UKC

 hi everyone, 

Two questions really, firstly, what multi pitch rock routes would people recommend on the Ben? I've never climbed anything in summer up there before and fancy a shot next week. Looking up to VS grades to stay well in my comfort zone. 

Also, are there any nice single pitch crags about that area that would be good to visit whilst we're up that way? One that has fairly straight forward access, when perhaps you've had too much to drink the night before and your feeling a tad sorry for yourself

Thanks in advance

Raeburns Arete (S) Observatory Ridge (Summer) (VD) Direct Route (VD) On The Ben.

Polldubh Crags, Glen Nevis For all your cragging needs.

Route II Direct (S)

Left Edge Variation - Left Hand Route (VS 4c)

Good advice.

I did Observatory Ridge last week - a long mountaineering adventure. Stacks of other good stuff on The Ben - quite fancy a direct approach to Tower Ridge over Douglas Boulder next time.

Also went to Polldubh Crags. Excellent, very easily accessible, loads of routes.

Found guide book Scottish Rock Volume 1 very useful - nice topos.

Thank you captain solo, loads to get stuck in to! I can't wait

Another vote for Route II direct. Route I is good as well and starting Route Ii direct then continuing up Route I would be the most logical, if not the most balanced line.

You could do something like Bayonet Route, one of the VDiffs that take you onto the first platform and then continue up NEB for something approaching an alpine day out.

The answer from Captain Solo sums it all up:

You could also consider Tower Ridge, still good in summer, and if going well the Long Climb - not done it but always fancied it. have fun, hope the weather holds.

It's only hearsay on my part but I'm not sure anyone looking for comfort zone climbing 'up to VS' might thank you for The Long Climb. Would anyone who's actually done it care to offer their thoughts?

OP: Raeburn's Arete (S) into NorthEastButtress (VDiff) gives you several hundred metres of excellent *** climbing, topping out near the summit. That's one I can actually recommend

Observatory Ridge (VDiff) is great too

And if you're looking for more of a scramble with occasional easy pitches thrown in then you can't go wrong with a summer ascent of Tower Ridge

The Long Climb has some good initial pitches and the second Slab rib but that's the extent of the good clean rock. Lots of route finding and some loose ground to contend with. I would probably dissuade a Ben multi-pitch debutant from tackling it, strictly for the adventurous and classic rock 'puerile tickers'! Especially when there's other stuff of better quality to go at. Second Dan's suggestion of raeburns arête and NE Buttress combo.

I did the Long Climb about 10 years ago and enjoyed, but I understand there's been a lot of damage to it by repeated rockfalls and mild winters, seemingly the locals/Lochaber MRT don't recommend it now, after a fatality linked to loose rock, sadly. 

Agree with what the others said regarding Ridges, Route 2 and Raeburn's Arete and the looseness of the Long Climb in its upper reaches. The Direct Route on the Douglas Boulder (6 pitch VDiff) is also nice and if you are efficient makes a nice start to Tower Ridge.

We aren't over endowed with accessible single pitch climbs locally at that grade but there are many good 1,2 and 3 pitch routes in Glen Nevis at that grade around Polldubh. Unfortunately with the midge season recently begun I can only recommend going there in a windy day.

+1 for Polldubh on your off days, Glen Nevis is gorgeous and there's cracking wild swimming just over the road. Watch out for ticks though, I got mullered there over the bank holiday weekend. 

I thought The Long Climb was wet and horrible.

Looks like raeburns arete it is then for the first day! Thanks guys

avoid the long climb like the plague, reguardless of if you climb VS or E5! its not technically all that hard, only has 1 or 2 pitches of VS climbing, the rest is utter choss, wet mossy unstable choss!

loved The Long Climb! Yep there's some dodgy, slimy bits but overall was a great trad adventure, and it's very long! - done Raeburns Arete when wet and so cold my hands went blue and was scary and orrible! So I guess the moral is all depends on conditions on the day....

think you might have been off route!

we went off route lower down, but i am including that in the VS climbing part... other than that, nope

Having been a member of one of the 2? teams to successfully climb the route since the fatal accident 18 months ago (I climbed it the day after) I can safely say that the only people I would recommend to do it are peurile tickers and experienced alpinists happy with dealing with large chunks of loose rock and the occasional poor belay. It is a route which very much sits outside the competence of anyone I know who would describe themselves only as a rock climber (it was beyond my competence when I did it and I got lucky).

Says who? UKC Logbooks? Comparatively unpopular though it may be these days, I'd be surprised if it's not been done some more in that time, including by parties who've got guidebooks but don't know UKC. (No, not by me, but I don't log things here anyway...)

Hence the question mark, I have heard about a couple of attempts which resulted in people backing off/ being rescued (Webster's is obviously one) some logged on here, others not. Hopefully by the end of summer there will have been another successful ascent as the chap I climbed with this weekend is doing Classic Rock by Bike at the moment.

I wouldn't take a bike up it.....