The Old Man of Stoer

When I moved to the Highlands my first route nearly was the Old Man of Stoer, but we arrived at the lighthouse carpark to be told that a group of 8-10 people had just headed across to all climb it - a climbing club from somewhere! We ditched the idea as we didn't want to wait behind 8-10 people on a sea stack!

Having just got out of the truck I fell in mud! A good sign for the day

First sight of 2 old men

As we are nearly into October I didn't think we would climb it this year, but with a good forecast for Saturday and Loz submitting and having the appropriate paperwork authorised (just kidding) we decided to go for it. It was exciting that Gemma would come along too and take some pictures from the land.

There she blows

A 7.30am departure saw us up there at ?9:30-10am. Things didn't initially go well, I went behind a wall for a wee and promptly fell over in the mud and got absolutely covered in it! The walk in to the stack was also comical... basically we were both wearing worn out trainers with hardly any grip on the sole and the ground was sodden... We got soaking feet and barely made it in one piece slip sliding our way across the headland!

Loz swims the channel

And sets up the tyrolean

My top half stayed dry!

Gemma went off for a swim coming after we had faffed around to take some pictures. As it came into view I felt excited and anxious!

We belaying at the top of the 3rd pitch

Loz on his way up to me

Looking down on it from the headland we saw one team about to start the climb and no tyrolean traverse in place.

Sometimes you just have to reassure!

I'd read that the scramble/descent down to the sea was pretty full on, and it didn't disappoint. I can't remember a scarier path, soaking wet mud, grass and rocky sections to down climb in trainers we both should have replaced... I had no doubt that one slip would have been certain death! I thought it was like descending a (muddy) version of Sharp Edge in the Lakes, but more serious with no anchors as its all loose!

Anyway we made it and Loz swam the channel and set up the tyrolean. This went well, but.... erm as we only had dynamic ropes it was hard to get enough tension. We got the climbing ropes and gear across without getting wet, but when it came to my go I got a very wet 'undercarriage' hahaha.

As we set off the other climbers were abseiling off and just touched down with their 60m ropes (more on this in a moment)..

The climbing was great, really clean, dry and rough rock. The route gets VS 5a, but I thought that the initial '5a' pitch was easier and it was pitch 2 and 3 that were harder. You pass through some great ground with the ever present exposure because you are on a sea stack.

selfie!

selfie!

I got the last pitch and almost had a tear in my eye when I topped out (honestly!). We snacked on top and took in the views from the lofty point before embarking on the next challenge - getting down..

So with 50m ropes you have to make 2 abseils as they aren't quite long enough..... We'd spotted very dubious rusted pegs and tat on the landward side about 15m up that we presumed people use but to be honest it looked rubbish... We'd also spotted a completely bomber rock 5 placement higher up that we considered using (leaving), and it was good, but I'd be nervous doing a free abseil off 1 x nut.

nearly down!

As Loz looked over the brink he spotted some fixed gear and what looked like a belay/ab point more to the South not mentioned in the guidebook and we headed to this. It was perfect and we got down no bother in 2 abseils, the second being exciting completely in free space.

Down to swim pants! Take out the tyrolean, and swim (eventually)

Loz headed back over the tyrolean, now fine as the tide had dropped so he didn't get wet like me earlier and I 'volunteered' to strip the gear and then swim back across the 8m channel .

Heading back to the lighthouse trying not to fall over (again)

Okay I'll be honest here, I'm not a confident swimmer and the sea terrifies me! But I thought it would be good to do it for these reasons!! Stripped down to my pants it took a little while to summon the courage to get in... I think Loz was wishing he'd done it so we could 'move on', and he did at one point pull the snag line to 'encourage' me in.... I also heard vague shouts from Gemma on the rim 'encouraging' me to 'just jump'!!

Well I did and it was fine, and quite warm actually. We packed up and headed back up the death slope, now not as scary going up as is always the case and after meeting Gemma and a french and German tourist headed back to the lighthouse and on to Ullapool for fish and chips.

Note: both Loz and I both slipped over on the walk back and got soaked - its amazing that we made it up and down the stack but couldn't safely negotiate the walk in/out without (lots) of incidents!

It's funny but during the whole thing it was a real mix of feelings, I guess I couldn't totally relax until down, across the sea channel and back on the mainland. The climbing was the easiest bit of the whole escapade. What an adventure and I'm now musing the other 2 most obvious sea stacks in Scotland, but maybe I need to practice my sea swimming first (for Am Buachaille at least).

I know we are somewhere...

Well what a fun weekend I'm just recovering from... The weather looked the best in the SW so a plan was hatched to meet Ben in Inveraray on Friday night. It was quite a long drive, but half way between the Lakes and Inverness.

The drive over gave hope of the great adventure to follow

Inveraray seemed a very posh Scottish hamlet as I skipped in and met Ben in 'The George' where I had a rather nice sticky toffee pudding amongst the local high brow or city slickers - who knows, probably a mix of both.


We pushed on late into the night heading South towards Achnamara at the top of knapdale. After trying to sleep in a forest but getting moved on late at night by two very friendly locals out with guns and beer in their 4x4 on a fox hunt we had to back track and slept in the car park of the Scottish Beaver trail (Beaver reintroduction area)!!!

Beaver time

Van life...

Saturday was very busy.... early start and Creag nam Fitheach (crag of the Raven), a nice crag in this remote spot. The crag approach was entertaining, an easy track to a point where the crag was very close, but this final bushwhack was torturous through trees, bracken and over a crazy rock field.... at some point Ben declared 'I know we are somewhere..'.  If I ever visited again I would take a machete or go before or after bracken (or ice age)... The midges were terrible and I nearly ran away, but we did 3 rather good routes before the forecast rain arrived on cue at lunchtime. We quickly escaped and headed East holding a planning meeting at the Green Welly Stop, Tyndrum.

So close... and yet tortuous to actually get to the crag!

We are somewhere!

Midgetastic belay

Compact but great routes

The weather forecast was spot on and started to really brighten into the afternoon so we headed to Creag Na H-Iolaire (Eagle Crag) in Glen Lednock and did another 3 great routes, including a rather fine powerful HVS called Sultans of Swing! We were both reasonably tired by now with all of the travel so just got fish and chips in Comrie, parked the van in the forest near town and had beers and 'man' chat (with no touching!)!

Eagle Crag

Ben stretching out

Sunday dawned bright and clear and we headed the short distance to Dunkeld, another scenic Scottish village/town. On Loz's recommendation we climbed at Craig A Barns. Wow, a great crag set in a very scenic location. Today it was sunny with no midges and we both really enjoyed the 4 routes that we climbed here. They were all brilliant but maybe the highlight was 'The End' a great VS 5a, 4c. The crag and climbing was very reminiscent of climbing at Tremadog in N Wales.

Photo doesn't do it justice, the fantastic Craig A Barns

A great weekend of dirt bagging in the van, hanging out and climbing  a wee bit!

Stac Pollaidh climbing...

So after the 'easy' day yesterday I headed out west with Martin to climb on Stac Pollaidh. As we drove west I got a little worried about two things, Martin mentioning climbing some E4's..... and the lack of wind and possible midge-geddon.

There she blows

At the carpark the midges were very bad, but as we walked in to the crag there was a little breeze which mainly kept them at bay. The walk in reminded me of Gimmer in the Lakes, about an hour up hill.

Looking for the bat route!

Luckily we didn't have to climb any E4's on this trip but climbed the brilliant November Grooves (VS), which was roughly 100m of great climbing even though the pictures from one pitch makes it look very vegetated. There was lots of bridging and a few muscular moves.

The second 100m route we did, 'Release the Bats' was also great. The same grade at VS, but much easier. It went over a few gendarmes, and we caught up and nearly overtook a party who had got stuck ropes and been on the route all day (it only took us 1 hour!)!

bridge to freedom

The second to last pitch was great, popping out onto a rounded gendarme, following the ridge, before having to carefully down climb off the far end using just friction, and no gear on the whole pitch really... great fun.

A fine setting

My legs were spent the day after, but definitely worth it and I really want to go back for 'Jack the Ripper, a classic E1.

The first day of Autumn brings sunshine

With a day off and great weather forecast I headed to the Cairngorms to take my bike for a walk. I've been saving this particular hill for a few years as I wanted to ride it on my mt bike in good weather.

Today it came together. I had an entertaining drive down, picking up an interesting hitchhiker en-route. He informed me that he was heading to Edinburgh to sow his seeds! Well I dropped in at Aviemore and wished him well on that quest!

While I'm here I'll just nip up this one too

Parking at the end of the road down Glen Feshie it was fairly midgy getting sorted to start, sunny and not a breath of wind. The initial trails heading South tracking the river are just fantastic fun to ride.

Mellow sections of the track

It wasn't long before I got to the junction and swung a left starting the climb up the landrover track that would eventually lead to the munro Mullach Clach A' Bhlair.

The summit

There was a fair amount of pushing up the track but it was worth it with amazing views. I probably rode 50% of the track. I got distracted part way up with another lush looking single track that went up  a separate lower peak so detoured to this.

The top was very flat as expected with great 360 degree views.... What goes up must come down and the descent was a blast dropping about 2000 feet in one go on a loose track - wow, I nearly boiled my brakes and they were glowing when I got back down to the strath (valley).

I had a quick paddle in the river before blasting the single track back to the van, a very satisfying ride, definitely worth doing on a mt bike.

Cool off!