A Weekend of Classic Ridges

Although the weather hasn't been great in the Highlands since coming back from Nova Scotia I decided to have a crack at finding dry mountain rock this weekend. Jones came up on the train from the burg on Friday arvo and not long after work that evening we were heading East in the trusty (?) Fiat Bravo. That scans nicely.

I had thought the of some easy big things in the North West, namely East or Central Buttress on Beinn Eighe and A'Cioch Nose. Jones is still a rookie really so its pointless aiming for harder stuff so big routes in big places make for the excitement. In the end the foreccast was giving the North West the shittest weather we headed towards the Cairngorms where fairer things were promised on the Monk-cast.

That night was amazingly clear, with no moon and millions upon millions of stars shining down on Glen Muick. Bootiful.

Look, its Eagle Ridge!

Eagle Ridge, the uber classic 4-star Severe, was on the cards so we scampered in to the corrie, only to find two teams starting the route already. Bum. They were going very, very slowly and it was only after we realised we were'nt at the true start that we understood why these guys were having such problems on a Severe. Only two hours lost! In fact we ended up overtaking the second team.

Jones, the Ridge and the Loch.

Its a great route, with maintained interest and some good exposure. The 'sentry box' pitch is particularly splendid, to use guide book parlance, with lots of air beneath you and huuuuuuge holds. Jones had a few 'moments' when the exposure was felt but pressed on like a trooper and was really glad that she had.

Joes was happy to get the route done.

The only problem is that now I've blown my winter on-sight. Damn. I've only climbed a couple of grade VIs in winter but I must say this one looks like a pretty full-on day. Respec.

The 'Sunday' route of choice took us to the Norries, and a very windy and cloudy Coire an't Schneachda. I had though of Fingers Ridge Direct, the VS version of the classic Diff, but the aerial moisture content, plus the 'oh shit I'm going to get hot-aches as soon as I stop climbing' conditions put payed to that. So we went for the Diff, and had a jolly good time. I've done it in winter, and its a stonker, so it was cool to see what you're actually torqueing and hooking.

Looking down pitch 3 of Fingers Ridge, its a beaut.

To add interest, the last two pitches were fully in the clouds and what might be known as 'pissing'. I'll admit I decided to don rock shoes for the short wall after the fingers so as not to slip off.


Then it was time for a brew in the ski-centres wonderfully named Cas Bar and a hitting of the road. By the time we were back in the West it was shitting it down and we both felt tres smug that we got a route done in the hills.

A brilliant weekend I must admit.

Jones topping out. Check out that view.....

So far this week I've done a bit of running and been down the Glen a couple of times. In fact I was down there today and was getting a kicking by everything I tried. The mantle on the top of A Dram for Donald on the Cameron Stone is still spitting me off. I have, however, decided to make the lip traverse of the Heather Hat, Midnight in a Perfect World my project, in order to get strong. Its V5, and I will have climbed it before my contract with Upland Ecology runs out on the 24th December 2007. you read it here first.

Raaaaa!

The Mountain

George, the living legend. Taken on the back of a speeding truck, sometime, somewhere.

The serious bit: It was a haven of tranquility amidst a sea of carnage. Bring it.

So, Tom and Lacey's wedding took place at Nancy and Georges place on Jake Reid Road, on the South Mountain, altenatively known as Gaspereau Mountain, deep woods Gaspereau or simply, The Mountain. Its a wee bit south of Wolfville, home of Acadia University, where Lacey and all her brides maids and maids of honour played rugger together (World Cup starts today, yayer!). Here are some photos that might start to paint a picture of our far too brief time up there.

The Young pretenders:

Brim, in his best man finery.

Tom early/late on his stag night

Ed, the court jester.

Tom, Lacey's dad Robert and Shotgun Steve on the way to The Library.

Phil looking longingly at his Keith's

Star of the show, Nancy. She put it all on and looked after everyone so well. Enjoyed a drop too.

Numerous people from back home couldn't make it so we put their faces on inflatable 'love' dolls. Em looks like normal...

Hazen doing what he does best. Microphone, vodka and a crowd. What a guy.

Back to the grind

Eventually I got back to Fort William.
The last few days in the Scotia were coolio. Got in a days bouldering at Herring Cove which was tres bonne. Gotta love the granite, even if it doesn't love your skin. A beautiful spot too and pretty nice to have some quiet time to myself after the preceeding carnage. On thursday night I met up with some of the girls from the wedding in Halifax. Corinne, Danielle and Kate took me out on the pop again which was real good and a nice end to the trip. I had a chance to sample the delights of Donair (not Doner) and Poutine, both delectable late night comestibles. Mmm mmm.
After lots of waiting around all over the place I got back to Fort William yesterday morn having spent a night in Edinburgh with Jones and another in Glasgow at my big bro's.
So, back to work and all the usual. SNH contracts, training courses, coffee, research proposals, cheese and pickle sandwhiches. Basically it's the dream.
Yesterday was a peach, weather-wise, so I took myself on a run up Cow Hill behind the house. Its a nice wee run and looks out on the Ben the whole way out. Felt like a man that had spent the last two weeks on his arse drinking Alexander Keiths Indian Pale Ale but pulled through. I'm pretty stoked for a couple of months of hard graft so that Duncan and I can have a blast in the OMM (are you reading Dunc?).
The weather was gash today so I couldn't get down the Glen as hoped. I'm getting seriously itchy fingers for some rock routes, it's been soooo long since I lead anything that actually tested me. Oh well, hopefully it'll be an indian summer.....
Jones is coming up this weekend and we hope to get up to the North West for summat. Fingers crossed for dry rock, otherwise it'll be walking and running and partying with the UCI Mountain Bike World Champs in Fort William.
Sorry about the recent lack of photos but my computer won't connect to the wireless connection (even though it says it is) so I'm writing this from my house-mates comp.
I've put a load of wedding/drunk pics on my facebook page if you can see them and fancy that.
Lots of love.......

Ow, my liver and kidneys hurt

Hey y'all.
I'm still in the Scotia. What a fucking amazing week I just had. Far too much fun to recount but rest assured I have never been on a bender quite like that. 5 out of the 7 nights 'on the Mountain' were very drunk and very messy. I've never met such a friendly, welcoming, hardcore partying bunch of family and friends in my life. It's not the average posse that pretty much has beer for breakfast for a week in a row. Bloody brilliant.
Days were spent with Johns, Ed, Phil and Brim (the latter two I only just met and are wasters of the highest degree, in the best sense) helping clear up the yard and prepare for the wedding, playing keepy-ups and headers and volleys, playing washer-tosser (a quality take on boule using metal washers) and swimming in the lake. Oh and nights were spent drinking. The stag-do went well. Ed broke some-ones door, and Johnsey's boxers are still on the roof of the club in Wolfville.
Johnseys wedding was pretty as a picture. Held in Nancy and George's garden with a big marquee, a pig roast, tears, a hoe down, local hillbillies and a world of alcoholic endeavour. MCing was easy as pie and the speeches were amazing. Phil and Brim, the best men, excelled themselves. By the next day my body wasn't happy though. It all caught up and I was struck with a bout of depression. Mind you, my T-Total vow broke as soon as I got to Halifax last night and we went to visit the Keith's brewery.
Tomorrow I'm hoping to get a bus out to Herring Cove to pull down on some local granite by the sea. Maybe gonna try to hitch down to another spot called Chebucto head for the night (if there is somewhere out of the way to camp/bivi) for another day's cranking. Otherwise there's a friend of Nancy's that I should be able to stay with in Halifax. Then a night and a bit of a day in Halifax again before flying home.
Last night I shared a room with Pete, one of the shirelings who now lives in Dublin. T'was great to have a good catch up and drink the odd beer cos I don't get to see that much of him nowadays.
Anyhoo, I'll catch up and post lots of pictures when I'm back home.
Rave safe now...

Nova Scotia here I come....

Im excited. I'm flying off to Canada on saturday for two weeks. The centrepeice of the trip is the wedding of one of my best buddies from home life: Tom Johns aka Johnsey.
I've know the lad for a good few years now, drunk many a beer with him, surfed the odd wave, and climbed a good number of esoteric Somerset routes. He's been a ski bum since leaving school over 5 years ago, and is now based in Canada where he is marrying his lady love Lacey Jane Morse from Nova Scotia. Four of us shirelings are flying out to take part in festivities. It's got all the makings of a good old jaunt into the realms of nostalgia and lots of alcohol. Dreamy.

As for the Fort: my car is back on the road with a new clutch. Its driving like a charm now. I'm waiting for the invoice so am not sure if I should be happy with the garage or not!
As predicted, the weekend was very, very wet. Not a huge problem because I sat around and finished The Deathly Hallows. Emotional stuff. I went for a good run on sunday in the pissing rain, over Cow Hill to the Glen, along the West Highland Way and then back up the road from the 'unkown loch'. About 10km and felt good. Just got to keep it up for the OMM. On monday and tuesday (today) I've been bouldering down the Glen after work. I discovered the Sky Pilot area last night. Inspiring to the max. About 40 degrees overhanging all the way. Shit. Lots of strength required for those beasts. But a totally beatutiful place just at the base of the top teir of High Crag, looking out over the ring of Steall, so I'm pretty motivated to get strong! Looking forward to cold, fresh, breezy weekend before winter kicks in with a crash pad, no midges and a flask of tea. Mind you it'll be a while until I'm climbing V9!
Today I went to the Cameron Stone and did NDDB, a V2 next a Jazzamatazz. Its pretty wee but on fairly small holds on a steep wall (for me) so I was pleased. I still can't fathom the mantle at the end of a Dram For Donald (V4), otherwise I can do it!

I'll try to keep you up to date while on the other side.

Photo's aren't uploading the noo.
Bum...

My car is dead. Long live my car.

Its been a good week one way and another. I've been on a chainsaw course all week, near Lochaline in Morvern. Bloody miles away, but a nice place its fair to say. It didn't rain too much, and in fact it was far too warm some times due to the thick protective trousers, gloves, boots and helmet. Sweaty betty.

A well felled tree. Nice.

I managed a bit of a boulder on Tuesday night, did a good V3 highball slab under Cavalry Buttress, I forget the name but it was fun, if a bit eliminate. Played a bit on the Cameron Stone too.
Jones came up to the Fort on wednesday eve and its been really nice showing her round. Looking forward to her next visit. Along with my housemate Miriam and her sister, Jones went up the Ben on Thursday while I was cutting down trees. It didn't rain so I think they enjoyed it. It is a bloody boring slog though.
A bad thing happened yesterday when the clutch in my car burnt out (or something like that, I don't know much about engines). Bummer. I had to get towed from Lochaline to Fort William, a 120 mile round trip for the pick up lorry. £70. Shit. its in the garage awaiting work.
That meant no car for the evening when I had hoped to head down the glen with Jones and climb an easy classic route or two. We decided to adventure outwards anyhow and ended out walking across Cow Hill into the Glen, then hitching to Polldubh and back. We did Pine Tree Wall on the buttress of the same name. A very nice two pitch Severe next to The Gutter. It was fucking midgy down at the bottom of the crag and Jones looked pleased to get to the halfway belay with a bit of a breeze.

Pine Tree Wall and Jones hiding from the midge: The Gutter is the obvious crack system, Pine Tree Wall takes the left arete and slabs left of the crack. Pitch 2 goes up the skyline ridge.

No dice this weekend. Its been properly shitting down all day. Hopefully the car will get fixed soon and I'll be able to go out a few eveings this week.
What fun.

Victory and photo-ma-graphs

News just in. I just did Maisie Gunn on the Heather Hat. Not groundbreaking I'll admit, but it took some fighting and I'm smug as a bug in a rug. I went down straight after work and lo and behold it pissed down so the finishing holds were wet - bummer cos I'd just worked out the moves! I went for a stroll up to Steall Meadows and went home for tea.

The sun shone as I ate, and, galvanised by a phone call to Jones I decided to head out again to see if the holds had dried. They had! And the sequence worked! Dreamy. Here's a pic of the line, its a sit start from the smaller stones on the ground, then out to the small chalked prow and finishing with a mantle onto the boss/nose.

Here are a few pics from the last few weeks:

Chris surveying Slime Wall on the Buachaille on the eve before our attempt

Chris and I above pitch 1 of Crows Nest Crack, the Buachaille

My new garden: Steall Meadows and Steall Falls