so.  Although now quite polished, it is still quite straightforward, with the only sting in the tail being the descent. With hindsight, this would have been a great approach to Gimmer. However, on this occasion it was an early finish for ice cream, and then a drive up to Basenthwaite to visit the Lake District Osprey Project.

Still to come: Borrowdale and Grisedale!

Surf/Climb Holiday Part 2: Cornish Climbing

We had about 10 days down in the South West which I fully expected to be incredibly wet and wild. We brought surf and boogie boards to give us a chance of having something to do when the inevitable foul weather came.  In the event, some of the fiercest storms of the Autumn so far lashed the western shores of the British Isles with an almost constant barage of low pressure systems, swell and dark windy days.
However, we were in luck with the rain, which generally held off until nightfall, and when the surf was just too messy and big for us northern softies, we went rock climbing.  Fancy that.

There are 2 good places I know of to climb at the southern tip of cornwall when the tides are wrong and the swell is big.  If you know of any more, let me know!
The first, Bosigran, is an old favourite of mine, and it was here that I began my long love affair with granite that was to culminate in moving to the isle of Arran.  At Bosigran, the rock is rough, solid, and generally the climbs in the lower grades are well protected,  Don't let me lull you in to a false sense of security however, the grades are very "Scottish", many of the routes are long, and the climbing athletic even at v diff.

 

Porthmoina Island, cut off from the rocky crags of Bosigran by tide and swell. 

Classic V Diff Commando Ridge- The starting pitch was washed by swell on this occasion so we left if for a calmer day....

 

Wally on the second Pitch of Ledge Climb: V Diff

 

  

Wally on the eponymous Ledge

 

Thrutching my way up the the final ledges on Alison Rib

The other great place to climb I know when the weather is wild is Trewavas head on the south coast, just along from the wonderful beach at Praa Sands.
Pictures below are of the tin mining ruins on the walk in, and me doing my best impression of a popsicle in the cold cold wind.  The climbing on the main cliff is generally short pitches, in an exposed position high above the sea.  It is certainly not a place to get out of the elements, but a good place to get away from the waves.

 

 

Surf/climb Holiday Part 1: Change of plan and Box Bay

The best laid plans.....
Our much anticipated autumn climbing and surfing trip to the Western Isles was sadly put on hold with the passing of my grandfather John Battersby.  The family gathered in Wales to celebrate and remember his extraordinary life.  There was much sadness, but a lot of happiness too as he was an amazing, funny and clever man, and remembering him brought as much laughter as sorrow.

After the funeral, we decided to stick with the climbing and surfing plan, but took advantage of our location, and began a tour of the Southwest that would take us through Wales, down to the end of Cornwall, and in to darkest Devon... I'm going to post the images in stages, as we did a fair bit, but will only bore you with the best bits!

The holiday began with a sunset climb at one of Wales' most popular surfing spots, Rest Bay.  Just east of the main beach lies a small rocky incut, known to the locals as Box Bay.  Here there are short and fun routes on sharp limestone.  Rough rock and lots of cracks make them relatively safe, and generally low in the grade (by Scottish standards), but beware many of the starts are unprotected, and the landings awkward/dangerous.

Shimmering surf in Rest Bay....

 The routes have tricky blank and barnacley starts with wet and rocky landings....

 But once established, there is plenty of gear and lots to hold on to.

 

It was a stunning evening, didn't really feel like October at all! Here's wally looking like he should be sipping a pina colada on the top of the crag. 

Eventually the sun set, and we had to go....

South Souwester Slabs

Final post in what for me has been a blogging marathon! Time to get out there and do some stuff....
I cut my Sutherland trip short because Wally was at home on Arran sitting under a high pressure system without a climbing partner.  The opportunity was too good to miss (weather good enough to climb doesn't often coincide with both of us being available these days...).

The day dawned a lot darker and damper than we'd hoped and we decided to head for Cir Mhor, a favourite stamping ground with reliable rock and less seepage than other Arran crags. The picture above shows the south ridge, whose direct line is one of the island's classics. The other classic route here is Souwester Slabs, a V Diff that we have done a few times.  This time we decided to join up the dots by heading up South Souwester- a more direct line, that starts to the right of Souwester Slabs, crosses it, follows cracks to the left, before joining it under a massive roof and following the same line to the top.  This route gets Severe.

Wally led most of the route, and the first pitch was the crux. Near the top of the pitch a small roof requires either confident jamming or delicate laybacking to bypass. Wally opted for the jams and thugged his way up impressively.  I followed and with some "tension" from the top rope managed the delicate layback option.
The second pitch was a beaut. Fantastic cracks and gorgeous granite slabs. Photo below!

I led off the second stance- primarily because this involves an awkward step down and across and this seemed to be the best way to protect me.  I'm not a confident leader, but with hindsight I could have led all the way up to the roof and perhaps there would be some justification for claiming alternate leads.  Alas I chickened out and belayed on the lower slab and Wally led the rest of the route. Ambition for 2011 season- get back in to leading properly. This will require a bit more motivation and focus on my part.  I'm inherently lazy and my partner is a solid and reliable leader. Lucky me!

Stones and Skye

I managed to squeeze in a long weekend on Skye even though it is August and was treated to a couple of days of fantastic weather.  Even when the weather gave up on us a day earlier than forecast, we made the most of it with a visit to the Brochs of Glenelg- over on the mainland  from Kylerhea in a wee ferry that just happens to be community owned.

Arriving on the island on the Thursday night, we made straight for Glenbrittle.  The quiet campsite nestling by the sea at the foot of the Cuillins is just about my favourite place on earth.  We had hoped to get straight in to the mountains but on the first morning big black clouds hung ominously over the corries and there was rain in the air so we headed down the peninsula, where the sun was shining, to explore ruined villages and an ancient Dun (below).

The wildife found around Glenbrittle is very special and it is one of the best places I know to view golden eagles.  On this occasion the eagles were a bit shy, but we watched gannets and porpoises fishing in the Soay Sound, and stumbled over a Jack Snipe- an unusual passing migrant that crops up in the islands from time to time.

Our second day was blessed with better weather and we headed up in to Coir a Ghrunnda, the rockiest of the Black Cuillin Corries, to do some climbing. With the rock seeping moisture from the day before, we chose an easy route- a 240m Moderate called Slab Buttress. The route was a delightful meander up easy slabs, if a bit indistinct in the middle. The rock was really good, and mostly of the roughest purple brown gabbro for which Skye is famous.

The views in to the inner corrie and Sgurr Dubh Mor were magnificent, and we climbed all afternoon in the sunshine.

The third day, unfortunately, I have no photos!  This was because we failed miserably to find anything to climb, having picked a route in Coire Lagan that turned out to be too wet, and then picked another that turned out to be too hard and we retreated.... The day wasn't a failure, we enjoyed lazing around in the sun in Coire Lagan- one of the most beautiful places imaginable, and walked back via the Eas Mor waterfall. I have posted pictures of these already here on a different visit.

We weren't worried about wasting a day, because we had seen the forecast for Monday and it was going to be fine.  Of course Monday dawned wet and horrible so plan B was hastily concocted involving various tourist attractions, the Sea Eagle Exhibition at the Aros Centre, (ace), a boat trip to watch Sea Eagles (eagles ace, but boat trip was not the best customer service experience), 2 hours in a midge infested hide waiting for otters that didn't appear, but watching lots of seals, black guillemots and other wildlife (ace) and finally, the wee ferry to Glenelg to visit the Brochs of Glenelg which were very very special indeed.

The brochs are pictish habitations dating back 2,000 years standing some 25-30 feet high.  Built entirely of stone, with no windows or mortar, they are masterpieces of drystane walling. They were probably high status dwellings. They look amazing, and although are no longer complete- in some ways this is a bonus as it is possible to see the internal staircase that was used to help construct them.
There is lots of info on the web about them, but none of it really does them justice. I should have known that they would be so surprising- Scotland is full of incredible sites like this tucked away and unknown.  If you get a chance to visit them- do!