UKC

What are the top 10 classic VIII 8's in Scotland?...
I know some may be soft for the grade but I'll start with Sioux Wall, BSFT, Centurion, Unicorn, Godfather. No paticularly order.

Thanks in advance.

Pete

In reply to Pete1976flan:

BSFT isn't VIII.

In reply to DaveHK:

I was just going by guidebook grades, I'm aware of some routes being VII 8.
Ideas for classic routes of simular grade style are welcome though.

Thanks

In reply to Pete1976flan:
It a pretty subjective question with so few people having done 10+ genuine VIII's.....

For what is worth (not very much) I'd suggest in no particular order and with a caveat of not having done half of them:

Unicorn
Godfather
The Needle
Hung Drawn and Quartered
Centurion (haven't done it although heard its maybe only VII....)
Sundance
Trail of Tears
Marathon Corner
West Central Gully (I wouldn't have suggested it before I did it.....!)
The vicar....?

BS+FT and Sioux wall I wouldn't include as they debatable and both are probably only hard VII (in average conditions).

In reply to Pete1976flan:

Vaporiser on creag an dubh loch looks good it's apparently worthy of 4 starts. Not that I ever intend to be climbing anywhere near this grade.

In reply to Pete1976flan:
Adrian and Guy's great mountain crags list prob a good place to start... http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/set.php?id=1024

As an approx list on basis of relative popularity/classic status (limited first hand knowledge) covering variety of styles/ locations:
Unicorn (Coe)
Knuckleduster (Ben)
The Gathering (Norries)
Needle (Shelterstone)
Link Direct (Lochnagar)
Extasy (Megaidh)
Sundance (Eighe)
Godfather (Bhan)
Hung Drawn & Quartered (Bhasteir)
Sherlock (Fuar Tholl)/Marathon Corner (Loyal)

Dubh Loch prob deserves a route, and maybe something on Tough Brown Face?

As for grades... some seem to settle and other's oscillate! Guess some routes clean up (hooks get better) with ascents - certainly case on Ben's coire na ciste crags where rattly cracks for the FA become sinker after a few ascents, while others get harder - turf loss etc in NW? Snowed up gorms rock can be steady (dry cracks), or harrowing when icy. Then there's the psychological aspect of FA vs. repeats knowing that something goes, not to mention leashless handled axes that prob take a tech grade off compared with older kit.

In reply to Pete1976flan:

OK, here's my list - not definitive, but all are high quality and represent a variety of styles...

Diedre of the Sorrows
Sundance
Centurion
Minus One Direct
Marathon Corner
The Godfather
The Gathering
The Needle (hard!)
Unicorn (only one I've not done, and sounds hard!)
Sherlock
Vapouriser

In reply to Wry Gob:

Surprised you went for the Gathering over Extasy or Knuckleduster (direct)! The Gathering is very good, but Pfugelule might be better (very close call) and deserves to get more ascents.

In reply to andyinglis:

Replace The Gathering in Guy's list with Hung Drawn and Quartered and you've got a lifetime's dream ticklist - or 3 weeks if you're name is Uisdean

In reply to Ian Parnell:


"you're"? Luckily your job isn't print media related........

(Really enjoyed your Dru stuff in Alpinist, top work)|

In reply to Ian Parnell:

I get nervous twitches at even the mention of D of the S...!

You'd certainly be a well rounded winter climber upon completion of that list!

In reply to Pete1976flan:

Nobody said Prore yet?
and what about Deirdre of the Sorrows?

In reply to andyinglis:

Of course, Extacy!!!! Please excuse my addled old brain - this route is top 3 for sure. Gathering is really just in there for completeness - i.e. short, safe and hard. Actually The Vicar is a better route in that genre, especially if you take in the top arete, which most folk seem to miss out these days!

In reply to ColdWill:

Prore is never grade VIII

In reply to Wry Gob:

What's the gear like on Sherlock? I'd love to do it but it would need to have pretty decent kit for me to get on it!

In reply to DaveHK:

That depends if you do it when it's black, or white It's a shit load harder than things like Darth Vader, Cornucopia, Hob Goblin, White Magic, Inclination, Prore. Quite a long list....I'd rate it soft VIII

In reply to DaveHK:

Gear is good.

In reply to Wry Gob:

Cheers for that. I just need to HTFU.

In reply to Pete1976flan:

Extacy
The Godfather
Minus One Direct (very icy when I did it so only grade vii but would be good what ever)
Vaporiser
Sundance
Boggle - can see it becoming a real classic often in condition.
Centurion- only done all the hard pitches would say not soft for VIII,8
Unicorn- only done first pitch, Its nails.
The Secret would be a classic VIII as its not ix and is over rated but gets done lots.

not done
Hung Drawn and Quartered
West Central Gully
Unicorn
Something on the tough brown face



The Needle seems to have settled at IX 8 but not bold so people shouldn't be put off but not as good as extacy or the godfather, Shoot the Breeze would be another IX,8 that people should do.

In reply to Uisdean hawthorn:

Thanks for all the input, that has gave me some winter psych....
Some routes I was definitely not aware of and I've now changed my own bucket list.

Thanks again to all.

Pete