UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => bouldering => Topic started by: gardinrm on July 14, 2021, 07:59:34 pm
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I'm planning to head to Mull at the start of the summer holidays. Whilst I know there have been previous threads discussing and advocating Loch Buie, I'm planning to camp on the Ross of Mull at Fidden farm and would love to explore the granite. It appeals for a few reasons, but mostly the chance of fewer midges.
I've seen various blogs and posts over the years highlighting some interesting development and a helpful map to some of Greg Chapmans finds: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?msa=0&ie=UTF8&ll=56.29983070274604%2C-6.353470661167053&spn=0.009073%2C0.023904&t=h&source=embed&mid=1_zBtcukhbkFZXsJqLTH_4Fw_laY&z=14)
But I wondered if anyone has anything more current? I'm super happy exploring and finding things myself, but its useful to be pointed in the right direction. I know a lot of the granite is incredibly rough, but I hear that some is more glaciated.
All advice/thoughts welcome!
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Just a couple of not very useful thoughts Robbie
Mull is not entirely midge free...
I heard that the farmer at Fidden was not happy about the increase of climbers traipsing across his land and didn't want any more development/guidebooks on his land. Where exactly his land is and the legal situation is, I have no idea. Probably best to speak to the guy and find out the full picture.This info was second hand. Or just be super discreet.
Think Alex the Alex off this channel (also UKC) might be your man for info.I haven't been for years. Lots to do anyway, you'll have a good trip.😊
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I can't help a huge amount but I had a family holiday down that way a few years ago and did a very small amount of bouldering on the granite. I've always wanted to go back and do more, and get on the routes too (which all look far superior to the bouldering that I saw IMO). What little I did was generally good though - Columba's Crack at Kintra and the variations of Danny's Wall at Fionnphort come to mind (all in the latest Boulder Scotland guide) but it's all quite spread out.
I recall traipsing round at Kintra for ages to eventually find a couple of massively overgraded problems and feeling a little disappointed by it.
My general feeling was that it felt like the kind of place where I would go to mainly climb routes and then do a bit of bouldering while I'm there, or just tack a bit of bouldering on to a family holiday, rather then going there purely to boulder. But I may have missed loads of great stuff and would happily be proven wrong! It's a beautiful spot regardless of what you get up to.
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I don’t have anything more current to add, I think Bonjoy did some new bits around Fionnphort quite recently but not 100%.
I will say that I enjoyed both The Grok and Roughcut Reality. Roughcut particularly had great climbing in a beautiful setting.
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I don’t have anything more current to add, I think Bonjoy did some new bits around Fionnphort quite recently but not 100%.
He did and they look excellent as usual. Pics on instagram I believe, sorry don't have it on laptop so no link.
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I should point out that the disappointing problems at Kintra weren't Greg Chapman's, which do look ace, but 'Meathook' and 'Glitterball'. Pleasant enough but not 3 stars as UKC suggests.
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I heard that the farmer at Fidden was not happy about the increase of climbers traipsing across his land and didn't want any more development/guidebooks on his land. Where exactly his land is and the legal situation is, I have no idea. Probably best to speak to the guy and find out the full picture.This info was second hand. Or just be super discreet.
The legal situation is of course that in Scotland you have a 'right to roam', which specifically includes climbing along with walking etc. So he hasn't really got a leg to stand on, as long as you behave responsibly.
Fidden is a lovely spot.
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When are you going Robbie? Me, Hamish, Thom and some others are heading there end of August... Perhaps a wee trip report for a certain website would be cool (if you have time and inclination)!
Alex-the-Alex mentions the Erraid situation here, which may be linked to the Fidden farmer? https://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,30774.msg613964.html#msg613964
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Ah yes, that's likely where I read it.
So not the farmer but an SSI? Never sure how the RtR fits in with that.
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Yeah, I found a nice spot along the coast a bit from Erraid. Some pics and info in comments here - https://www.instagram.com/p/CEomH77jCs0/?utm_medium=copy_link
It's not extensive (10 -15 probs to do) but it is excellent and is undeveloped bar those two probs. Way better than any of the granite I found (I didn't get to Kintra though). The location is utterly stunning.
It would be well suited to a group visit as there are a couple of good looking things which would benefit from a few pads and a spot. The front of the Mr Rossi block looks great but will need a rope or ladder clean.
If it wasn't so far away I definitely wouldn't be giving away info before developing it myself!
It's on the coast and doesn't involve crossing any farmland as I recall. Attempting to reach it direct across the bog is not advisable unless you like wet feet and ticks.
Please take lots of pics/vid if you do go, so I can see what I missed.
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Not an SSSI (I just had a look..), but a lot of the area around Knockvologan, erraid, and south is owned by a big dutch estate who are very keen on their rewilding. The guy expressed some concern at the honeypotting theyve seen around Erraid and didnt want the same in the wilder areas further south. I guess the objection is more against promoting climbing there rather than the actual climbing (though they might not be keen on cleaning).
I think the lack of documented bouldering is more to do with a dearth of climbers, the sheer amount of rock and not knowing where to start! Similar to Ardnamurchan.
Ive not done much with a pad around there. I found the rock pretty brutal (though bonjoys problem looks quite different). But like others said, the routes are amazing (especially around Kintra), and the DWS on Erraid is magic at this time of year!
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Well now I'm thinking Big Dutch Estate with their re-wilding (keeping people out) can fuck right off.
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Dutch Hater!
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Yeah, I didn't phrase that well at all did I?
Big Bastard Estate Owner. Is size-ist? I'll stop digging right here.
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Access is fine. Access and promotion are maybe seperate discussions, though not always. I guess they want to conserve what is a fairly unique area of heathland and forest and worry that it getting pumped on social media the way erraid and countless other spots have might affect that. Land access, human disturbance, and conservation is a tricky subject... As is the balance between promoting places and making them accesible (i.e. through guidebooks and insta), and killing them through the floods of nice pics on the web and the cult of needing to tick it. Im not sure I know enough to say whos right. But my sister usually tells me im an elitist wanker in these discussions
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You're lucky, my sister calls me a wanker without any discussion at all.
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Its the elitist bit that stings though...
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Other than a bit of frondy lichen at the top of the aforementioned Mr Rossi front face the problems didn't look to need any cleaning.
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Land access, human disturbance, and conservation is a tricky subject... As is the balance between promoting places and making them accesible (i.e. through guidebooks and insta), and killing them through the floods of nice pics on the web and the cult of needing to tick it. Im not sure I know enough to say whos right. But my sister usually tells me im an elitist wanker in these discussions
Should probably cancel this new Scottish bouldering website then 😂
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Thanks all. As always, I'm keen to look for new things so will try to document what I find (videos and pics etc).
As for the access and development question, I just don't think there will ever be enough climbers to make that much of a difference in Scotland. And from my experience, the sorts of climbers who end up climbing in these far flung places are pretty careful and conscientious.
Jon's problem looks lovely - I'll definitely try find it. Cool block, I bet there are other good ones to get at there.
And also Mark's Rough Cut diamond, which is apparently not as hard as 7c+ so i might have a chance :)
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When are you going Robbie? Me, Hamish, Thom and some others are heading there end of August... Perhaps a wee trip report for a certain website would be cool (if you have time and inclination)!
Heading up on Saturday 24th for a week.
I will also be back up at (beloved) Sheigra at the end of August (18th to 31st) which will feed my soul. We'll be camping up at Durness for the first few days, and then have a cottage literally in Sheigra village = the dream!!! Any stray climbers are welcome to join us, just give me a shout! More climbers = more pads, spotters, keen eyes and styles of climbing = more development. :)
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Have you seen the boulders down on the shore to the left just before you go down the hill into Kintra? Not as rough or scrittly as the stuff at Fionnphort, though I wouldn't say it's totally non-skin shredding. Some really good problems at 6A and upwards. Better shapes than the rock at Fionnphort. Was cleaning and doing some of them a couple of weeks ago. Fair bit of stuff to do yet. Good effort Greg. Nice to see folk enjoying climbing down there.
does anyone know more about these (from the thread on Greg Chapman's Roughcut Diamond
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Oh dear.. as usual ive made a ham of articulating my point. It was mostly in response to Sherlock as to why the estate might not be keen on the promotion of certain areas. It wasnt meant at climbing or climbers so much as at the wider publication of these spots. I appreciate this still comes across as misanthropic. Im not an apologiser for the big estates and the landed gentry, or an advocate for encloser for conservation purposes. In this case the estate seem better intentioned than some in terms of land management, and the locals dont dislike them from the little ive heard. I'll shut up now. None of this is of any help to Rob :sorry:
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Aye Alex, we seem to have drifted off topic somewhat, my fault.
Robbie, have a good trip, we might come up for a couple of days, I'll DM you.
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[Any stray climbers are welcome to join us, just give me a shout! More climbers = more pads, spotters, keen eyes and styles
What are those dates again? :)
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Yeah, I didn't phrase that well at all did I?
Big Bastard Estate Owner. Is size-ist? I'll stop digging right here.
Sorry, that was a possibly slightly obscure Austin Powers / Goldmember reference, it didn't really offend me.
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What are those dates again? :)
19th to 31st August
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DISASTER.
Just called fidden farm, and they're not taking tents unless you have your own toilet facilities. So, no go for this year. What a shame.
Anyone got another suggestion? Anywhere on West of Scotland really. Good campsite with areas to explore nearby. Ideally on or near a beach (sandy camping is always better for the midges).
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DISASTER.
Just called fidden farm, and they're not taking tents unless you have your own toilet facilities. So, no go for this year. What a shame.
Anyone got another suggestion? Anywhere on West of Scotland really. Good campsite with areas to explore nearby. Ideally on or near a beach (sandy camping is always better for the midges).
Just get one of those portable plastic toilet jobbies, think they're pretty cheap on Amazon as it's effectively a bit of hard plastic and a plastic bag
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Good campsite with areas to explore nearby.
Bouldering only?
Have you spent much time at Ardmair / Reiff? Even though Reiff is known for mostly routes, there is a load of bouldering in the area, and the bottom of most of the crags (not just the recognised bouldering spots) have a load of potential for "drop off" type problems with a good platform for landing, and there are low sections for bouldering that have never been documented either.
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Just get one of those portable plastic toilet jobbies, think they're pretty cheap on Amazon as it's effectively a bit of hard plastic and a plastic bag
I might as well free camp then.
Also, 'jobbie' made me laugh because its what the Scots call a poo. I think there is a marketing opportunity there.... "Need a poo, use the plastic jobbie jobbie."
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Robbie, if you're stuck you're welcome to throw up a tent in our back garden, access to toilet and shower. Ullapool.PM me thru this site.
Chris, traveling up to Aberdeen from N.Wales to visit MiL in Torry. Fancy a pint?
Tues.Weds?
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Robbie, if you're stuck you're welcome to throw up a tent in our back garden, access to toilet and shower. Ullapool.PM me thru this site.
Thanks a lot. I really appreciate the offer. I'll keep looking for other campsites. If not, I know there is a good one near Gairloch which I've been to before. There is some nice stuff that the Cunningham's put up near Aultbea that I wanted to check out.
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Chris, traveling up to Aberdeen from N.Wales to visit MiL in Torry. Fancy a pint?
Tues.Weds?
Shhiit. Would love to, but just packing and heading to East Lothian for a week.
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No problems, have a good time both!
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If not, I know there is a good one near Gairloch which I've been to before. There is some nice stuff that the Cunningham's put up near Aultbea that I wanted to check out.
Yep, Sands is a lovely campsite just north of Gairloch. Really good spot for family camping too, not sure if that's relevant.
Despite the huge amount of brilliant trad and sport routes on the gneiss round there, there's a complete dearth of recorded bouldering so it would be good to know if you find anything worthwhile. The feeling I've always had is that it's generally too featured to make interesting bouldering but there's got to be some good stuff hidden somewhere.
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It seems as though everyone is going camping. Tried about 8 campsites, all booked up or renovating toilets. Finally got a place in Applecross, so need to be ready for the midges!!! Planning on doing a bunch of hillwalking because I don't think it will be worth bouldering in Applecross/Torridon unless there is a gale force wind. Shame.
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Well, it has been super windy the last wee while and many observations that midges aren't too bad at the moment after a really bad spell in June. Maybe cos it's been so dry. Fingers crossed it stays like that...