[ardeer]

checked out some boulders above the farr/jamies boulder a few days ago, saw a few things that are worth a scrub but had to go back down the hill as the heat was doing the mutt in. i looked at the stuff on the right hand side of jumble as your looking down on it. wondered if any locals have checked it out and if the other stuff is any good and if theres more as i suspect hiding nearby (i only get up that way every few months)

Ta.

[JamieG]

Hi Ardeer,

Where about is the Farr/Jamie's boulder? I'm interested (partly because of my name) since I've never hear of it, but don't even know what country we are talking about.

Thanks Jamie

[ardeer]

sorry should have been a bit more specific there, scotland, a wee place called farr outside inverness.

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQMIaFZS_Asp4I1wwyGcAO_HYv7j2xZusLScEKEI3_aJxK6GG3l-Q

(dont know if thatll work)

the big cluster is up the hill from there.

[SA Chris]

JamieG, best source of info is here

http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crag.php?id=8855

(I personally thing the first ascentionist missed the opportunity for a wealth of puns)

Only other "clusters" I know of in the area are Brin and Duntelchaig.

richieb will know though, and if he doesn't will know someone who does!

[ardeer]

Thanks Chris

yeah hadnt seen the topo til after i visited the first time. if you know the area you can see the cluster from further along the brin road than the boulders there, about where you see the split boulder on your right is a spot good view of them. for anyone thats interested you continue up the garbole turn that you take for the jamies/farr boulder and park at the access road to the wind farm and take the track up and to the left.

i opted to give them a look as it was very dry and ive been trying to get to stuff thats normally damp or boggy and that type of spot is normally a footsoaker.

theres also boulder to secs up the road from jamies, on the left before you reach the wee loch. its almost in the layby. theres a few wee things on it that are okay. not a patch on its neighbour tho.

[ardeer]

just noticed i called the thread farr boluders. ooops!

[SA Chris]

I don't know the area that well, only ever been to Tom Riach and Brin. I think richieb is on hol, will point him at this on his return if he doesn't see it.

[ardeer]

ta, if your at brin again you should give jamies a visit as its just along the road and its pretty nice, plus theres no agro parking issue like at brin.

[JamieG]

Ooooooo. That looks excellent. My brother will be up that way in a couple weeks so will point it out to him.

[richieb]

Hi ardeer. I checked out these boulders on the hill above/opposite farr about a year ago, shortly after the trees were felled. I thought it looked worth developing but it wasn't quite what I was looking for at the time.
Plus there was still some forestry work going on so I thought it would be better to leave it for a bit. I told a few other locals about it but I'm not aware of anyone doing any development yet.
Decent rock, steady walk in along the forestry tracks, exposed to any breeze, evening sun. Could be a good little circuit up there?

[ardeer]

hi richie

yeah i think it looks like therell be some stuff thats pretty decent up there, but like i say only could check out half the stones. reckon i ll head back up there with a big brush and a camera next time im up. if i find its decent i ll post some pictures on here. the forestry work seemed to be done in that area and im pretty convinced there ll be other stuff lurking nearby.

[SA Chris]

ta, if your at brin again you should give jamies a visit as its just along the road and its pretty nice, plus theres no agro parking issue like at brin.

I'll definitely check it out if I'm in the area. last time I was there it was hidden in a plantation. Long way for me for a single boulder (Aberdeen based), but if this other stuff proves worthwhile it might be worth a trip. Keep us posted.

[Fiend]

This is how we roll at Farr....



I'd say this single boulder is worth a visit on it's own at those grades n below.

Strathnairn overall has to be the 3rd best (of stuff that is maturely developed and documented) bouldering location in Scotland after Torridon and Dumby?? 

[buddah of brodie]

its the best single boulder in terms of quality of rock in the glen, but reiff in the woods? sandwood? if I was coming up to Scotland from down south the afore mentioned would give you a farr (!) more satisfying experience.
ps im not in any way having a go but given that curiosity is one of my favourite problems I would point out that having rocked up at the start its much harder and better to rock up directly rather than getting to the right of the groove as fiend did

[ardeer]

"Strathnairn overall has to be the 3rd best (of stuff that is maturely developed and documented) bouldering location in Scotland after Torridon and Dumby?? "

i d agree with that, ruthven, brin and farr together make a great circuit, duntelchaig tho nawww!

[buddah of brodie]

theres some fantastic problems at Duntelchaig, the guide coverage is poor but theres lots of great problems out on the moor n in the woods

[SA Chris]

Gaz Marshall's stuff at Laggan looks good too (is that still Strathnairn?)

[ardeer]

buddah

where abouts id the moor stuff at duntelchaig? ive only been to the big jumble under the crags, ankle breaking territory!

chris i wouldnt think laggan counts as strathnairn although it does look good, im kinda grouping stuff off the B851, mostly for ease of access from inverness/fort augustus.

[SA Chris]

No worries, my geography of local area boundaries aint great.

You left out the mighty Tom Riach

[ardeer]

tom riach! good point, the dog loves it there, the guy barks at nothing and spooks me out...

odd how one of many concerns about bouldering is if the spot is suitable for the mutt.

[SA Chris]

It's spooky for sure, wonder if the ghosts of Culodden stalk the place.

[ardeer]

ha, lots of my dead ancestors wondering what the hell im doing hugging a big stone.

[buddah of brodie]

the moor or outer circuit is seen as you go through the gate off the road, basically once over the burn as the path bends right go over the fence, past voodoo working and keep walking (mindful of waist high heather and man eating holes) till you stop going uphill, by then you should drop into a dell with a fine unclimbed wall with a slabby finish on your left and to your right past a long short slab is a fantastic wall with some mike lea desperadoes who's names escapes me, but I'm sure Ritchie will know, not the best time to visit but its open and quite quick drying so a good bet for early spring, theres a couple of pics (1&3) in the dunty section of stone country if you have a copy. the hillside beyond is covered in blocs, most of which I imagine are too small but I never bothered, too far to walk! BTW I  checked out creag dhu flichity, the obvious boulders well seen from brin (accessed most easily contouring round the loch along the road from farr) but it was pretty disappointing but if your after a good walk then its probably worth checking out, at the time though there was too much left to do at brin

[ardeer]

thanks thats all my questions answered, the moor bit at dunny is likely to make me cry and fall over, and the boulders i was originally asked about arent gonna be worth the hassle!

thank you kindly sir

[SA Chris]

mindful of waist high heather

Essential piece of kit for exploration at this time of year

https://www.toolandfix.com/silverline-427615-weed-slasher-800mm-32-800mm.html?gclid=CO-V7p2J17gCFWXKtAod0XIAeQ

[ardeer]

probably need something meatier to deal with the ticks and cleggs!

[SA Chris]

Napalm.

[Fiend]

Don't worry I've already been told off by Dave Wheeler for not doing Curiosity in the authorised eliminate way!

Tom Riach should be in, adds a fine variety to the area. Not as nice now the trees have gone though.

[SA Chris]

When did they go? Noticed some odd tracks in that wood, wondered if it was offroaders or just you avoiding a walk in

[Fiend]

Oi, I can handle the Tom Riach walk-in

Between Aug 2012 and Dec 2012...

http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.html?id=211035

[SA Chris]

Wow. At least you wont need to sweep the top for pine needles before you top out every time now. Although that got a bt tricky after i broke the insitu broom.

[ardeer]

what about the area between tom riach and the A9 is there any "potential" anyone think? i ve checked a bit of Moy out but found nothing worth bothering with. 

[SA Chris]

Unless those trees have been cut down it would be like a needle in a pile of pine needles. Could be another erratic anywhere. Their location can be somewhat um, what's the word for when you have no way of telling how something is going to behave?

[ardeer]

oooh yeah what is that word again? i ll get it in a minute...

i dont get up that way so often so always assume local folks must have the scoop on good things, not exactly a shortage of stones in the area.

always wondered how anyone even knew tom riach was there

[SA Chris]

Yeah I wondered that too. The farr boulder was unknown until the trees were cut.

[Fiend]

I'm sure the ness massive have the area on lockdown

[buddah of brodie]

"Don't worry I've already been told off by Dave Wheeler for not doing Curiosity in the authorised eliminate way!"

yeah those boulder police types are such wankers!