UKC

I'm heading up to Glasgow for 5 weeks with work next Friday. What are the must visit areas (both evening and weekend trips).
So far on the list of places are:
Reiff (I'm going to the festival as that sounds fun).
Torridon
Dumbarton Rock
Auchinstarry quarry
Hawkcraig
Any other recommendations for crags would be appreciated (preferably with minimal midges), happy for trad/ sport/ bouldering.
Also if anyone is after a partner for evening/ weekend climbing feel free to get in touch!

In reply to spenser:

There are a couple of little valleys an hour or so North. Not up to Achinstarry quality but you might find the odd route to interest you - they're known as Glencoe and Glen Etive

Seriously though, you will be in UK climbing Mecca with Glencoe easy for a day, Ben Nevis (or Glen Nevis if weather or time demand), for a long day or weekend. Many other lowland outcrops besides the ones you mention are within reach, Dunkeld being particularly noteworthy (and I can't not mention Limekilns if your going to Fife for Aberdour). Then there's the whole of the Cairngorms, with the roadside Creag Dubh Newtonmore in case high crags are out. And don't forget your local mountain crags on The Cobbler - a short drive and a long hike but a marvellous place to climb if you can get it dry (don't try it in the wet!).

No doubt others better qualified than me will come along with loads I know nowt about or have forgotten or simply omitted, it being 30 odd years since I lived there. A big bonus these days is they now have great beer.

In reply to Martin Bennett:

Don't forget there is also rock south of Glasgow which is often dry when northwards isn't.

In reply to Martin Bennett:


They also have lots of rain at this time of year, and little evening light so evening cragging may be a tad restricted.

Loudoun Hill is a gem of a cragging spot, close to Glasgow, if its dry.

In reply to spenser:


It also has the best single pitch of vs climbing in the world (that I can think of at the moment, and I'm quite distracted,) in the edge. Stonking route. Good few others there top quality too.

My general rule of thumb is that if the weather is good, go mountains. If it's not so good, chase the weather, with Northumberland as the backup of everything looks bad.

Other than the stuff already mentioned, my profile photo is half an hour on the other side of Edinburgh, dunkeld has a lot, potentially even start the tooling in prep for winter if the weather is poor.

There's a few Facebook groups that you should join for the easiest way to find climbing partners.

In reply to spenser:

Another vote for Glen Coe and the Etive Slabs from me, although the latter must be one of the most trouser-browning venues I know!

While I don't believe Arrochar is up to the 'Coe's standards, there are some good routes of all grades for newcomers to enjoy. My poor standard of climbing limits my recommendations to the easier stuff, but Punster's Crack and Whither Wether (especially when combined with Wether wall) are both superb for their grades.

Dunkeld is not far from Glasgow and well worth a visit too - again an excellent spread of grades (Polney for easier, Cave Crag for harder).

I used to like Auchinstarry, as a bright-eyed beginner (when all climbing was good), but I wouldn't give a toss about it now. If you do like it and want to take your experience of graffiti-daubed ned-infested scruffy quarries to its logical conclusion, the finest two of the genre I know are Rosyth and Neilston (which is truly amazing in it's own way!), although Cambusbarron runs them close.

I do like Dumby though!

M

In reply to spenser:

Not really must-visit Scottish crags, but since you seem to be looking for low-level near Glasgow too:

Ben A'an in the Trossachs is worth a visit if the higher hills are not an option, and works as an early evening trip from Glasgow. It's midgie hell if it isn't windy, though. And can be a bit on the tick-infested side, though that's worse in the Spring.

The Whangie has fairly poor climbing but is worth seeing, and you might as well do a couple of routes while you're there. The sunsets over the Luss and Arrochar hills can be stunning. It's also midgie hell if it isn't windy, but I've never seen ticks there.

In reply to spenser:

Skye....everyone seems to go to the mountains, but the sea cliffs at Rubha Hunish are pretty special. If you're prepared to drive then the Old Man Of Stoer is well worth a visit.

Etive slabs are great too! Even if I've taken huge lead falls/slide on both of my visits...ensure you wear trousers and long sleeves, and pack a midge net and plents of repellant!

In reply to spenser:

Diabeag and Toilladh up in Torridon

In reply to spenser:

It can be a bit mixed weather wise up hear this time of year...

Dumbarton it really quick drying, and a safe bet for local stuff. Also Ratho quarry, which can be surprisingly quick drying, only needs a bit of sun to bring some good stuff into condition, with the added benefit of having a perma-dry crag attached! Loudan Hill is really nice and exposed, so could be a winner for a mixed forecast. The Walk on the Wild Side slab at Achinstarry will be good, but the rest of the crag gets quite green towards the end of the year.

Some off the beaten track stuff... Ardnamurchan if a lovely place for a weekend visit, or a long weekend combined with a bit of island hopping. Other island venues such as Mull and Arran are lovely weekend trips from Glasgow. I'd save Glen Coe for a spring time visit, unless there has been a drought, but you may find dry rock at Glen Nevis.

The North West has an abundance of quick drying areas, you mentioned Rieff, I'd also check out the east coast crags around Iverness, as these can often be in a rain shadow, if it craps out when you are stuck in Ullapool or Gairloch.

Enjoy and good luck!

In reply to jonnie3430:


Northumberland is so often a saviour for a wet forecast. Not too bad a drive from Glasgow too...

In reply to spenser:

Thanks for the advice everyone, definitely missed out some of the really obvious crags such as Etive Slabs and Skye as I wrote this at the end of my lunch break (early starts, weirdly early lunches).
Amusingly I'm already working in Newcastle and know Northumberland pretty well so if the weather does bail I'll consider driving back down as there are plenty of partners around there.
Definitely proving I'm a Scotland novice here...

In reply to spenser:

I'm just back from a week trip around Scotland, which was pretty successful, and lived there for 4 years way back when.


Great, but don't miss the nearby mountains out of laziness/convenience - we did a day on Stac Pollaidh which was great. Reiff does seem to dry very very quickly though and escapes rain over the hills.


Torridon is a big valley. I just climbed at Diabaig for the first time and thought it was great. Route II is probably the best HVS I've done in the UK. When you park persevere, it doesn't look brilliant at first - but the actual climbing is very fine.


Dumby is an acquired taste, but if you are in Glasgow, you gotta go - just because. The routes are a bit shit sub HVS, I know having done some that at least back in the 90s looked like virtually never got climbed by anyone else. Maybe Monsoon Gully is a polished, chalked up mega-classic now, but somehow I doubt it.


Auchinstarry is many things, but "must-visit" is really not one of them. Absolutely fine if you're in East Glasgow and only have a couple of hours to climb, but otherwise go to better places.

Basically, get up to the highlands, particular the NW - it's great.

In reply to spenser:
The Old Man Of Stoer is fantastic - there is a 3* VS and 3 * E1 going up it Diamond Face Route (E1 5b)#photos

Also if the weather allows Carn Dearg on the Ben isn't too high up and has some great routes at your sort of grade
http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=210858

In reply to spenser:

Cant believe I just saw Rubha Hunish on a "must visit" list - it is absolutely awesome (with a bothy at the top of the crag to retreat to!) but somewhat of an acquired taste. Be aware that some of the starred routes are probably unrepeated. The amount of climbing on Skye is amazing and well worth the drive as there is almost always something dry - Spantastic at Flodigarry, Grey panther at Kilt Rock, most routes at the financial sector at Neist and the sea cliff at Elgol should be on most peoples hit lists.

Reiff - cant really be beaten when everything else is wet though you might also want to think about Sheigra or also Ardnamurchan if you're going to drive that far both of which have lots of starred routes on brilliant rock.
Torridon - Seanna Mheallan is well worth the heinous approach (best in the afternoon/evening). Diabiag is brilliant and can be dry when the rest of torridon is not. Beinn Eighe is well worth the effort for either the Far East Wall or one of the long mountaineering routes.
Small Glasgow Venues - I would add Lime kilns (a wee bit of a drive) as its great for getting a lot of routes in a short time.

Others have mentioned Etive slabs which is amazing but only if you are a confident slab climber above VS. (though it is worth the visit just to do the only VS there!). Glen Coe is great with everything from the "big" routes on the buachille to shorter stuff on the East Face of Aonach Dubh or the multi pitch classics of the West Face of Aonach Dubh.

Its also worth realising that Arran is only a short ferry ride away as is Mull (well ok - after the drive to Oban). Both islands have an amazing amount of great climbing and get better weather than the mainland.

In reply to Smelly Fox:

There are plenty of quick-drying crags in the 'Coe, worth a visit any time from April to October for rock climbing, given good weather.

Indeed, Glen Nevis is the one to avoid in high summer, due to terrorist midges! Definitely better in spring or autumn.

In reply to spenser:

Cobbler (not a crag, but some good stuff), Quadrocks (not far from Glasgow and good scenery, though climbing isn't the best) and Dunkeld (Polney Crag, really nice place).

In reply to spenser:

You'll be lucky to fit much in of an evening in Scotland in October what with the darkness and everything, although Dumbarton might well be an exception to this if you're quick from Glasgow. Auchinstarry may be many things but a "must visit crag in Scotland" it is not.

For access from the central belt I'd reckon Polney and Cave Crag at Dunkeld are best but certainly the "must visit" crags are in the North and West. Reiff and Diabaig are magnificent places even if you can't climb as is Glen Nevis.
The Etive slabs have some superb routes and some real frighteners too but are maybe a bit less likely to be freezing this time of year than Glen Coe. Your best bet in the Coe is likely to be East face/ Far East of Aonach Dubh but again the walking on Bidean nam Bian is majestic at that tie of year even if you can't climb. Agag's groove is reasonably friendly into October but you wouldn't want to hang around for fear of getting ,mighty cold. Butterknife on Garbh Bheinn would be a similar sort of day but is a bit more of a walk than routes in Glen Coe
I did Torro in September , and there were folk on the Carn Dearg buttress last September too so you could be lucky with Centurion which you wouldn't regret doing. September can be ok for Hell's Lum on Cairngorm too. Another worthwhile route is Ardverikie Wall. You might also find that South Ridge Direct on Arran is ok at this time of year and is a superb route. The a chir ridge is also a great day out on Arran though the arran scrambles are serious in places. The Cobbler routes get impossibly slippery in the damp and I think the Cobbler schist would be trickier in the cold than the routes north and west. Sea stacks- Old man of Stoer is superb :not exactly handy from Glasgow but if you'd made it as far as reiff it would be a high priority, as could some of the Stac Pollaidh routes be.

As a useful antidote to all this rock based enthusiasm, though, its far from unheard of for the winter season in the Cairngorms to have begun by mid october

I'm disappointed not to have any surprise routes for you but I suppose these are famous for a reason.

In reply to spenser:

Actually - as a more surprising offering if you're heading north west anyway Salamander on Creag Ghlas is pretty good. Approach easier with a bike. (Probably also true of Ardverikie Wall)

In reply to spenser:

I've only experienced the NW Highlands, but the area has the many of the must visit crags of the UK.

Sheigra: the best crag ever. Steep, spectacular sea cliff on literally perfect rock, plastered in huge jugs to swing about on. So much fun it'll probably be made illegal.

Reiff: Stanage by the sea, but with really soft grades. Amazing scenery, perfect rock, loads of great little routes.

Stac Pollaidh: Magical miniature mountain. Like multi-pitch grit, leading to a perfect summit; also an amazing wall of big E4s and E5s - bigger than grit but similar rounded cracks and features, in majestic surroundings.

Diabaig: technical slabs about 50m high, with gear, best rock in the world (same as stuff as Sheigra, but slabby rather than steep and juggy), wonderful setting.

There are more great crags too, e.g. Ardmair, Sienna Miller or whatever, etc, Tollie, but the ones above are unmissable IMO. Worth a trip up there - or the Hebrides - every year.

In reply to spenser:

Hi

Also research some venues in the East/NE for when the weather craps out in the West and South - Angus sport venues, Aberdeen sea cliffs and Pass of Ballater have saved many a weekend when its been wet everywhere else this year but we are in Fife so its more convenient for us to drive up

+1 for having Limekilns on the list of alternatives, nice crag, local (ish) to you, some good routes and its limestone trad

Cheers

In reply to spenser:

Pass, of balfater a good call. Also creag dubh, which is as close to road as Polney and a beautiful spot too

In reply to spenser:

Before heading up to the highland crags it's worth ticking the local stuff. I've just remembered there is a central belt classics, and a central belt hvs ticklist that should keep you happy. (And windjammer isn't 3 star? Wtaf)