Contrast

Wednesday 16th & Friday 18th April 2008

Was out bouldering at Craigmaddie near Glasgow on Wednesday and ice climbing on the Ben on Friday – total contrast in climbing “genres”. Scotland in spring is great. (when it’s doesn’t rain and there are no midgies)

Chockstoner @ Craigmaddie (Font 5+) - Cheers Davie for the photo !

Climbed Thomson’s Route (IV,4) and Two Step Corner (V,5) with Stuart MacFarlane. The Ben was is in great nick and we practically had it to ourselves – very quite for a Friday. I was quite happy to call it a day after Thomson’s but Stuart was insistent on another route so we abbed from a snow bollard over the cornice in number 3 gully. The wind that had blasted us on Thomson’s route had died down and Two Step turned out to be a great choice of route with fun climbing on all of the pitches.

The north face of Ben Nevis in all it's spring glory !

Abseiling the cornice ...

Postie on Two Step

Wester Ross Trip

11th - 13th April 2008

I’ve not been out climbing much due to these wee fellows below however I have managed to pull on plastic quite a bit in the new bouldering cave….. (Right that’s the request for pup & bouldering cave photos sorted !)

If anyone needs to see a man about a dug – I’m yer man !

The bouldering cave - 35 & 10 Degree wall plus a wee vertical section.

The trip to Fontainebleau had whetted my appetite for some rock climbing so some nice Gneiss in the North West fitted the bill perfectly. A day at Jetty Crag got us back in the rock climbing frame of mind. Anthrax Flake being the star route of the day, a great VS flake climb.

Day two at Inverianvie Crag in Gruinard Bay got us plenty of mileage under our belts up to about E2, with quite possibly the best descent route off a crag ever. I had hoped to get on Diabaig pillar on the Sunday but rain stopped play and forced us into a wee café at Gairloch. We headed round to Gruinard again as it looked brighter up that way – our optimism paid off and we had a few hours bagging the routes that were missed the day before.

Some stunning views in the North West just now ....

Early season stitching - the final roof of “The Parting Glass” (E1,5b)

Shades make the ideal eye wear for the cave descent
Seggie Quote “how come I keep hitting my head in here “

The jugs on “Temporary Beauty” (VS 5a) were that nice I thought I’d nip up a second time before the long drive home.

Cheers to Tom, Chris, Graeme, Lesley-Ann, Craig, Theresa & Ian for the first of what will hopefully be many successful trips this summer.