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the shizzle => bouldering => new problems => Topic started by: richieb on October 09, 2010, 08:18:27 pm

Title: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: richieb on October 09, 2010, 08:18:27 pm

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4154/5065442340_d7b4fc1a2a.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/richiebetts/5065442340/)
Torridon (http://www.flickr.com/photos/richiebetts/5065442340/#) by richiebetts (http://www.flickr.com/people/richiebetts/), on Flickr

New problem up on the hill opposite the main boulders (turn left along a terrace half way up towards Seana Mheallan crag).
This is the line I had been looking for in the glen for about 3 years! Really chuffed to get this done today. 

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: SA Chris on October 09, 2010, 08:21:51 pm

Nice one Richie, looks like a plum line. Did John Watson report this, or publish a pic recently?

edit - ignore I was thinking of The Universal, which looks good too.

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: richieb on October 09, 2010, 08:31:16 pm

Cheers mate. 
Hope not, I only did it today! He did report some of the new Applecross stuff recently. 

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: Jim on October 09, 2010, 08:58:03 pm

looks good

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: Steve R on October 09, 2010, 09:07:35 pm

nice one, looks great.  Well found and climbed.

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: SA Chris on October 09, 2010, 09:13:17 pm

Richie, how much has been done on those terraces now? Have you written it all up? Guess it doesn't suffer with bogginess like the main boulders.

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: richieb on October 09, 2010, 09:33:13 pm

Cheers chaps.

Theres a couple of hard problems on the terraces above the ship boulder area done by Dan V (and a few easy ones done by me).  On the other side (south side of the glen) theres been some stuff done by various folk but none of it written up as far as I know. The very bottom tier on the south side has good stuff, Ive been warming up here before going up to this project.
I really should get my finger out and write up all the bits and bobs that have been done away from the ship area.

Less boggy once you are up on the terraces for sure. Getting up to this problem is pretty involved though to be honest. River crossing, bog crossing then really steep heather / boulder bash with no path. Classic.

Good news is someone has kindly dug a trench to drain the ship boulder itself and it seems to be working well.
I wouldnt say it was dry, but its a big improvement.

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: punkpunk on October 09, 2010, 10:38:28 pm

good one richie looks wicked. i was up the other week and am well psyched to head back soon. amazing rock

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: cofe on October 09, 2010, 11:10:06 pm

Looks amazing.

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: SA Chris on October 10, 2010, 09:02:00 am

Is this the same prob?

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4126/5065947586_c5085a5838_z.jpg)

Looks like an arete in the other pics, not a prow.

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: richieb on October 10, 2010, 07:13:36 pm

Yep thats the same prob. Its a kind of pillar/prow thing standing proud of the crag. I thought it looked abit like queen kong at queens (although I havent been there).
It climbs using both aretes, but with a bit more of the righthand one and a couple of holds on the sidewall.

Another cracking day in the north west today!

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: north_country_boy on October 10, 2010, 07:24:33 pm

Great looking find! That has just gone straight to the top of my Torridon must do list! Good effort!  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: willackers on October 10, 2010, 07:39:38 pm

That looks amazing and it's the spitting of Queen Kong!

Nice one.

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: SA Chris on October 10, 2010, 08:03:10 pm

Quote from: richieb on October 10, 2010, 07:13:36 pm

I thought it looked abit like queen kong at queens (although I havent been there).

Another cracking day in the north west today!

Thought the same, although I haven't seen either of them.

Shite in the NE

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: Paul B on October 10, 2010, 08:13:54 pm

Quote from: north_country_boy on October 10, 2010, 07:24:33 pm

Great looking find! That has just gone straight to the top of my Torridon must do list! Good effort!  :thumbsup:

It does look like kong but looks like I mightn't be so stretched between the two aretes.

Like Queen Kong, it looks f*cking fantastic! When is the best (I know) time to visit Torridon?

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: richieb on October 10, 2010, 09:03:45 pm

Anytime between now and May (when the midge comes back) can be good, although maybe not November.
Theres not much daylight to play with and even less sun in December and January. 
Good weather up here seems to come in blocks of a few days and is often forecast pretty accurately. If you can leave on a good forecast at short notice thats probably the best plan.

That said, end of Feb/March has been really good the last couple of years.
If anyone wants better directions to find this new problem or any other stuff just give me a shout.

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: Mike Lee on October 10, 2010, 09:13:37 pm

Quote

Getting up to this problem is pretty involved though to be honest. River crossing, bog crossing then really steep heather / boulder bash with no path. Classic.

That walk in appeals to me equally as much as the problem  ;D. Excellent questing buddy. Any news on the Stone Country guide for Torridon?

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: richieb on October 10, 2010, 09:41:17 pm

Cheers Mike. Not sure on the guide, hopefully something will appear soon.

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: andy_e on October 10, 2010, 11:48:44 pm

Whoa! Nice work.

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: SA Chris on October 11, 2010, 09:00:24 am

Quote from: Paul B on October 10, 2010, 08:13:54 pm

When is the best (I know) time to visit Torridon?

Paul, with your new found trad head you would have a great time up there. Actually if you went via Gairloch you could use the sport head too.

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: slackline on October 11, 2010, 09:47:19 am

 :agree: Some great climbs there...

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/3899564612_dff85b38b7_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/slackline/3899564612/)
In the Groove (http://www.flickr.com/photos/slackline/3899564612/#) by slack---line (http://www.flickr.com/people/slackline/), on Flickr

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2431/3902196275_0379eff587_b.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/slackline/3902196275/)
Rowantree Crack (http://www.flickr.com/photos/slackline/3902196275/#) by slack---line (http://www.flickr.com/people/slackline/), on Flickr

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: SA Chris on October 11, 2010, 09:55:51 am

Is that up at Sienna Miller West (I know that's not the real name but I can't pronounce or spell it).

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: slackline on October 11, 2010, 10:22:36 am

I'm not sure if its West, but definitely Seanna Mhellan, and the approach also included boulder hopping across a stream, and yomping across bog and up a heather covered hill (which was mostly bog too). View from the road (http://is.gd/fWOBj) (crag is better than it looks from here though).

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: rodma on October 11, 2010, 12:58:15 pm

That problem looks great (if a little on the tall and scary side)  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: [Scotland] [Torridon] [7b+] The Essence
Post by: Fiend on October 21, 2010, 04:24:05 pm

Nice one  :thumbsup: