UKC

I'm on holiday in the Highlands from Thursday to Monday and am hoping to get some climbing in - though the forecast looks pretty poor. I'd like to get one or two mountain days in if possible and the Cairngorms look like the best bet weather wise.

I've read that Stag Rocks and Eagle Ridge dry quickly, but I'm wondering whether that is a bit too optimistic with how heavy rain forecast for tonight, Thursday night and Saturday night. I'd be grateful for advice on whether it's worth making the walk in if we get a dry day, and any other suggestions for crags/routes. My partner and I both lead up to VS and I'm happy to drive pretty much anywhere for a good day out.

Thanks!

If it's marginal you could go for a day out on something like Afterthought Arete (M) that's doable even if it's a bit soggy, but still a great day out?

Would think Saturday would be a good bet for those, with the friday to dry things out a bit.

there is a steep grass pitch on eagle ridge not tried it in the wet 

based on the temperature and likely conditions if you lead up to VS I'd aim for M - S for mountain. Ballatar is quite quick drying and whilst not mountian  is good rock if you want something harder.

Savage slit? We did it in wet when leading VS and was fine, loads of gear and big holds ect

Probably looking for routes you can do when wet, rather than routes that will dry off at this point. (Although, it's often worth a look...... if you are prepared to switch to munro bagging when it rains/crag is wet.)

Squareface is perfectly doable in the wet, but would probably base myself in the Northern Cairgorms so you have the options of nipping over to Ardverikie and Lochaber if the weather suits.

Good luck!

Definitely off route!!

Eagle Ridge will dry if it's windy and should  be manageable when wet if you are comfortable leading VS mountain routes.

Cioch Nose (VD) goes at about VS in the rain and dries quickly. 
 

Well worth the drive. Possibly the best route of its grade in the UK. 

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

We had a great day at Stag Rocks doing Afterthought Arete and Final Selection, and had a couple of really enjoyable days at Logie Head and Huntly's Cave. We settled for just doing the Lochnagar hike rather than Eagle Ridge since it was already a long day with the drive - but enjoyed that too.

Thanks again!

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Where? Admittedly it’s 25+ years since I was up it but I can’t for the life of me remember a grass pitch, in fact I was thinking that it might be a good bet in the wet for anyone happy with wet S+ rock.

I probably went the wrong way but both times I did it, I'm fairly sure I ended up on a load of grass steps (guess 15 meters or so). I was going from the old cairngorm guide (my memory is the grass was mentioned in that small old SMC guide) but I don't have it anymore to know if thats off route or not in that guide now.  They were well trodden in so others must have gone that way. Could it have been here http://www.johnnywalker.co.uk/uploads/5/1/6/3/51639641/dscn7408_orig.jpg . http://www.johnnywalker.co.uk/blog/eagle-ridge-lochnagar-severeaye-right-it...

I skimmed the article and little of it was familiar. I remember the first pitch being a lot less amenable than it looks and the sentry box stance but otherwise my recollection is of mostly very good clean rock with a couple of stiff pulls higher up. I thought it graded appropriately at S but I was comfortable at E1-E2 at the time.

My partner for the day had never climbed outside before and had Hi Tec Trails on. It's a long story but basically there were 4 of us and two of the party were unknown to me, friends of my mate who I did a bit of climbing with. When we were gearing up under the first pitch my mate announced that one of them hadn't climbed before and asked that I climb with him as I was the strongest member of the party. I was not pleased but it turned out perfect, I got to lead the whole route and we had a brilliant time. My neophyte partner ran up it, we topped out with a two or three pitch lead on the others and I got three or four extra nuts for my rack which my partner managed to get out. Good going for his first route.

Nice. Someone on UKC logs reported it gets HS in scottish rock now. Not sure if thats true or not. It's fairly solid at severe I think. If severe on granite is fairly challenging for the climbers its a long route ( and granite isn't always the most straight forward rock IMO)

Considering it's a long route with a couple of 4b moves, I'm surprised it wasn't upgraded earlier.