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"Undiscovered" Scotland (Read 25010 times)

SA Chris

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"Undiscovered" Scotland
November 05, 2008, 09:37:12 pm
New thread about the what is out there, waiting, rock and surf wise (preferrably close together).

220bpm you seem to be a man with good knowledge too.

The article about ferry fares for starters.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7676715.stm

andy_e

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#1 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 05, 2008, 11:51:43 pm
I'd like to see if there are any good Lewisian Gneiss to boulder on in Lewis...

GCW

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#2 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 12:04:54 am
There's some decent problems in Dumfries and Galloway.  Coolboy and myself spent a fait bit of time at The Thirlstane and Sandyhills bay.  Coolboy did Marie's Massive Mangoes, 7a, which is ace, plus loads of other stuff. 
We also did a neat trio of problems at the Thirstane which have never been documented.  Traverses of the right wall:
1.  SDS traverse slopey break, then stay really low to the arete and up this font 6c+ (FA Coolboy).  A vid of Coolboy falling off it at 6:30 here:


2.  Same start but stay a little higher on crimps etc between the breaks, about 6c+.
3.  Same again but go up and only use the thin break for hands.   One of mine and prob 7a, but quite frustrating.


lagerstarfish

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#3 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 12:18:54 am
Good bouldering sport to be had doing daft eliminates on the bottom 20ft of the Etive Slabs. I spent a couple of days amusing myself there in the days before pads; should be a right laugh with modern landing gear.

Johnny Brown

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#4 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 08:12:09 am
Quote
I'd like to see if there are any good Lewisian Gneiss to boulder on in Lewis...

there is an amazing bunch of very tall, thin ones near callanish.

seriously though, there would be lots i'm sure, though a bit like welsh bouldering it would likely take a lot of development and require some blinkers.

SA Chris

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#5 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 08:14:41 am
I'd like to see if there are any good Lewisian Gneiss to boulder on in Lewis...

http://routes.scottishclimbs.com/viewcrag.php?area=5&crag=73

This is not the same Reiff as the other Reiff btw. Also at Europie in the north tip (possibly the beach with the biggest swell window in the UK?).

Also some good looking stuff around the NW ;Oldshoremore (with good surfing) and Sandwood Bay, which is a bit of a walk, but excellent surfing.

SA Chris

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#6 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 08:19:15 am
Good bouldering sport to be had doing daft eliminates on the bottom 20ft of the Etive Slabs. I spent a couple of days amusing myself there in the days before pads; should be a right laugh with modern landing gear.

There are also a couple of smaller actual boulders along the shore from the parking developed by Cubby.

220bpm

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#7 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 12:14:11 pm
First off, I know hee haw about surfing, so I'll just stick to any coastal stuff that springs to mind  :-\

Starting down Dumfries way, there is the Criffel boulder field here : http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=294500&y=559500&z=120&sv=294500,559500&st=4&ar=N&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&lm=0

No guide exists (as far as I know) and your unlikely to find many chalked holds around. A venue for exploring new ground amongst the huge boulder field.

Arran, cor blimey me old cheesecake  ;D A fookin delight that place. A smattering of roadside boulders round the perimeter road with the rare delight of HGV's and tour coaches as objective hazards should you need to bail  :o Good fun whilst investigating the island. There are a couple of other huge ass boulders 5 min from the road, much nicer. Best of all were the boulders we found whilst in Glen Sannox whilst on the way up to Cioch na h-Oighe for some trad. The razor sharp granite crystals shred fingers in no time. Glen Rosa is much the same.....



The Coire Lagan delights are fairly well documented, but personally, I'd find it too weird to head into one of the finest rock amphitheatres in the UK with a boulder mat  :P Theres a huge new boulder under the main cliff of The Storr after a significant rock fall a couple of years ago. Nasty landing though. Carn Liath was quite dirty and bad landings to boot. My mate pulled off a huge flake which only just missed his head as both parties followed the law of gravity. Good technical problems tho and a big big area to explore, only been the once and maybe we didn't see the best of it (mostly up near the main cliff face). Raasay might repay some exploration, been meaning to get across there for a while now  :-[

Mull, brilliant and beyond, as per previous post here : http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,10322.0.html

Rum - just go explore the coasts and high corries, you'll see what I mean ;)

Back on the mainland still going north, we head past some better known areas such as Applecross, Torridon, Reiff in the Woods (small but excellent), Sandwood Bay (been but not bouldered, sounds good and the surf should have possibilities?)

Outer Hebrides - much to my shame, humiliation and embarrassment I've never actually got my shit together to head out that way. Definately high in the priority stakes though. Judging by various photos and reports from others who have been, there are a few areas which have been documented but serious exploration is likely to pay dividends.

I've also eyed up a few erratics in some seriously remote locations in the NW which I've not heard mentioned by anyone else. Fuck all good for the surfing right enough, but just thought I'd mention it  ;)

What about Arisaig, Kintyre etc? I've not spent much time out those directions.

Look forward to hearing more from the UKB massive.

Pantontino

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#8 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 03:43:02 pm
I grabbed a quick afternoon session in Coire Lagan last week (was up on Skye on a family holiday). Enjoyed it - Snake Attack is brilliant! First time I'd been into the Coire since 1984! Such a beautiful and atmospheric place, especially with the mountains all dusted with snow.



Checked out the sandstone crag at Elgol - a funky place, that would appeal to those who like Craig Dorys. Bonnie Prince Charlie's cave wasn't quite what I was expecting - no wonder he didn't hang around for long.



Elgol (looking towards the Cuillins - somewhere in the clouds across the water)



Elgol



Elgol



Elgol (Bonnie Prince Charlie cave area)



Knock Castle



Tarskavaig



Talisker

andy_e

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#9 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 04:01:31 pm
Snake Attack is brilliant!

Hear hear.

Elgol


Our group collectively jizzed when we saw this erosion. Awesome. Don't suppose you saw any sunsets?


lagerstarfish

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#10 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 04:05:19 pm
I've had a couple of good sessions bouldering on the tors on top of Ben Avon (Gorms). Long walk in, but you get the crag to yourself.




SA Chris

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#11 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 04:10:58 pm
I believe that locally they are not tors, but barns?

They are nice, shame the rock is so variable.

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#12 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 04:46:49 pm
I've had a couple of good sessions bouldering on the tors on top of Ben Avon (Gorms). Long walk in, but you get the crag to yourself.

Impressive stomp for a boulder session  8)

I managed to proper scare myself on the ones atop Bynack More. Got up, just, in my walking boots but thought I was gonna have to call mountain rescue to get back down. Settled for some big air and hoped nothing snapped upon landing. Lucky lad.......

SA Chris

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#13 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 04:54:10 pm
For a good stomp and boulder, the boulders at the foot of the Shelterstone (the Cairngorm one) are very impressive.

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#14 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 05:07:12 pm
Quote
New thread about the what is out there, waiting, rock and surf wise (preferrably close together).

Word!  Nice work Chris...  I was just about to start this thread myself but been as I know sod all about Scotland, so I'm not much use.  However, I am super keen for an exploratory bouldering and surfing expedition.

Quote
I'd find it too weird to head into one of the finest rock amphitheatres in the UK with a boulder mat

220.... I'd have no quarms whatsoever! 

Quote
Outer Hebrides - much to my shame, humiliation and embarrassment I've never actually got my shit together to head out that way. Definately high in the priority stakes though. Judging by various photos and reports from others who have been, there are a few areas which have been documented but serious exploration is likely to pay dividends.

Outer Hebs- is definitely ticking all my boxes,  I'm feeling the remoteness, I'm feeling the potential for exploration and I know that if there's swell these islands are gonna fire up some delicious waves..

http://www.hebrideansurf.co.uk/Hebsurf/Left_Bowl.htm

So when we going then???

Johnny Brown

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#15 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 05:28:35 pm
Quote
Hear hear.

Quote from: Pantontino on Today at 03:43:02 pm
Elgol



Our group collectively jizzed when we saw this erosion. Awesome. Don't suppose you saw any sunsets?

c'mon andi, that's weathering not erosion. nice place.

andy_e

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#16 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 05:44:13 pm
Weathering, erosion, same difference, it's all unimportant in the grand scheme of things,it's all gonna be flowing out into the hebridean basin anyway...

lagerstarfish

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#17 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 06:11:37 pm
I've had a couple of good sessions bouldering on the tors on top of Ben Avon (Gorms). Long walk in, but you get the crag to yourself.

Impressive stomp for a boulder session  8)


Had a top day where I took my snowboard and rock boots out with me. First lift up Cairngorm, short walk and board down to Loch Avon, looked at shelterstone boulders (too cold). Then walked up to the barns/tors on top of Ben Avon for a spot of bouldering. Walked and boarded down to the loch again, walked to top of Sneachta and boarded down the goat track. Ace.
Later on got very drunk and stoned and saw the Northern Lights  8)

*edit - it was end of March 1991*
« Last Edit: November 06, 2008, 06:42:36 pm by lagerstarfish, Reason: date »

Mike Lee

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#18 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 06:36:30 pm
Some people seemed interested in Mull, here some pics from my trip there last year. Wasn't really a climbing trip though.

couple pieces of steepness near Loch Buie






Erraid DWS


Fidden

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#19 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 07:20:05 pm
Nice Mike, Erriad seems all the rage at the moment. I reckon its gonna be mobbed next year....

From the stuff Ive seen so far, the big four in terms of sheer volume of boulders are Shelterstone, Carn Liath, Ben Alligin and Glencoe Lost Valley. Standard disclaimers about long walks and bad landings (mostly) apply.
None of which are near any surfing of course.

What we really need is a list of places that look really promising from a distance or on the map but in reality dont tick any of the required boxes.
A miniguide maybe? 'Places not worth walking in to check out in Scotland cos someone else has already been and theres nowt worth doing'   




 

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#20 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 07:23:55 pm
I've bouldered at the Shelterstone boulders, oddly disappointing.
The Lost Valley has some good lines, but it's quite limited in number.  Some good steep stuff needing doing too.
Carn Liath is a great place to explore.

lagerstarfish

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#21 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 07:33:53 pm
Mike, what are those slabs at Fidden like?

SA Chris

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#22 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 09:34:27 pm
http://routes.scottishclimbs.com/routes.php

Some good info here, but sadly the SoC bullshit hasn't been weeded out. I'm sure the rock is there though.

lagerstarfish

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#23 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 06, 2008, 10:07:16 pm
http://routes.scottishclimbs.com/routes.php

Some good info here, but sadly the SoC bullshit hasn't been weeded out. I'm sure the rock is there though.

I like to think of SoC as "The OC" which, by chance, is the name of a soap opera with little in common with reality.

Ta fo' link.

Mike Lee

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#24 Re: "Undiscovered" Scotland
November 07, 2008, 05:03:58 pm
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Mike, what are those slabs at Fidden like?

For what they are (ie slabs and vertical walls with no holds), they're amazing. Really great setting too.

 

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