climbing adventures in Scotland and abroad
Fresh from our adventures on Hammer, we took the opportunity to head out to the most westerly point on the UK mainland to sample the immaculate gabbro of the ring dyke crags of Ardnamurchan. These remote outcrops form part of … Read More »
Rarely does a climbing trip planned in advance coincide with good, let alone exceptional, weather but this time the stars aligned and we plotted a course for classic venues in the West Highlands. First up was a visit to Beinn … Read More »
There can be fewer better places to capitalise on a heat wave than the remote Garbh Choire of Beinn a’ Bhuird – the high elevation north-facing cliffs are dank in typical conditions but provide spectacular routes in grand surroundings once … Read More »
A deep thaw followed by a rapid refreeze in late March saw the high ice routes on Ben Nevis come into superb condition. So when a perfect weather day appeared in the forecast it was a done deal – Andy … Read More »
Westerly storms had battered the Scottish hills for more than a week, but at least temperatures had fallen and ice had started to form. In these conditions, Lurcher’s Crag in the Northern Cairngorms can be blasted clear of powder and … Read More »
Storm Arwen and the following week of cold west and northerly winds has brought many mixed climbing venues into good early season condition. We wanted to climb on a crag facing the prevailing winds in the hope the rock would … Read More »
It’s a rare Scottish summer that facilitates multiple visits to the seepy sweeps of Creag an Dubh Loch’s granite shields, but after our success on Dubh Loch Monster we were keen for more. Much scheming ensued and we eventually plotted … Read More »
Four years ago, Ric and I had a minor epic on The Pause (E1 5b), when we optimistically attempted it in damp conditions and then got lost on the psychologically taxing pitch 4. Terrifying stuff in fact. A rematch was … Read More »
The Scottish mountains under the spell of a spring high pressure system are a special place – within two weeks we had gone from icy gullies on Lochnagar to contemplating big rock routes on Creag an Dubh Loch. Could it … Read More »
Following some great routes but mixed weather in the Grimsel Pass, the perfect window presented itself for a much bigger mountain objective. The famous Sudgrat of the Salbitschijen was the ideal target, with its 16 pitches offering 600m of golden granite … Read More »