UKC

Camusteel Seacliffs

Hi,

There a group of us off to Applecross for a week at the beginning of June and I'm trying to work out what climbing is available in the area and which guidebook to get. There a reference to 30 cliff climbing routes at Camusteel in the crag database but no information on routes.  Does anyone have any information or know if it's covered by a guidebook?

Thanks,

B

They are in Northern Highlands South, pages 192 to 193. They aren't climbed on much nowadays (the outdoor centre used to use them a lot), so just summarised. 35 routes with one to two line descriptions. There wasn't much info, technical grades only, so that's what's in the guide. Top-roping was more normal but you can lead.

Thanks Andy, we might wander down and take a look one evening when the midges have gone to bed!

Firstly, midges don't go to bed until it's proper dark. 

Secondly, the guide Andy mentions is your best bet, but still not very useful, giving (mostly) only British technical grades (range 3a-5c).

Thirdly, I have visited the cliffs and come away thoroughly uninspired (even though I love Torridonian sandstone and sea cliffs). The rock is a bit greasy and rotten. 

Probably better to have a look on a wet day when climbing isn't an option.

Yes, it's rather neglected. Only technical grades were given because there was no certainty the routes had been led. I think I was there with John Lyall (but it was a while ago) and we did climb a few routes but it seemed better to only give technical grades when we didn't have complete information (and some routes looked unprotected). It wasn't greasy (depends on the weather) but some routes looked unprotectable. Worth a look if you're there anyway, but Ardheslaig is way much better (see the guide).

Hi Andy, thanks for the recommendation of Ardheslaig. A group of us have just had an excellent day there with blue skies, no midges and every route on the crag climbed.

Glad you enjoyed Ardheslaig. It's a great wee crag.

If you are up to a long mountain v diff then have a go at Cioch Nose. Maybe the best V diff in the U.K.

Seems better than some dubious crumbly stuff to me!

The only problem with this suggestion is that it's Severe.

what? When did that happen, or has some of it fallen off?

It's been Severe in the SMC guidebooks for many years.

It was upgraded a few years back, presumably to bring it in line with all the other overgraded sub-VS routes in Scotland

Did it not start out as the 'diff to end all diffs' or something like that?

yes, that's right. But it aint!

I'd certainly agree that it's not diff.

Bob on Andy