UKC

I’m just trying to think of somewhere to go this weekend that isn’t a bit ‘avalanchey’– and to my shame I’ve never been to the Cobbler – so it worth a punt? – has it been cold enough around the South West Highlands? is it all under lots of powder at the moment?
Thanks
Tom

In reply to ebdon:

Worth a punt for sure

In reply to ebdon:

I would think Cobbler a good choice, shortish walk up the back (Rest.......... car park), relatively safe decent to base of routes.

Who knows, might even bump into you?

Stuart

In reply to ebdon:

Try Norfolk then.!

In reply to ebdon:

I was up the Cobbler on Wednesday and the walk in was very hard work, knee to waist deep powder to swim through. We did Maclays crack which was in, turf well frozen.

Cheers

Sean

In reply to seanhendo123:

Sean, Did you walk in from the front or back?
Bruce

In reply to Hay:

People walking in from both sides today, a large trench was most helpful for my approach from Loch Long. Teams on Great Gully Groove, Great Gully, Maclays Crack, Recess Route (which may have been abandoned), Ramshead Gully, Ramshead Ridge and - I think - Direct Direct. I think I heard people on routes below Centre Peak but saw/heard nobody on South Peak.

In reply to drmarten:

Ramshead gully was in terrible nick, we flicked onto the top two pitches of recess route instead, which were solid.

In reply to drmarten:


Did you see if Direct Direct got done? Actually, has it even had a repeat?

In reply to TobyA:

Check the Winter Conditions page Toby - apparently so.

In reply to TobyA:

Hi Toby,

Direct, Direct did get done today, 3rd ascent as far as I'm aware. Andy Sharpe & Mark Garthwaite repeated it 2 or 3 seasons ago.

I'm playing there tomorrow

Stuart

In reply to TobyA:

yeah we did direct direct, it was in good nick!.... interesting to see thoughts on grading though... guide book VI,8 and I saw it mentioned on Scottish winter as being more like VII,9 ( it was in the logbooks here as that). We thought soft touch VII,8 was probably fair, first pitch was probably VI,8 ( I found a good hook out right, i think if you didn't find that it could feel like tech 9), top pitch after was a good old fashioned old school tenuous sketch fest ( good lead by neil!).... maybe felt like VII,7 Neil thought?.. although if you had a size 4/5 cam it would feel safer.

Surely it must have had a repeat before this?

In reply to Stuart the postie:

when we left at 1pm ish the steeper buttresses were beginning to look a bit blacker. should still be good tomorrow though

In reply to Ginger McGrath:

Effort! I was living in Glasgow and climbing regularly on the Cobbler around the time it was first done - and I remember thinking WTF? when looking up at it and thinking it had been climbed in winter. Are there any pics? They'd be cool to see.

In reply to Ginger McGrath:

Thanks, noticed you guys had repeated it, already texted Neil to ask if cliff still white, gave similar reply.

Good effort, to think Robin had the vision to attempt this 'back in the day', Chacals, Gab Scissors, Supersofts, ahead of it's time.

Stuart

In reply to Stuart the


My thoughts too. Had any other summer 5bs been climbed at that time?

In reply to Stuart the postie:

Very disappointingly, The Brack wasn't in condition today. It was an epic approach with lots of icicles to be seen on the way and some frozen turf on the way up, but by the time we got to Great central groove, the turf was not frozen enough. Maybe because it is in a sheltered corner. Gutted ! Had to plough back down!!! Took a punt, didn't pay off, but surprising as the Cobbler was good the day before!!

In reply to Heike:

Just saw Ian Parnell's facebook post that was something along the lines of 16 hours driving, 5.5 hours trail breaking through deep snow, number of climbs done: 0! So it looks like you're not alone in being unlucky! The Brack is a little lower than the Cobbler isn't it? Better luck next time!

In reply to Jamie B:

Yes, but not on Cobbler.

Stuart

In reply to Heike:

Deep snow on approach, can be a sign of poor conditions on Brack!

Due to the nature of much of the climbing, turf must be fully frozen and visible, steep blank walls, spaced protection and it's been nowhere near cold enough for GCG!!! The Cobbler wasn't frozen properly today either, we bailed from second pitch!

Better luck next time, took me 16 years of waiting and a few previous visits!

Stuart

In reply to TobyA:
Turf not frozen on Cobbler today. Oh well....it was nice to be out.

In reply to TobyA:
Yeah, but the day before, we did a route a similar altitude, I think it was just more sheltered. Hey, but you can't always win and at least we got great exercise poughing up (thank god it was windy or you people would have heard many German swearwords) And when i directed Brian and Neil up it was also very snowy, but must have been much colder. I think the forecast today was a bit wrong on temperature.

In reply to Stuart the postie:
Phhh, I directed Brian and Neil to it a couple of years ago when conditions were perfect (it was Brian's day out), I thought..just thought it might be ok today!!! I have been waiting for a few years. Maybe next week, ...year...or decade
Maybe it was warmer than forecast today...? What'd you bail off?

In reply to Ginger McGrath:

vaguely remember dave macleod doing it back in the day.

I had a lot of fun in summer well done!

In reply to Heike:

Fold Direct

Stuart

In reply to Stuart the postie:
That was in the sun yesterday, that's why probably....

In reply to Heike:

Hmmmmn......

Knew it was going to be too sunny today, didn't think S Peak would have been exposed to westerly gales earlier in week, looked too burried today also! Fold was the second route I backed off today?!

What did you do yesterday?

Stuart

In reply to ebdon:

...for those interested, a couple of pictures from The Cobbler on my Blog, to show the current conditions as of yesterday (Sunday 18th)...

http://www.mountainsummits.co.uk/mountain-summits-daily-blog/

ANdy

In reply to Andrew Mallinson:

The path was well trodden by the hoards I was ok my way up,but even though there was an obvious path on the way up, on my way down it had pretty much disappeared under deep drifts in places.

(n.b anyone see the two guys pushing bikes up the icy path to the dam?
(I would have loved to see them cycle down that!)

In reply to ebdon:
A punt was had - I can’t believe I had never been before - a great crag! Although we had to bail halfway up on Sunday due to much sun - not often I get that in Scottish winter! Also thanks to the large party first in on Sat who broke trail pretty much all the way.

In reply to ebdon:

amazing conditions all over the cobbler today, all the crags hoared up and white, alot of ice forming (could make pro difficult on some routes, if the cold stays and the cloud continues to block any sun it could stay good for a while!
path is also well compacted now and easy to walk.