UKC Logbook - 'Sword of Gideon'

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Highland > Sgurr a'Chaorachain >

Sword of Gideon

VS 4c

Adjacent Climbs
<< Gideon's Wrath

Bumbly Two >>

125m, 4 pitches. Park at week parking spot just below switchbacks on road. Climb can be seen from road (5 min walk in!), first pitch is up the easy rock below the climb proper. Head left up crack/ramp at start of first pitch. Interest on first pitch dwindles after those first few moves. Quite bold at the start. 2nd (crux) pitch starts at the ledge, which can be traversed into if avoiding first pitch. Follow the crack up, then traverse left to belay stance. Fairly good gear. Committing 4a/4b move at start of 3rd pitch on good gear. Straightforward after that. 4th pitch starts at ledge, go straight up. Poss to link 3&4, but scope for good belay at top is poor. Better gear for belay at top of pitch 3.

Ticklists: The 100 Best UK VS routes?, Classic Far Northwest, Ultimate Scottish Rock, Scottish Mid-Grade Multi-Pitch, Easter 2012, Scottish 3 and 4 star multi-pitch routes.

Photo: Sword of Gideon © colinthrelfall
View all 12 photos or Submit a new photo of this climb.

PUBLIC LOGBOOKS

This climb is in 162 logbooks, and on 31 wishlists.

Elsier - AltLd O/S - 09/Jun/13 with Adrian

hot sunny day. good climbing. first pitch is easy climbing but longer than 50m , maybe 60m, so was worth splitting at a midway ledge.
brianrunner - AltLd - 09/Jun/13 with martina

Roberttaylor - Lead O/S - 07/Jun/13 with Thomas Henderson Schwartz

Lead pitch 2. P1 was more like 55m.
JamieSparkes - AltLd - 07/Jun/13 with Fergus Cuthill

The Big Sender - AltLd O/S - 07/Jun/13

Holly Spice - AltLd O/S - 07/Jun/13 with Tom B

alexmcmillan - Lead O/S - 06/Jun/13 with Eleanor Dow

With Ian and Helen.
eloise - 2nd O/S - 09/May/13

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 12/Apr/13

Stuzz - AltLd rpt - 20/Feb/13 with Chris Hingly

Martin Bennett - 2013

Hidden - 2013

sparbus - AltLd - 16/Aug/12 with dave porter

BallsOfSteel - Lead O/S - 12/Aug/12 with steve peatfield

jess - AltLd O/S - 21/Jul/12 with glen dickson

2nd pitch and 4th Led. interesting Traverse.
ClimbingGlen - AltLd O/S - 21/Jul/12 with Jess Mccaskey

peter.herd - AltLd - 18/Jul/12 with Marcus Brown

Hidden - AltLd - 18/Jul/12

iceicebaby - Lead O/S - 16/Jul/12 with Sam Wood

Andy Moles - AltLd O/S - 14/Jul/12 with Ferdia

mctinkno - AltLd O/S - 14/Jul/12 with Andy

Lead pitches 2 and 4.
DavPk - AltLd O/S - 07/Jul/12 with Michael Sutherland

A bit breezy. Definitely the better option than the CIC which was wet. Nice camping and dining in Shieldaig. Led 1 and 3.
mikesuth - AltLd - 07/Jul/12 with David Pearks

Ideal easy walk in for a mountain route. A driech, cold and windy day. Excellent rock, would have been better had we been able to feel our fingers! A couple of spicy initial moves on the first pitch. Led pitches 1 & 3.
sophiecb - AltLd O/S - 16/Jun/12 with Scooter

First ascent by Tom Patey in early 1960's - SOLO -impressive.
John Workman - Lead - 09/Jun/12 with Geoff

Wow, what a traverse on to the belay ledge!
Moonstone Hippy - 2nd - 09/Jun/12 with John W

DerwentDiluted - Lead - 04/Jun/12 with Nicola Pettit

Led p1 & 2
Harri777 - AltLd - 02/Jun/12 with Naomi

Icy gale, frozen feet & found P1 scary enough that I bottled P2 lead, but then followed Harri up and led the much easier P3.
NB Pixel - AltLd O/S - 02/Jun/12 with Harri!

simonty - 2nd - Jun/12

Abi Chard - AltLd O/S - 27/May/12 with Ian

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 05/May/12

Mapleleaf - AltLd - 04/May/12 with Mark G

A great route, interest on all three pitches, some airy positions and quite tough for grade - first pitch is more like 4c, second almost 5a and tough 4b move on top pitch too. Short, sharp cruxes though, plenty of easier ground....perfect walk in too!
Chad123 - Lead O/S - 29/Apr/12 with Emily

Hidden - 2012

alan moore - 2012

Callum Anderson - 2012

Patzl - 2012

xusa - 2nd O/S - 08/Nov/11 with Gareth Borthwick

nowler - AltLd O/S - 06/Nov/11 with j.richards

ZA - Lead - 02/Oct/11 with Ainhoa

Led pitches 2 & 4, FM leading 1 and 3. Steady climbing on pitch 2 with a delicate traverse to finish!
borderline - AltLd O/S - 18/Sep/11 with martin, FM

martinh13 - 2nd - 18/Sep/11 with Chris

Hidden - AltLd dog - 08/Sep/11

Wet lower and upper pitches. Middle pitch initially very greasy in rain/drizzle. Both I and Ian climbed up 2nd pitch, and backed off as too committing in the wet. Kim led second pitch finally, with no trouble!
kim.mulji - AltLd dog - 08/Sep/11 with Ian Cramman

Hidden - Lead - 24/Jul/11

The first several metres of the first pitch are not 4a, probably 4c. Traverse is delicate.
cuthill76 - Lead - 09/Jul/11

Lead P2 (crux), Soloed last pitch to the top. Lovely route but the difficulties are rather short lived for a 4 pitch route. Still well worth it though!
Stuzz - AltLd O/S - 16/Jun/11 with Chris Hingly

dctarrant2000 - Lead O/S - 26/Apr/11 with Polly Cleall-Harding

westaway - AltLd O/S - 19/Apr/11 with Imelda Neale

Hidden - AltLd - 19/Apr/11

Hidden - AltLd - 09/Apr/11

peter fetlar - Lead O/S - 2011 with julie

alkira - 2011 with kerry atkey

Oliver Hopper - 2011

Hidden - 2011

chapmand - AltLd - 19/Sep/10 with Suzie Hatchell, Scott Webster

chrissy - 2nd - 03/Sep/10 with Mo

left the double cream for the strawberries in the carpark, duh
MoWalker3 - 03/Sep/10 with chrissy

oliverk - Lead - 15/Aug/10 with Sarah Moorhouse

MaxR - 2nd O/S - 02/Aug/10 with Toby

tobyk - Lead O/S - 02/Aug/10 with Max Rayner

Graham Westbrook - AltLd - Aug/10

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 20/Jul/10

Hidden - AltLd - 29/Jun/10

Captain Solo - AltLd rpt - 29/Jun/10 with Kenny

Hidden - AltLd - 15/Jun/10

Awesome! Best VS I've ever done!
whistler - AltLd O/S - 02/Jun/10 with Anna

Anna_wells - AltLd - 02/Jun/10 with pete

I led the first pitch - 45m of easy climbing according to the guidebook, but it's actually about 65m so I belayed (with 60m ropes) just below the terrace. And if you take the line in the topo, it's not 'easy' but 4c! I went slightly right at about 4a/b. I then led the 4c crux pitch, easy for the grade but nicely exposed. Carmen led the next 4b pitch, and I led the easy ground to the top (made it harder by following a wide crack up the steep wall to the right, about 4b). A good route, but not great. If you run the 4c and 4b sections together (as per the 1995 guide) then it's 1 good pitch with a pitch of scrambling on either side.
Toreador - AltLd O/S - 31/May/10 with Carmen

hazeysunshine - AltLd O/S - 25/May/10 with Ann-Marie

led 2 and 4
abbeywall - AltLd - 06/May/10 with K

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 02/May/10

ZA - Lead - 18/Apr/10 with Ian Robinson, smcw

smcw - AltLd O/S - Apr/10

Hidden - 2nd - 18/Mar/10

ZA - 2nd - Mar/10 with Ian Robinson, smcw

Hidden - 2010

colinthrelfall - 2010

Hidden - 2010

creag - 2010

Very wet, but low in grade. The kids did the first pitch.
thrutch - Lead - 27/Aug/09 with helen

cliffy - AltLd O/S - 12/Aug/09 with Andrew Combes

Hidden - AltLd - 07/Aug/09

tom.e - Lead O/S - Aug/09 with Claire

Done with Iain and Blane. Lead P3 as per SMC book (4b pitch). Think the description in Scottish rock is a bit weird, SMC has a much better description of pitches although be warned that the lengths of pitch are way out! Good lead by Blane on the crux pitch. Awesome red sandstone - i will definitely be back for more of this! Fair enough at 3 stars and bang on for VS.
Wilbur - AltLd O/S - 16/Jul/09 with SFM (Blane)

Led P1. Guide book says this is 40m. It's more like 70m to the start of the crux pitch so we split it on a lower terrace. Perfect rock and great climbing the whole way.
catt - AltLd O/S - 16/Jul/09 with Will, Blane

Brilliant middle pitch!
Stewart B - AltLd O/S - 01/Jul/09 with Chris Everett

SWalls - AltLd - 25/Jun/09 with Iain Munro

Hidden - AltLd - 25/Jun/09

Lawrie Brand - AltLd O/S - 12/Jun/09 with Jamie Wilson

Led pitch 1 and 3, terrific climb.
errrrm? - AltLd O/S - 07/Jun/09 with gaz h

Wanted to lead this route for so long, and I led every single pitch, the easy bit before, the crux pitch (steeper than I thought it would be and tricky,) the delightful 3rd pitch (just lovely!) and the easy bit above. Nice :o)
Sonya Mc - Lead O/S - 06/Jun/09 with AndyN

Jeanie led pitches 1 & 3.
Stuart Macfarlane - AltLd O/S - 06/Jun/09 with Jeanie

led the easy stuff before and after the VS bit.
iceicebaby - 2nd O/S - 31/May/09 with Sam Wood

Linked two crux pitches. A bit of ropedrag though.
SWalls - AltLd - 16/May/09 with Tom Stork

lead pitches 2,3,4. Felt very hard in the wind!
frecro - Lead O/S - 16/May/09 with Mike Cross

t_stork - AltLd O/S - 16/May/09 with Steve Walls

Great Route... left my rock shoes at the top (which I didn't discover until at Diabeag the next day, resulting in an unexpected road trip!)
Mr.Billiams - AltLd - 18/Apr/09 with Russell

Direct start E1 5b
decs - 18/Apr/09 with Paul

Great route, and fantastic location! Crux pitch is definitely 4c.
Ken Applegate - AltLd - 14/Apr/09 with Hannah Evans

climbing_wiggy - 2nd β - 21/Mar/09 with John Vehnier, Martin, Leon

andymoin - AltLd O/S - 07/Sep/08 with Warren

adw07 - AltLd O/S - 07/Sep/08 with Andy Main

jl - Lead O/S - 26/Jul/08 with Penny

pennyb - 2nd O/S - 26/Jul/08 with Jon

Led pitches 1,3 & 4 (did top two together) leaving the crux pitch 2 to Jim. Interesting climbing without many positive handholds on pitch 2, but with loads of friction. Interesting few moves at the start of the first pitch (going left up the ramp).
veletron - AltLd O/S - 21/Jun/08 with Jim Shanks

HamishD - AltLd O/S - 12/Jun/08 with chris burn

Hidden - 2nd - 08/Jun/08

alan wilson - AltLd O/S - Jun/08 with n smith

Hidden - Lead - 30/May/08

Hidden - AltLd - 24/May/08

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 18/May/08

TrollJester - Lead O/S - 2008 with VARIOUS Throughout 80's+90's

CurlyStevo - AltLd - 2008

thebat - AltLd O/S - 21/Aug/07 with Giles

gdb4060 - AltLd - Aug/07 with Dave

Hidden - AltLd - 22/Jun/07

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 12/Jun/07