UKC

Hi, looking for some inspiration really. My brother and I want to do some multi-pitch stuff this summer (not necessarily in the UK) at VS and under. Looking for big-ish days out on good rock, fairly un-stressful climbing, topping out in a cool position. Thinking along the lines of...

Grooved Arete on Tryfan
Pink Lady in Tafroute
Piaz Arete on Vajiolet Towers
After Six on Manure Pile Butress
Dream of white horses

Two we have our eyes on are...

Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis
Main Wall on Cyrn Las

Just wondering if anyone knows of some less well travelled Gems in the UK or abroad along these lines?

In reply to Richardlake:

A couple of remote options:

Pillar Buttress (VD) is quite an experience if you can afford a couple of days to get there and back. Similarly Squareface (VD) and Mitre Ridge (Summer) (HS) are well worth the walk in.

Closer to the road and further south, The South Ridge (S) is well worth a look, although it has a bit of loose rock.

In reply to Richardlake:

Hardly less well trodden, but the Sron na Ciche classic combos on Skye and the longer routes on Arran would fit the bill.

If your limit really is VS then Dream of White Horses might be a bit of a tough prospect. None of the moves are desperate but it is certainly HVS for leader and second.

In reply to Richardlake:

Bridge's route on Esk Buttress, Lakes;
Kirkus's route, Cwm Silyn, N. Wales. Outside Edge Route is also very nice, same crag.
Pikes crag, Scafell Pike has a few routes that may also suit

In reply to Richardlake:

Plenty in the Lakes; Tophet Wall on Gable, Eliminate A on Dow, Eagle Front in Buttermere, Botterill's Slab on Scafell, North West on Pillar just to name a few classics.

In reply to GrahamD:

Skye routes sound ace!

I included dream along with those other climbs as we have done those and were after something similar. That isn't very clear reading it back! Our limit is around E1 at the moment but don't want to go that hard on a bit muliti-pitch...

In reply to Richardlake:

for the UK it's Classic Rock (ignoring the stupid gully climbs) and have a look at its mentioned "other routes" if you're after the less well traveled:

going abroad.... well the world's your lobster.
here's a couple of general ideas:
Martinez Direct (Normal Route) (4c)
Aiguille Dibona#overview
Spazzacaldera#overview

In reply to Richardlake:

Cioch Nose in Applecross is nice.

And there are some very long routes on Beinn Lair; wisdom buttress?

In reply to Richardlake: fionn buttress, cioch nose, the North West has plenty if you get the weather.

In reply to Richardlake:


Lighthouse Arete (VS 4b) on Gogarth South Stack would fit the bill.
Four pitches in the guidebook, but can be done in two.

In reply to Richardlake:

If you aren't adverse to the walk-ins and get the weather from a southern cairngorm perspective two days (camping in one of the corries) would let you tackle:

Talisman, Scabbard and Dijbuti on Creagan Choire a Etchachan

Over the shoulder in Sputan Dearg (south facing); Grey Slab, Ferlas Mhor, Hanging Dyke route, Snake ridge

If going well and you are climbing fluently with minimal faff and have a feel for slabby but featured cairngorm granite
you could then relocate to The Dubh Loch for Mousetrap or Black Mamba, which are much bigger and longer than any of the above.

Remember that with any wind climbing on high cairngorm crags gets chilly pretty quickly.

In reply to Richardlake:

If you get to the manure pile I think Nutcracker (5.8) was about VS. We did a harder first pitch

Another good option not mentioned is Bosigran Ridge a.k.a Commando Ridge (VD)

But probably the best route of the fun and long type that I have ever done was Bard (12). Although it is quite along way way away. But seriously I went with my wife when VS was about the limit. The exciting multipitch potential seemed incredible

Oh and finally Lighthouse Arete (VS 4b) is soft touch and brilliant. Should The Dream be too much

In reply to Richardlake:

Ordinary Route on Puig Campana is a great all day multi pitch in Spain, but summer will be too hot. October would be better, but make an early start due to limited daylight hours.

Or La Gubia Normal in Majorca. Again summer will be too hot, but good for autumn.

Back to the UK. Old Man of Stoer is a classic expedition.

In reply to Richardlake:

Why limit yourself to topping out once. On Saturday we scrambled Tryfan Bach, did grooved arête, then scramble down S Ridge and down and around to sub cneifon rib, cneifon arête, scramble the false gribin down and round to Glyder Fach for The Chasm then scramble down bristly ridge. Search for the article snowdonia in chains it gave me the idea and it was great

In reply to Cheese Monkey:


On a Saturday! Did you start at 2 am to avoid the queues?

In reply to Trangia:

7am start and only saw two parties- one just shy of topping out sub cneifon rib before we started and the other decided to pitch the grass banks under cneifon arête for some reason so they were no bother as we just walked round them. Would never queue on a big day like that, would just do something else loads of options.

In reply to Richardlake:

There’s so much out there…
Dolomites should have a ton of such routes. More in the US, examples;
California:
Tons of routes in the high Sierras would meet your criteria. Some random ideas that popped into my head.
East Face or East Buttress of Mt. Whitney in the Sierras; both are 5.6 to 5.7ish.
Fishhook Arete of Mount Russell (same area) is about 5.8+ (first pitch is the crux; rest are much easier).
Those first two require backcountry permits to camp…difficult to obtain & a bureaucratic pain in the ass.
Venusian Blind on Temple Crag is another Sierra moderate (5.7).
Cathedral Peak in Tuolumne Meadows is 5.6.
Matthes Crest Traverse is 5.7

Washington:
West Ridge of Forbidden Peak in North Cascades is a stunning looking alpine classic (5.6; some steep snow approach …have not done it). https://www.mountainproject.com/v/west-ridge/106450596
NE Ridge of Black Peak not too far from above is low 5th class but very scenic. https://www.mountainproject.com/v/106528788?search=1&type=area&meth...
Beckey Route on the dramatic looking Liberty Bell (5.6). Can combine with other moderates on adjacent spires. https://www.mountainproject.com/v/105792192?search=1&type=area&meth...

Wyoming:
East Ridge of Wolfs Head. 5.6 & “North American Classic Climb”. Cirque of Towers. Many more options there. https://www.mountainproject.com/v/105848762?search=1&type=route&met...
Durrance Route on Devils Tower is another NA Classic. Original rating is 5.6 but probably closer to 5.8. https://www.mountainproject.com/v/105714812?search=1&type=route&met...

Idaho:
Sawtooths are a hidden gem. A spectacular moderate (long approach ) is the SE Face of Warbonnet. https://www.mountainproject.com/v/110776958?search=1&type=area&meth...

A little harder but shorter approach is the Open Book route (5.8+) on Finger Of Fate. https://www.mountainproject.com/v/finger-of-fate/106531475

In reply to Richardlake:

Clean Sweep

Whither Whether/Whether Wall

In reply to Richardlake:

These suggestions (even just the UK ones) would make a bloody excellent tick list.

In reply to ScraggyGoat:


Not done Black Mamba (I desperately want to!), but Mousetrap would be a tough proposition for a VS leading party (even if both climbers led this grade). My mate Patrick and I both had a grade in hand and even then it was hard! Definitely VS, but long, serious and at the upper limit of the grade. Superb route, though!

M

In reply to Richardlake:

Plenty in Scotland:

Agag's Groove
Archer Ridge
Eagle Ridge
Observatory Ridge
Choice of good stuff on Sputan Dearg

M

In reply to Richardlake:

Amazing thanks everyone, will add all these to the wish list!

In reply to Richardlake:

>After Six on Manure Pile Butress

take water, it was >90F last week

In reply to David Coley:

Ive done this one, was freezing when we started, and boiling about 10mins later on the first pitch. I was wearing a jumper...

In reply to Richardlake:

Although it's only 2 pitches, Whitt (VS 4c) has an amazing top to it.

And what about Nibelheim (VS 4c) ?

In reply to Richardlake:

A fine combination of routes can be had on Grey Crag in The Lakes. Start with Harrow Buttress, continue up Mitre Buttress Direct and finish on the superb Oxford and Cambridge Direct Route.