UKC

Hi.

I read this comment in the logbooks for Needle by somebody called Gudge.

"...Sent Neil the wrong way on P1 due to following the line given incorrectly in SMC 2005 Scottish Rock Climbs (SMC 2007 The Cairngorms gives the correct line & description for this pitch)!...

I have the 2005 Scottish Rock climbs guidebook. Assuming the above quote is true, could somebody be kind enough to provide me with the correct description of the pitch/route description, perhaps from the SMC Cairngorms guide as previously mentioned?

Cheers,
Tom

In reply to Tom Last:

Bump.
Any of you lovely people able to help?

In reply to Tom Last:

Ages (20 years or so?) since I did that route, but, for the record:

2005 Scottish Rock Climbs:

'1. 30m 4b Climb straight up the slab, then step left to a nose at 20m to reach a ledge and block belay'

2007 Cairngorms:

'1. 30m 4b Climb straight up the slab, then a step left on to a nose on the left of an overlap at about 20m and continue to a ledge.'

Have a good day out: the weather looks great just now.

In reply to Tom Last:

Hi Tom

I am the Neil in question but unfortunately I don't have the guidebooks. Basically you need to stay left of the incorrect route given in the guide. I'm afraid I can't offer much more than that but I only suffered from a bit of awkward down climbing, nothing major.

Felt lucky to get such good conditions this time last year and the current weather looks ideal so have a great time if you head up there. Simply one of the best cliffs I've set foot one.

In reply to Rob Parsons:

Top man, thank you

In reply to ned_85:

That's great, thanks a lot Neil. Looking forward to it

In reply to Tom Last:

The topo in the 2005 guide has the line of the first pitch crossing the overlap on the right rather than left which is much harder than 4b. I'd advise using the route description rather than the topo for this pitch unless of course you want to add a bit of spice to the start!

In reply to Gudge:

Thanks for that, I can see exactly what you mean.

Tom

In reply to Tom Last:

No worries dude. Have you got a copy of the 2007 topo? If not let me know as have still got a pic of it on my phone so can easily send you a copy if you like.

In reply to Tom Last:

My apologies. Scottish Rock Climbs (2005) was wrong and it was corrected in Cairngorms (2007), also with a better description. Just as a curiosity, it was easier in the old days without topos, when you just set off and took the easiest line.

On the same subject, it's hard drawing lines exactly on such a big cliff, and the following is already on the SMC web-site:

p192 Shelter Stone Crag:
On the photodiagram, on pitch 4 of Haystack and Steeple, Haystack is shown leaving Steeple too high up. It leaves before the start of the ramp (about 3mm further left).

Pitch 1 of The Needle will be added.

In reply to Andy Nisbet:

Cheers Gudge, thanks but no need.

Andy, honestly please don't apologise! It's not exactly easy writing guidebooks, especially not for remote areas. Thanks for all the work