Quick-drying clean boulders in forestry clearance on the southwest flank of Creag an Tuathan, above the River Farnack. Good selection of problems on excellent rough gneiss, with generally good landings and a sunny aspect.
Approach: Park considerately at the southern end of Farr village and take the path heading southeast at NH 683328 (across the road from the electricity pylon) via a gate just to the left of the Tarmac drive to Fearnag Lodge. A good gravel path/track follows the edge of the fields (several gates), then bears left to pass under the power lines and cross a bridge over the river Farnack. The track swings rightwards and follows the river for 1 km before emerging from the forestry, at which point the boulders can be clearly seen on the hillside above a pylon.
A few harder projects yet to do (likely too hard for me). The ‘Kelpie’ itself hasn’t been done yet, and the line up the centre of ‘Dark Wave’ block is impressive.
May be of interest to those with kids – pleasant flattish approach to reach lower boulders (20 mins’ walk), nice spot for a picnic and not too much risk of them disappearing over a precipice while you’re bouldering. Lots of easy lowball things that might appeal to wee ‘uns too.
The better blocks are:
High Voltage - Boulder with flat north face underneath power lines (below the Kelpie)
Electric Six f6A Left aręte of the flat face from a sit start, topping out at the apex
High Voltage f5+ Right aręte of flat face starting below right side of the plinth, traverse lip to rockover at apex
Low Voltage - Smaller block behind High Voltage, split by flake crack
Fire in the Taco Bell f4+ The flake crack from a sit start.
Low Voltage f6B Undercut face and aręte to right of flake crack from a sit (no use of crack),
The Kelpie - Distinctive ‘horse’s head’ prow on the hillside above High Voltage
One Trick Pony f6A The groove on the right hand side of the Kelpie block (stand start)
One Horse Town f6A Sit start blunt right hand nose past a scar on the aręte.
Calluna Wall - Wall further right (uphill), between the Kelpie and Dark Wave
Wee spire f4 Layback detached flake at left end of wall from a sitting start.
Calluna Arete f5 Sit start. Layback left aręte of wall, bridging to detached flake (wee spire) and finish slightly rightwards via shallow groove.
Calluna eliminate f6A+ Left aręte with no bridging to detached flake. Sit start, finish via shallow groove.
Tetralix f6B Sit start centre of clean wall at good low foothold. Up on small but positive crimps (past broken hold) to mantel sloping top.
Dark Wave - The big overhanging block just uphill from Calluna Wall
Garlands f5+ Sit start left aręte and follow lip rightwards until it is possible to rock over at quartz hold
Dark Wave f6A Sit start using right aręte and LH sloping edge, gain flake and follow it to good holds at apex of boulder
Gneiss Work - Next block uphill from Dark Wave
Gneiss Try f5 Sit start - blunt south west nose via strenuous moves on good holds.
Gneiss Work f6A V-shaped groove at left side of main south face. Sit start leading to finger cracks in slab above
Wouldn’t it be Gneiss f5 Prominent flake crack in overhanging south face. Sit start, follow flake crack to its end, rock over onto slab.
Kelpie Jumble. Scattered blocks on hillside behind/north of the Kelpie:Lumberjack - Boulder split by a wide crack containing the remnants a tree
Lumbercrack f4+ – Leaning face to the right of the crack from a sitting start
Lumbaręte f6B+ The aręte to the right of the crack, climbed on its steep right hand side (sit start)
Fingerlock - Between Archipelago and Dark Wave next to head-high sawn off tree trunk, split by narrow slanting crack
Fingerlock f6A Undercut face to left of tree trunk, via thin finger crack above overlap, sit start at left arete
Red Snapper - Big boulder with pointed top over the top by the edge of the forest
Red Snapper f5 Sit start below sloping orange shelf, trend rightwards via jugs in groove to top out at highest point on boulder
Second Skin - Large twin boulders separated by triangular cave – just above Red Snapper
Left Boulder:In Shreds f6B+ Start at left aręte, follow rising traverse rightwards on slopers, slap right side of blunt nose and ascend direct
Right Boulder:Monkeyland f5 Sit start at right hand side of cave entrance on main (west) face at good handhold. Ascend aręte and traverse lip rightwards to mantel at apex
Second Skin f6C Fierce crimps up the left side of west face, from a sitting start at the good hand hold shared with Monkeyland (no aręte)
Up the Down Escalator f5 Sit start on wee boulder at right hand side of face, break left and traverse lip to mantel at apex
Litmus Test f5 The clean slab at the right hand (southern) end of the boulder
Pit Lip f5 Around the back of the twin blocks - sit start at right hand side above cave pit, traverse lip leftwards above cave to top out at highest point
Archipelago - Between Lumberjack and Second Skin/Red Snapper, the largest of a cluster of blocks in hollow by lone Birch tree
Supreme Court of Chungus f6A Sit start at the jug on the west (downhill) face. Pull over the lip and climb the groove above using crimps and flake
Achipelago f5 The blunt southwest (downhill) aręte from a sitting start, to the apex of the boulder
Cantaloupe Island f6A Sit start the left side of the southeast (uphill) aręte, then trend leftwards along sharp slopers higher up
Individual block locations, photos and other problems are on UKC:
https://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/crags/kelpie_boulders-28253#overviewIn the unlikely event of anyone visiting, feedback on grades would be very welcome - a lot of the problems have only had one ascent and my grading is suspect at the best of times, let alone after lockdown!
