UKC

Having not climbed for months and months and months (discluding a wee session at Kirrie quarry clipping bolts) I'm in dire need of some motivation and inspiration to get out trad climbing. Last year (or it might even have been the year before, the time is flying by!) I was happily leading VS but I'm not the most confident of leaders so I think I'd be gibbering on anything but the softest of VS's now.

Inspire me with some far flung Scottish venues east or west (with plenty for a days fun up to VS/HVS/E1 (my partners in crime can lead harder) to rekindle my passion for climbing.

Only thing not to include is seacliffs please!

In reply to Sonya Mc:
Can't inspire you with destinations, but I have climbed once in the last year so you are not the only one!! Sometimes life catches up with you, and your pastimes fall by the wayside!

In reply to liz j: Well, hope you get back to climbing soon

C'mon Scottish people! Surely the weather hasn't been that shite that some folk haven't been out climbing good stuff?

In reply to Sonya Mc:

I can recommend the gneiss outcrops in the far north west. Easy approaches, super fast drying and friendly grades.

In reply to Offwidth: Stone Valley and the like? Any particular routes you can recommend as being nice and well protected for someone trying to get back into things?

In reply to Sonya Mc:

Diabeg near Torridon. Just off vertical perfect gneiss with just enough VS and below routes but the HVS to E2 routes are inspirational and will make you want to climb them. Pick a sunny weekend in May.

Or.

Boglesheugh south of Aberdeen. Pick a wet november day, preferably with a hangover.

In reply to DaveAtkinson: Boltsheugh! In november? With a hangover? That's enough to make me want to give up climbing forever! :oD

What routes did you think okay below VS at Diabeg? Done an HVS there which was nice and I was keen to go back and lead another which looked do-able when I was a confident VS leader.

But there was some slabby Severe or HS that was horrible that I remember. Some VS which looked amazing but had a permanent pool of water at the bottom of it.

In reply to Sonya Mc:
I went to the ring crags at Ardnamurchan this year for the 1st time and left suitably impressed.

In reply to Sonya Mc:

Some of the things that spring to mind in the near North West for well protected VSs would be most of the routes at Aztec Tower, or if that isn't mountainous enough Olden Glory on Carn Goraig has a good atmosphere, or if they're all a bit slabby and popular then maybe Bloody Flake on Bog Meadow Wall (Gruinard).

What's wrong with sea cliffs btw? I can recommend routes on Rubha Mor ( http://www.scottishclimbs.com/wiki/Rubha_Mor ).

In reply to Sonya Mc:

I had a gap of a year whilst I did no climbing at all, except 1 or 2 sessions at the works.

The best advice I can offer is to get out climbing. Climb anything, even if it's really easy. Second your mates on some fun harder routes. You'll soon have the bug again.

Happy climbing

In reply to Mike_Watson_99:

Seconded, it's very nice climbing on super grippy rock. There's a good spread of grades and it's in a lovely setting. It's also pretty cool climbing on part of an ancient volcanic crater - albeit a very large crater!

Other good places, Jetty Crag/Buttress at Gruinard Bay is a lovely setting with some pretty good routes. I know you hate sea cliffs but Reiff is also lovely and you can keep to the non tidal stuff fairly easily.

Dunkeld isn't bad if you want somewhere closer to home but I'm guessing you'll have been there already.

There's loads of good mountain routes but getting the weather is always going to be an issue with them.

In reply to Fiona Reid:

If Jetty floats your boat, almost all the other Gruinard crags have better routes, more secluded settings (apart from road crag obviously) and further reaching vistas. I've been to Jetty more times than I really should, and now I'm fat and lazy I regret it.

In reply to Jimmy56:

My first visit was in perfect weather, no midge, blue sky, sunny and really rather nice. Sadly, I've yet to get to many of the other crags in that part of the world as the weather seems to conspire against me. I didn't suggest the other crags as I've not been. Stone Valley is on my hit list should a weather window and free time ever manage to coincide.

In reply to Sonya Mc: Brown Crag near Tarbet is really good and once warmed up the E1 on the left side is one of the softest anywhere. Jetty Crag is a bit bold in places.

In reply to Fiona Reid: The weather is often better than the forecast for the crags on the coast - Gruinard and Rubha Mor particulary. Stone Valley not so much, but it is a good winter venue as the classic routes around Open Secret all catch the sun. Just come up, you'll get stuff done.

In reply to Sonya Mc:
having gone 6 months+ before without climbing my guess is you might find severe a bit more challenging than you remember never mind your best lead grade The quick way to get good again would be to climb a load of routes you have done before to get your confidence and ability up.

I reckon you'd get the most out of a remote cairngorm trip bothying in the hutchinson hut (or camping around loch etchachan), it'll be quieter in sept / oct...... Loads of different remote venues with quality routes within an hours walk of that and everything from single to multipitch. Either that or head to glen coe so many good routes there and many quiet ones (have you ever been to the west face of aonch dubh for example?)

In reply to Sonya Mc: Have you done Eagle Ridge on Lochnagar yet? I thought it was great

In reply to Sonya Mc:
but for further away stuff theres a lot of good routes in the applecross area stuff like sword of gideon area or the routes on bein eighe

In reply to MattG:
Yeah I really liked it too climbed it twice now.....

In reply to CurlyStevo:
I actually thought that although easier Cumming Crofton route was a much nicer line than Eagle Ridge. No insitu gear and less crampon scratches.

In reply to Mike_Watson_99:
yeah I climbed the first HS pitch of Mitre Ridge and pitch 2, then traved in to the remainder of CC 20m above the crux chimney I think halfway through pitch 2. The remainder of CC that we climbed was really good too

Thanks everyone so far

I'm feeling semi psyched to get out (apart from a feeling ill at the moment but that'll hopefully pass by the weekend!)

Having just driven all the way home from the South of France, not sure I can be arsed with a drive up NW yet (but will if that's where the good weather is!)

I quite like Jetty crag, the VS there, Charlie's Corner is AMAZING!
Have climbed at Stone Valley before but don't remember much about it, don't think I was up to leading much at the time and I suspect it will be better once I'm back to leading VS comfortably.

Don't like seacliffs as they're too scary! Hate the sea crashing below me, freaks me out big time. But I *do* like Reiff. And I also like Cummingston (regardless of it's sandyness) Logie was the only trad place I've been this year so would prefer somewhere different (not that anyone mentioned it, but just in case someone does)

Eagle Ridge, hmmmm, it's never really appealed for some reason, but I should do it at some point.

Think if the weather is dry on Saturday or Sunday then a trip to the Pass is in order. I've led everything easy there and Steve, I think you're right, doing loads of easy stuff that I've done before should get me back into the swing of things. And I do like Ballater, nice sun kissed granite (um, when it's sunny!) And I might even see if I can still lead the easiest VS in the world (Giant Flake Route, which was my first ever VS.) In fact, I'm quite excited about going to the pass
And the guy I'm going climbing with has never been before and there's BILLIONS of FAB routes there for him to try. Reckon he'd cruise Black Custard as his 1st E1 (whether I'd get up it cleanly in my present state is another matter!)

I've been quite keen to check out Ardnamurchan for ages, heard so many good things about it, but also heard it's mostly slabby and I find slabs scary and hard!

In reply to Sonya Mc:


Many of the routes are slabby so if you really hate slabs then maybe it's not the best place. That said the rock is silly grippy - you seem to stick like glue to the rock. The grippy rock means it's not like typical slab climbing, your feet just don't slide/slip.

In reply to Sonya Mc:
Erraid? Steep granite goodness - check out some of the pics on Colin Moody's site, and Hebridean Pursuits. Looks ace, need to go play sometime!
Isi

In reply to Fiona Reid: Maybe it's the perfect place to go to try and get my head round climbing slabs then.

Isi - I remember seeing pics on Colin's website a few years ago and thought it looked amazing. If you guys ever have a weekend trip there then give me a shout (Bekah's back at school now so it's back to being a weekend climber)