Inverness bouldering (Read 12370 times)

andy_e · April 27, 2015, 11:09:35 am

Hi all,

Going to a "music" festival near Inverness at the weekend. I may get the opportunity to sneak away and do some quality rock bouldering nearby. I was thinking of a trip up to Torridon but it may be the case that I don't get enough time to make it there. Can anyone recommend any good venues/topos? I was thinking Kessock Bridge might be quite nice and I've found a topo for that. Is there a Cummingston topo anywhere? What about for that new venue near Cummingston, Primrose Bay? It looks cool!

Anybody going to be around during the weekend for a hook-up?

Ta!

andy_e · April 27, 2015, 11:18:40 am

Obviously the tides are shit for anywhere coastal, midday-1pm high tides

galpinos · April 27, 2015, 12:07:42 pm

It was snowing this weekend in Inverness so hopefully you get better weather for your festival.

SA Chris · April 27, 2015, 12:10:36 pm

How are you travelling?

Brin? I can remember having an OK hungover session there after a music festival. Hopefully not midgy right now.

https://www.scottishclimbs.com/wiki/Brin_Rock_Boulders

I'm not sure if Hamfunk has done a proper topo for Primrose Bay yet, but as you say, tides not ideal.

Sunny skies here today, after yesterday's snow.

GazM · April 27, 2015, 05:22:06 pm

Quickest drying and nearest to inverness centre is Tom Riach conglomerate boulder up near Culloden, although that's better as a local's fitness traversing place really. Next and better for bouldering is Ruthven, then Brin (although Brin is a pretty spread out jumble so not great if time is precious).
There's other stuff further out but TBH Ruthven is probably the best local venue.

ardeer · April 27, 2015, 06:59:43 pm

id take advantage of the fact the midges arent out yet (well they werent last week) and go for ruthven or farr.

sherlock · April 27, 2015, 07:06:09 pm

Yup,I'd go for Ruthven.Easy access,compact good problems.As said above Brin is abit more spread out and may take a little time to orientate yourself.

ardeer · April 27, 2015, 07:47:14 pm

if you do go to brin, watch your parking, the guy from the nearby by house is nice but can be a little peeved!

SA Chris · April 27, 2015, 10:44:02 pm

Forgot about Ruthven, best about. Take lots of skin.

andy_e · April 28, 2015, 02:23:38 pm

Thanks for the replies! Anybody about? I may or may not have a car...

ardeer · April 28, 2015, 07:33:31 pm

fraid not.

richieb · April 28, 2015, 07:52:52 pm

Quote from: ardeer on April 27, 2015, 07:47:14 pm

if you do go to brin, watch your parking, the guy from the nearby by house is nice but can be a little peeved!

Have you spoken to him then ardeer? Is parking really the issue or was the sign more of an attempt to put people off going to the boulders/crag? If it really is about the parking, did he tell you where he would prefer people to park?

richieb · April 28, 2015, 07:56:57 pm

Andy, I'm not climbing at all at the moment thanks to an A2 strain, but if the weather is dodgy and you want a session on my board just give me a shout.

GazM · April 29, 2015, 09:06:41 am

If the weather plays ball me and t'missus are planning to be oot west this weekend but if I'm around I'll drop you a line here.
Rich/Ardeer, when ive been at Brin in the last month or so there's not been a sign at the parking so I've not worried.

sherlock · April 29, 2015, 09:55:34 am

Thought you were busy capercaillie-bothering? Slacker!

GazM · April 29, 2015, 12:47:32 pm

I'm all capercaillie-bothered out. We've pretty much finished all the main surveys now. Sleep feels nice.

Fiend · April 29, 2015, 01:04:21 pm

4th best bouldering area in Scotland after Torridon Dumby and Glen Nevis. Hire a car and go to Farr, Ruthven and Brin. Warm up/down at Tom Riach.

SA Chris · April 29, 2015, 01:09:30 pm

Midgies or ticks about yet? If so avoid Brin. If it's at all cold and / or windy avoid Ruthven. It's a tad exposed.

GazM · April 29, 2015, 01:28:11 pm

Oh yeah, Farr's not a bad shout if time is short too.

I've not had any midge action yet, and only 1 tick, despite spending the last 2 months crawling about in forests.

Andy, is it Brew at the Bog festival you're going to?

andy_e · April 29, 2015, 01:34:06 pm

It is indeed. All this may be academic as I might not get the opportunity to sneak off... Thanks for all the input though!

r-man · April 30, 2015, 02:31:41 pm

Just spotted Gazm's vid - bouldering around Inverness.

andy_e · April 30, 2015, 02:35:27 pm

Good work r-kid.

andy_e · April 30, 2015, 03:00:50 pm

Moss dab on Richie's Thing, back around! Scatwell looks cool.

ardeer · May 04, 2015, 12:15:58 am

Quote from: richieb on April 28, 2015, 07:52:52 pm

Quote from: ardeer on April 27, 2015, 07:47:14 pm
if you do go to brin, watch your parking, the guy from the nearby by house is nice but can be a little peeved!

Have you spoken to him then ardeer? Is parking really the issue or was the sign more of an attempt to put people off going to the boulders/crag? If it really is about the parking, did he tell you where he would prefer people to park?

yeah just seemed to want people to say hey when theyre parking next to his house and going through what i think is his field with his livestock etc, pretty understandable really, upshot of the chat seemed to be that he didnt really know what people were doing over there and is concerned about the potential cleaning, damage, litter etc happening in a quite fragile area, also of note was that he was very aware of access/parking stuff posted online...

the sign has gone, i note, last time i drove by and without commenting on the legality of the parking there, im pretty sure that the placing of the sign and the graffiti that was on it were the result of bad interactions that can be easily avoided.

seeing as brin gets a fraction of the traffic its quality deserves, i guess its just nice to be nice.

ardeer · May 04, 2015, 12:19:25 am

ps still nothing biting, first tic pic of the season wins a prize!

GazM · May 04, 2015, 08:26:00 am

Quote from: andy_e on April 30, 2015, 03:00:50 pm

Moss dab on Richie's Thing, back around! Scatwell looks cool.

Busted!

Fiend · May 04, 2015, 12:02:36 pm

Bouldering around Inverness videos, did someone say?

(probably should compile these things at some point)

andy_e · May 05, 2015, 08:53:16 am

Managed to sneak out on Saturday morning for a few problems at Ruthven. What an incredible place! The Dude is possibly one of the best problems I've done anywhere. Had a bit of trouble working out what went where from the Stone Country guide and only managed a few problems because of a) skin b) wanting to go and see if any Slavonian grebes were hanging around and c) wanting to get back and drink beer.

The music was far better than I thought it was going to be, I thought it was going to all be superficially profound funk-punk-folk hipster shit sung by acoustic guitar-wielding top-knotters who think their beard is a significant contribution to culture and society. Whilst there was some of that, there was also some more traditional Gaelic folk which is great to dance to.

SA Chris · May 05, 2015, 09:08:28 am

Were there any grebes around that day, Andy?

GazM · May 05, 2015, 09:40:42 am

Nice one Andy. Glad to hear the delights of Inver-stress were enjoyed. On a musical tip, I went to see Public Service Broadcasting in town on Friday night. Well good.

Fiend · May 05, 2015, 10:22:34 am

Good you got out. Ruthven is brilliant isn't it. The whole valley is good if spread out. Yeah the climbing can be tough on the skin and the SC guide....is partially accurate.

On a musical tip, I went to Twisted's Darkside night on Friday and saw Dolphin, Neophyte, The Outside Agency, Dr Peacock, and Destructive Tendencies. Well fucking banging.

andy_e · May 05, 2015, 11:51:44 am

Where does The Big Lebowski go? I didn't try it because I couldn't work it out... SC says go around the arete and get a sidepull, then up left to a crescent crimp. I couldn't see a sidepull or a crescent crimp around the arete at all!

As for Barry Manilow, I didn't understand what to do, I could see the starting glued flakes, then do you traverse right to some jugs under the nose, then up the nose? The guide says no jugs but I had trouble discerning what was a jug and what was a good hold...

GazM · May 05, 2015, 01:37:44 pm

Lebowski: same sit start as the dude and then traverse the rail rightwards and go up at the end of the rail at the vague arete. Everyone does top section differently.

Manilow: don't think you start as far left as the glued flakes. You basically go up slightly rightwards to near (!) the jugs on the next problem then back left round the bulge. Its a massive grovel.

Hamfunk · May 05, 2015, 04:55:03 pm

Bit late to the party but no official topo for Primrose Bay yet. There should be enough info on UKC to work out where everything is though.

GazM, while on the topic of Big Lewbowski is this roughly it? What I did definitely doesn't agree with SC guide.

andy_e · May 05, 2015, 08:17:37 pm

That's what I thought looked the logical line but it didn't go around the arete like SC says. I should have tried it really! Never mind, something to go back for.

That perch move off the sidepull to the jug on The Dude is awesome!

GazM · May 05, 2015, 09:45:39 pm

Quote from: Hamfunk on May 05, 2015, 04:55:03 pm

GazM, while on the topic of Big Lewbowski is this roughly it? What I did definitely doesn't agree with SC guide.

Yeah, that's it. The meat of the problem is the traverse of the rail and then moving a wee bit up and right. At the point it kicks back to vertical (from about 0:53 in the vid) it all gets a bit vague and you can go leftish (as per the vid), rightish round the arete or straight up. I don't think it really matters which way as they're all much for muchness and the hard bit is over.

However, there's bound to be an old school gnarler lurking round here who'll tell you I'm talking sh**t.

Hamfunk · May 06, 2015, 09:10:00 am

Quote from: GazM on May 05, 2015, 09:45:39 pm

Yeah, that's it. The meat of the problem is the traverse of the rail and then moving a wee bit up and right. At the point it kicks back to vertical (from about 0:53 in the vid) it all gets a bit vague and you can go leftish (as per the vid), rightish round the arete or straight up. I don't think it really matters which way as they're all much for muchness and the hard bit is over.

However, there's bound to be an old school gnarler lurking round here who'll tell you I'm talking sh**t.

Cheers, that's what I thought.

Also tried Outstanding in the dark at new year with no spotters and couldn't commit to the damp slopey topout! Next time..... next time.