UKC

Tower ridge, Douglas boulder shortcut.

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 Darkskys 31 Jan 2013
which is the best way around the boulder, is it to the left or right?
Or can you actually go both ways?
 jonnie3430 31 Jan 2013
In reply to Darkskys:

The left: http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=85281

The right: http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=85280

Normally to the left though.

The ridge is very long already and the cruxes are at the top, but another alternative to consider is the South West Ridge or the Direct Route on the Douglas boulder as a fun start to the day BUT only if you are going to be (proper,) fast on them (it does make for a great day out!)
OP Darkskys 31 Jan 2013
In reply to jonnie3430: Nice one Jonnie *thumbs up*
 jonnie3430 31 Jan 2013
In reply to Darkskys:

The biggest drama is usually waiting for people to get across Tower Gap, make sure you are up early and keep faff to a minimum until after the gap (almost the top of the route!) You could also take a larger than normal bothy bag and invite the rest of the queue in for a song (why are we waiting...)

Don't stitch up your second by putting in minimal gear on the Eastern traverse!
OP Darkskys 31 Jan 2013
In reply to jonnie3430: Hahaha, i've been doing my research on it and can't wait to have a crack next week.
I've been watching a few videos online of it, cracking be-nightment of the ridge on youtube "Tower Ridge Epic" really good watch!

cheers again bud
In reply to Darkskys: Also, try to put some gear in straight after the Gap. On lead you step down in to the Gap with gear above you. Your second unclips that gear and faces a step down with a horizontal rope promising a biggish swing if they fluff it.
OP Darkskys 31 Jan 2013
In reply to cannichoutdoors: Is there much protection immediately after the gap?
In reply to Darkskys: If memory serves there is a large Hex placement at the back of a block level with the exit. You may have to dig for it, though.
 mcdweeb 31 Jan 2013
In reply to Darkskys: go left around the boulder.
There is an easy ramp on the left side of the start of the ridge which avoids the 1st steep pitch and is a time saver and a way of overtaking folk ahead of you too!
I'd only take it if the visibility is good, the line is quite visible before you get stuck into the gully.
 Michael Gordon 31 Jan 2013
In reply to cannichoutdoors:

It may be possible to belay in the gap (we did but that was before various rocks came away).
Jim C 31 Jan 2013
In reply to jonnie3430: Not been up in winter, but Some photos of a summer ascent , and of the gap around 1473( a nice sunset too)

Have a great day, and take care.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22776031@N05/sets/72157630925199942/
Post some photos/video when you get back.
redsonja 31 Jan 2013
In reply to Darkskys: we ab'd down the gap, but not many people seem to. dunno why
 Simon Caldwell 31 Jan 2013
In reply to mcdweeb:
> There is an easy ramp on the left side of the start of the ridge which avoids the 1st steep pitch

yeah but if you take that line you don't get the tick
OP Darkskys 31 Jan 2013
In reply to Jim C: them pics were ace Jim, quality shot of the sunset too!
Paul035 31 Jan 2013
In reply to Darkskys:
> I've been watching a few videos online of it, cracking be-nightment of the ridge on youtube "Tower Ridge Epic" really good watch!
>
Jesus I just watched that!

To be fair they went prepared for an overnighter with the full expedition packs

OP Darkskys 31 Jan 2013
In reply to Paul035: great video isn't it...you get a proper feel for it and especially it's length when they have to go through the night
 jonnie3430 01 Feb 2013
In reply to Darkskys:
> (In reply to Paul035) great video isn't it...you get a proper feel for it and especially it's length when they have to go through the night

Yeehh, but we did the Direct route on the Douglas boulder in Alpine conditions, I dropped my crampons and had to go down 200m for them, cleaned a rope off a route to the left and then had to call mountain rescue for a friend on Tower Scoop and we still topped out in good time for a great bum slide down No 4 (cracking day.)

It's not one upmanship, but faff avoidance; on the ridge we moved together until the eastern traverse, pitched til the end of tower gap then moved together again. Pitch what you want, but if there is no gear between you and the belay, you thought it fine and are confident to continue, tell them to strip the belay and start climbing!
 davy_boy 01 Feb 2013
3.5hrs to the start of the ridge alarm bells should have been ringing by then and what did they have in there packs even when they had all there kit and hardware on the packs were still massive. that seems to be an epic and a half but at least they made it eventualy.
Paul035 01 Feb 2013
In reply to davy_boy:
> 3.5hrs to the start of the ridge alarm bells should have been ringing by then and what did they have in there packs even when they had all there kit and hardware on the packs were still massive. that seems to be an epic and a half but at least they made it eventualy.

That's exactly what I was thinking watching it
 butteredfrog 01 Feb 2013
In reply to davy_boy:

> 3.5hrs to the start of the ridge alarm bells should have been ringing by then and what did they have in there packs even when they had all there kit and hardware on the packs were still massive. that seems to be an epic and a half but at least they made it eventualy.

Good vid, you would not want to be stuck behind them though! How did they loose 3.5 hrs getting to the start? Its only an hour to the CIC from Torlundy at a steady walk. What were they carrying?



Jim C 01 Feb 2013
In reply to Jim C:
> (In reply to jonnie3430) Not been up in winter, but Some photos of a summer ascent , and of the gap around 1473( a nice sunset too)
>
> Have a great day, and take care.
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/22776031@N05/sets/72157630925199942/
> Post some photos/video when you get back.

Just my Fuji bridge camera, the chap with the curly hair in the photos.
(I don't have any) had his DSLR and his sunset photos were fantastic.)

 loz01 01 Feb 2013
In reply to butteredfrog:

Hats off to them. What happened to the 'best climber is the one having the most fun'?

If adventure = fun, they were definitely having fun.
 butteredfrog 01 Feb 2013
In reply to loz01:

Wasn't denying the fun, after all Tower ridge is an adventure. Looked like a good day out, all be it a long one. I would have liked to ask "Did you underestimate what you had let yourself in for?" though.

Cheers Adam
 bowls 03 Feb 2013
In reply to butteredfrog:

"Only an hour from Torlundy to the CIC" - Are you Mo Farah's training partner?

If I am not stopping and walk at a good clip then I would take 1 hour 20 (from the bottom car park) best case scenario -with a pack and consider myself to be pretty fit.. and would be passing people in front of me far more than being passed.

I agree 3.5 hours is a long time - but the important point is they kept it together when it mattered most - noticeable when it got dark around tower gap and were self-sufficient.. I guess it is one of these weight versus speed balancing acts. Looks like they were as a 3 as well which wouldn't have worked in their favour massively
 butteredfrog 03 Feb 2013
In reply to bowls:

Its not as far as you think, dress lightly and get your head down, you can get up to the cic very quickly. Even a pie eater like me!

My regular climbing partner is usually a bit quicker, no matter how fit I think I am, Martin is always faster, definatley sub 1hr for him.
 bowls 04 Feb 2013
In reply to butteredfrog:

Don't particularly want to bicker about it and am not disputing that you cannot, but based on experience in winter with a full climbing pack I think the mean time would be + 1 hour 30
 Trevers 04 Feb 2013
In reply to bowls:

In summer, don't even think about taking the gully to the right. It's a bad place
 Andy Nisbet 04 Feb 2013
In reply to butteredfrog:

It's been a standard ploy over the years to invent ridiculous times for reaching the CIC hut. I take 2 hours and sometimes more and I'm proud of it.
Graeme G 04 Feb 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet:
> (In reply to butteredfrog)
>
> It's been a standard ploy over the years to invent ridiculous times for reaching the CIC hut. I take 2 hours and sometimes more and I'm proud of it.

Couldn't agree more. I used to take about 1.5 hours, however last week I took 3 Hours! It was hard going......
 butteredfrog 04 Feb 2013
In reply to Father Noel Furlong:

Maybe you boys don't get out enough! ;p
 Jamie B 04 Feb 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet:

> It's been a standard ploy over the years to invent ridiculous times for reaching the CIC hut.

I usually do it in 17 minutes and 45 seconds, despite being very unfit and carrying a massive pack as standard.
 MG 04 Feb 2013
In reply to butteredfrog:
Its only an hour to the CIC from Torlundy at a steady walk.


Don't be ridiculous - its 650m and 4km. Doing that in an hour is practically running, not a steady walk.
 Offwidth 04 Feb 2013
In reply to MG: I thought it was nearer 5km than 4? I always took my time.. typically just under 2 hours. Last thing I wanted was to be knackered, sweaty and dehydrated before starting the proper work on a long day (maybe thats why the grades butterfrog is leading are so low or maybe its the other way round ...got to 'willy-wave' about something)
 JamesRoddie 04 Feb 2013
In reply to butteredfrog:

I regularly run it in 45 minutes, but I think it would have to be a very "steady walk" indeed to do it in an hour.
drmarten 04 Feb 2013
In reply to JamesRoddie:
I take about 90+ minutes. The steep sections up to the upper car park are the worst, I'm no fan of it first thing in the morning but once up above those I can usually enjoy the rest of the walk-in. I've taken 2 hours on a couple of occasions and also spent 30 minutes trying to get across the Allt a'Mhuillinn when it's been in spate. I make it about 5.5km and 600m ascent from carpark to CIC - 2 hours is not slow.
There is no whinge about the path from me, I remember the old one!
 Michael Gordon 04 Feb 2013
In reply to butteredfrog:

The times I've bothered to look it's usually about 1hr 45mins.

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