Rubha Reidh Stacks
(NG748919)
Four stacks lie within 300m of each other. Two are marked on the map. The most westerly, Stac Dubh, is flat topped and can easily be ascended from the north side to a large grass covered top. The second, Stac Buidhe, is 30m high with a large grass covered top and has a narrow arch that cuts through it. The other two stacks lie south east of this. The first is Stac ‘n Iolaire (Stack of the Eagle) and its shape is likened to a half bottle of whisky with two shoulders and neck. The base of this 40m stack is accessible at most states of the tide and is rarely completely surrounded by the sea. A smaller stack, Stac Biorach, lies to the south east of this and is 20m high with a vertical north face and a narrow arch. The precarious state of rock on the stacks has seen only one route recorded to date.
Approach: Park near the Lighthouse (NG750918) and follow the track to the east past the small harbour for 750m. Access to Stac Buidhe, Stac ‘n Iolaire and Stac Biorach is gained by scrambling down a steep gully opposite Stac n Iolaire.
The Levitant 50m E1 4c R I Jones, C Las Heras 26.4.05
This route climbs the west face of Stac ‘n Iolaire before traversing on to the east face for the final moves. 10-15m of rope is required to wrap around the summit for the belay and descent abseil. A further 6m rope is useful as a sling around the lump of rock on the left of the gully on the second pitch.
35m 4c Start from the raised terrace 5m right from the north arete/face. Climb the steep right slanting ramp/crackline for 20m. Traverse up and rightwards for 3m on a grassy ledge. Climb up to a ledge/niche right of a vegetated gully and belay.
15m 4b Step left from the belay and ascend the gully with care to a col between a lump of rock on the left and the summit on the right. Traverse carefully around the summit pinnacle for 3 m. Climb the steep vegetated rock direct to the top.
An old and very decayed peg was found near the start of the first pitch. No further evidence was found of a successful previous ascent both from the effort required to discard loose rock during the ascent and the absence of any rope which would be required to descend from the summit.
Beach Crag - Gruinard
Cowrie 20m E1 5b P Tattersall, T Doe 28.3.05
Rightwards up the steep ramp passing some juting blocks then up the wall to a ledge, step left and stay near the left edge to the top.
Childs Play 20m E2 5b * 24.4.05 A.Cunningham, A.Fyffe, L.Hughes, J.Cunningham
Start near the right side of the steep lower wall and climb leftwards to a tiny sapling in a break below the middle ledge. Move right and up to the ledge. Climb up the middle of the smooth looking upper wall.
Next right and immediately right of a broken vegetated area of rock is a steep scrappy looking wall with grooves higher up.
Family Fun HVS 4c 24.4.05 A.Cunningham, A.Fyffe, L.Hughes,J.Cunningham, C.Meek
Climb a cleaned blocky rib passing left of a small gnarly Aspen tree to gain the steep upper grooves. Move into the bottom of the left-hand groove and up this to finish.
Birch Crag - Gruinard
Panick Beach Teacher 20m E1 5b C Meek P Tattersall 25.4. 05
The grooveline just left of Hatrick for Patrick starting up that route and finishing directly above the small roof at the top.
Left again :
50 Gallon Drum 20m E4 6a P Tattersall C Meek 25.4.05
The slightly rightwards trending discontinuous thin crackline that leads past the horizontal slot (good 2 camalot) to the easier flakeline above.
Aztec Tower - Gairloch
As you walk towards Aztec Tower this crag , which we are calling Sunset Crag about half way between Aztec Tower and the bouldering area. The crag is in two parts, left and right. The Right section is the most compact and has two very obvious diagonal lines in the front face which trend rightwards to the top. The left area is slightly shorter and is split by small grassy ledge at half height. All routes are approximately 8 to 9 meters in length.
Pebble Wall 8m MVS 4b SAllan and K Grindrod 17.4.05
A boulder problem start on small quarts pebbles to reach the shelf. Then steeply up wall and crack above on square holds.
Rainbow Groove 8m MVS 4c S Allan and K Grindrod 17.4.05
Slightly more technical than Pebble Wall climb the crack to the shelf and go steeply up twin cracks to a groove. Follow the groove right ward to the top.
Evening Breeze 8m HS 4b SAllan and K Grindrod 17.4.05
At the left edge of the right section of the crag climb steeply up the edge and on to the aret and slab, follow the slab in the centre trending to the edge of the outside edge of the arête. Not well protected.
April Showers 8m VS 4b SAllan and K Grindrod 14.4.05
Climb the “wet black wall steeply to start to a small nose, step left and up the short groove to finish.
Monsoon 8m VS 4c (Perhaps HVS???) SAllan and K Grindrod 14.4.05
Climb either of the cracks, both have been climbed. Follow the diagonal crack up the groove to overhang, pull over this to the top.
Tropical Storm 8m HS 4a SAllan and K Grindrod 17.4.05
Climb the obvious diagonal crack to the top.
Wellington Step 8m S SAllan and K Grindrod 14.4.05
Climb the wall just right of the open cracks (some grass) and step left on to easier slabby wall to finish.
Stone Valley Crags - Flowerdale Wall
Sun Due 25m VS 4c J.Preston, J.Lyall 26.4.05
A pair of wider cracks lies to the immediate right of Blyth Spirit. Climb the left one (Tormentil Grooves climbs the right crack).
Left of Red Wall
Dread Corner 10m E2 5c S Bate, J Orr 14.5.05
Climb the slab on the right side to the bottom of the over hanging crack and climb strenuously off width crack reaching the top.
Leth Creag - Poolewe
The Long Wait 25m HVS 5a T Doe, J Buchanan 13.5.05
2 metres R of Spider Corner. Follow wide crackline to overhanging flakes and blocks. Over these onto steep wall then R onto arete. Follow slabs and exit left.
(Almost exactly 20 years after T Doe & J Buchanan did Spider Corner).
Car Park Slabs - Gruinard
The Side Wall
Spaghetti Custard 10m VS 4b/c R Cassidy, M Nunwick 3.6.05
Starts just left of the two central VS routes. Climb scoop to join crack. Follow this to its top. Climb the bulge just right of the edge to the top.
More cleaning is needed.
Creag Bhadan an Aisc - Curtain Wall
Ante Naval Base 12m E1 5b R Wallace 11.6.05
Start midway between Windhover and Tired of Creation at a shallow, open groove. Climb the groove to reach a large spike on the right wall at 1/3 height. Make some bold moves up the steep groove to a rest then continue by a ledge and small tree to the top.
Creag nan Luch (Sport climbing)
These routes were completed during July
Shottabeena 7c
Psychopomp 6b
Mr Smooth 6c
Hairdubh 6c+
Swingers 7b
The Power of Tears 7b
King of the Swingers 7a
Four stacks lie within 300m of each other. Two are marked on the map. The most westerly, Stac Dubh, is flat topped and can easily be ascended from the north side to a large grass covered top. The second, Stac Buidhe, is 30m high with a large grass covered top and has a narrow arch that cuts through it. The other two stacks lie south east of this. The first is Stac ‘n Iolaire (Stack of the Eagle) and its shape is likened to a half bottle of whisky with two shoulders and neck. The base of this 40m stack is accessible at most states of the tide and is rarely completely surrounded by the sea. A smaller stack, Stac Biorach, lies to the south east of this and is 20m high with a vertical north face and a narrow arch. The precarious state of rock on the stacks has seen only one route recorded to date.
Approach: Park near the Lighthouse (NG750918) and follow the track to the east past the small harbour for 750m. Access to Stac Buidhe, Stac ‘n Iolaire and Stac Biorach is gained by scrambling down a steep gully opposite Stac n Iolaire.
The Levitant 50m E1 4c R I Jones, C Las Heras 26.4.05
This route climbs the west face of Stac ‘n Iolaire before traversing on to the east face for the final moves. 10-15m of rope is required to wrap around the summit for the belay and descent abseil. A further 6m rope is useful as a sling around the lump of rock on the left of the gully on the second pitch.
35m 4c Start from the raised terrace 5m right from the north arete/face. Climb the steep right slanting ramp/crackline for 20m. Traverse up and rightwards for 3m on a grassy ledge. Climb up to a ledge/niche right of a vegetated gully and belay.
15m 4b Step left from the belay and ascend the gully with care to a col between a lump of rock on the left and the summit on the right. Traverse carefully around the summit pinnacle for 3 m. Climb the steep vegetated rock direct to the top.
An old and very decayed peg was found near the start of the first pitch. No further evidence was found of a successful previous ascent both from the effort required to discard loose rock during the ascent and the absence of any rope which would be required to descend from the summit.
Beach Crag - Gruinard
Cowrie 20m E1 5b P Tattersall, T Doe 28.3.05
Rightwards up the steep ramp passing some juting blocks then up the wall to a ledge, step left and stay near the left edge to the top.
Childs Play 20m E2 5b * 24.4.05 A.Cunningham, A.Fyffe, L.Hughes, J.Cunningham
Start near the right side of the steep lower wall and climb leftwards to a tiny sapling in a break below the middle ledge. Move right and up to the ledge. Climb up the middle of the smooth looking upper wall.
Next right and immediately right of a broken vegetated area of rock is a steep scrappy looking wall with grooves higher up.
Family Fun HVS 4c 24.4.05 A.Cunningham, A.Fyffe, L.Hughes,J.Cunningham, C.Meek
Climb a cleaned blocky rib passing left of a small gnarly Aspen tree to gain the steep upper grooves. Move into the bottom of the left-hand groove and up this to finish.
Birch Crag - Gruinard
Panick Beach Teacher 20m E1 5b C Meek P Tattersall 25.4. 05
The grooveline just left of Hatrick for Patrick starting up that route and finishing directly above the small roof at the top.
Left again :
50 Gallon Drum 20m E4 6a P Tattersall C Meek 25.4.05
The slightly rightwards trending discontinuous thin crackline that leads past the horizontal slot (good 2 camalot) to the easier flakeline above.
Aztec Tower - Gairloch
As you walk towards Aztec Tower this crag , which we are calling Sunset Crag about half way between Aztec Tower and the bouldering area. The crag is in two parts, left and right. The Right section is the most compact and has two very obvious diagonal lines in the front face which trend rightwards to the top. The left area is slightly shorter and is split by small grassy ledge at half height. All routes are approximately 8 to 9 meters in length.
Pebble Wall 8m MVS 4b SAllan and K Grindrod 17.4.05
A boulder problem start on small quarts pebbles to reach the shelf. Then steeply up wall and crack above on square holds.
Rainbow Groove 8m MVS 4c S Allan and K Grindrod 17.4.05
Slightly more technical than Pebble Wall climb the crack to the shelf and go steeply up twin cracks to a groove. Follow the groove right ward to the top.
Evening Breeze 8m HS 4b SAllan and K Grindrod 17.4.05
At the left edge of the right section of the crag climb steeply up the edge and on to the aret and slab, follow the slab in the centre trending to the edge of the outside edge of the arête. Not well protected.
April Showers 8m VS 4b SAllan and K Grindrod 14.4.05
Climb the “wet black wall steeply to start to a small nose, step left and up the short groove to finish.
Monsoon 8m VS 4c (Perhaps HVS???) SAllan and K Grindrod 14.4.05
Climb either of the cracks, both have been climbed. Follow the diagonal crack up the groove to overhang, pull over this to the top.
Tropical Storm 8m HS 4a SAllan and K Grindrod 17.4.05
Climb the obvious diagonal crack to the top.
Wellington Step 8m S SAllan and K Grindrod 14.4.05
Climb the wall just right of the open cracks (some grass) and step left on to easier slabby wall to finish.
Stone Valley Crags - Flowerdale Wall
Sun Due 25m VS 4c J.Preston, J.Lyall 26.4.05
A pair of wider cracks lies to the immediate right of Blyth Spirit. Climb the left one (Tormentil Grooves climbs the right crack).
Left of Red Wall
Dread Corner 10m E2 5c S Bate, J Orr 14.5.05
Climb the slab on the right side to the bottom of the over hanging crack and climb strenuously off width crack reaching the top.
Leth Creag - Poolewe
The Long Wait 25m HVS 5a T Doe, J Buchanan 13.5.05
2 metres R of Spider Corner. Follow wide crackline to overhanging flakes and blocks. Over these onto steep wall then R onto arete. Follow slabs and exit left.
(Almost exactly 20 years after T Doe & J Buchanan did Spider Corner).
Car Park Slabs - Gruinard
The Side Wall
Spaghetti Custard 10m VS 4b/c R Cassidy, M Nunwick 3.6.05
Starts just left of the two central VS routes. Climb scoop to join crack. Follow this to its top. Climb the bulge just right of the edge to the top.
More cleaning is needed.
Creag Bhadan an Aisc - Curtain Wall
Ante Naval Base 12m E1 5b R Wallace 11.6.05
Start midway between Windhover and Tired of Creation at a shallow, open groove. Climb the groove to reach a large spike on the right wall at 1/3 height. Make some bold moves up the steep groove to a rest then continue by a ledge and small tree to the top.
Creag nan Luch (Sport climbing)
These routes were completed during July
Shottabeena 7c
Psychopomp 6b
Mr Smooth 6c
Hairdubh 6c+
Swingers 7b
The Power of Tears 7b
King of the Swingers 7a