| • Glen Coe - 2000 | ◄ . . . back |
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BUACHAILLE ETIVE MOR - SOUTH-EAST FACE OF STOB DEARG MISTY BUTTRESS NG 227 542 Altitude: 620m Aspect: SE About 200m north of the top of Blackmount Wall, and about 5 minutes down from the cairn at the top of Curved Ridge (less than 100m to the south) is a large slabby wall with a large block at the top. The following two routes were gained by abseil from flakes/blocks at the top. Smirr 35m VS 4b ** -FA Gary Latter & Martin Boyce 28 June 2000- Follows a wandering line up the left side of the slab, trending slightly left. Start from a heather ledge part way up the face, which could be gained by easy scrambling from the open gully bounding the left side of the face. Protection is sparse but the holds and rock are good throughout. Scotch Mist 45m VS 4b ** -FA Gary Latter & Martin Boyce 28 June 2000- Start from a long juniper ledge at the base of the slab, down and right of the previous route. Climb a short steep crack on good holds, then follow easy ground trending slightly leftwards. Near the top, a prominent smoother looking pink area of rock was climbed. Easier looking (V.Diff.) finishes look possible either side. THE SENTINEL NN 166 563 Altitude: 200m Aspect: NW The glaringly obvious rhyolite cliff immediately beneath the North Face, directly beneath Preamble. It provides the lowest lying and most accessible multi-pitch routes in the Glen. The base is guarded by a band of augite-andesite and steep vegetated tree-covered slopes, and all the following routes were gained by abseil. If approached from below, the base could be gained in around 20 minutes by budding Tarzans. The cliff is split at roughly 2/3rds height by a right-slanting partially tree-lined terrace. The rock is a bit lichenous on the lower tier, with the upper tier similar in length and quality to the right end of the Lower Walls on Aonach Dubh, such as The Challenge. Due to the unbalanced grade of the upper pitches, routes have been described as individual pitches, though the upper tier provides logical direct finishes. There is scope for further development. Approach: As for the North Face to just beneath the base of the zig-zags, then bear to gain the large rocky knoll which forms the top of the cliff. 35 minutes. Descent: All the routes were gained by abseil from a good thread belay 10m back from the edge, roughly in the centre of the cliff. The base of the lower routes required a 60m abseil, though this could easily be split by a second abseil from the tree-lined terrace. LOWER TIER Gonnae No Dae That? 25m VS 4c * -FA Gary & Karen Latter 30 July 2000- Start on small heathery ledge down left from the left end of the terrace, immediately above a small birch. Move out right and follow a right-tending diagonal line of black grooves leading to the left end of the terrace. Belay on small birch on the right. Jist Gonnae No? 35m VS 4c * -FA Gary Latter & Harry McCaffery 30 July 2000- Start from the lowest point of the clean wall, down and slightly right (facing in) from the tree-lined terrace A belay (poor) was taken a few metres up left of a prominent block above the augite-andesite band. Follow a slightly left-tending diagonal line to tree belay near the right end of the terrace. UPPER TIER Gained by a 20m abseil. Good Guy 20m E1 5a * -FA Gary Latter & Harry McCaffery 30 July 2000- The steep undercut groove starting 5m left of the leftmost birch on the terrace. Step up left onto the wall above the left side of the roof and continue directly. Holly Tree Wall 20m E3 5c ** -FA Gary Latter & Harry McCaffery 30 July 2000- An esoteric gem. Climbs the holly at the right side of the bay, then the wall above. Balance precariously on the top branches. Place small wires above, then make a few tricky moves up left, then right to better holds. Ascend for a couple of metres, then follow left-slanting crack to finish more easily. W…… 30m Difficult * -FA Gary & Karen Latter 30 July 2000- From the rightmost tree on the ledge, follow the fault up right, then ascend the wall leftwards, moving up left to a belay. NORTH-WEST FACE Snickers Boy 80m VS 4b,4c ** -FA Roger Palin, Scott Muir, Gary Latter & Darren McAuley 18 June 2000- A good direct line up the clean right side of the face, drying much faster than Marathon Man. Start beneath a shallow left-facing groove 6m left of the right end of the ledge. 1 40m Climb a direct line following the general line of the groove, moving slightly right for protection, before returning left to climb direct to belay on large grass ledge. An excellent pitch. 2 40m Climb direct above the belay to gain the right end of a left-slanting ramp and follow this, with a tricky move moving up onto the rib at its end. Continue up, escaping left into the V.Diff. grooves of Meander and finish up this. MOME RATH FACE Toves 110m Very Difficult ** -FA Gary & Karen Latter & Colin Whiston 3 September 2000- Good climbing with a superb final pitch. Start beneath the next groove right of Slithy. 1 20m Ascend the groove passing a steep bulge on the left, continuing more easily to a good ledge and block belay. 2 40m Continue directly up the cracks above to belay on ledge. 3 50m Continue up the fault on excellent holds and protection to level with a rowan in a bay out left. Step up right into the fine hanging groove and finish up this, passing some blocks near the top. Scramble to finish. Brillig 100m Very Difficult ** -FA Dr Patricia Littlechild, Cliff Ogle & Gary Latter 21 July 2000- A good direct line cutting through the easy shelf of Mome Rath Route, finishing up that routes final pitch. Start beneath an open groove 3m left of Outgrabe Route. 1 40m Move up into the V-groove and climb steps in the slabby left wall, then direct by the crack-line to block belay on the wide shelf. (A more direct version of this pitch was also climbed at Severe 4a). 2 30m Move out right and follow fine slim vertical groove to a good ledge on the right at the top. 3 40m Traverse leftwards and finish up Mome Rath Route. A Direct Finish, VS 4b (-FAFA Gary Latter, Dr Patricia Littlechild, Cliff Ogle & Brian Crowe 21 July 2000-) climbs out left round the first roof, traversing back right to climb slightly rightwards through the upper bulge leading to easy ground. Borogroves 35m HVS 5a * -FA Gary Latter & Martin Boyce 29 June 2000- The direct finish to Jabberwock, continuing steeply up the widening crack on the final pitch, where the normal route steps out left. Belay in recess out right at the top. Gyre 125m HVS 5a,5a,- ** -FA Gary Latter, Tom Cameron & Scott McQueen 26 July 2000- A good direct line up the cracks just right of Whimsy. Start 3m right of Whimsy, beneath a hanging groove. 1 50m Climb the crack which leads to the right side of a bulge. Step left and cross the bulge on good holds past two grass clumps, then continue up the easy groove. Climb the fine rib on the right edge to belay beneath the right-most crack, as for Whimsy. 2 25m Traverse rightwards to a hidden hanging groove. Move up this for a couple of metres, then traverse back left to cracks and climb direct on excellent pockets leading to a belay beneath a large flake on the right. 3 50m Continue direct on easy excellent rock, passing triple blocks, to belay at the very top of the cliff. EAST FACE - THE TERRACE FACE Slings and Arrows 45m HVS 5a -FA Gary & Karen Latter & Colin Whiston 2 September 2000- A direct line cutting through Quiver Rib. Start just right of that route. Climb the easy slightly vegetated right-facing corner just right of Quiver Rib and continue straight up the wall, pulling over a bulge directly to finish up the final easy groove of Quiver Rib. BARN WALL Tug of War 40m Very Difficult * -FA Gary Latter, Niall Duncanson & Andrew Minshall 26 September 2000- The south-facing left margin of the wall slopes uphill, split by twin dykes, the leftmost one forming a deep open gully with a large rowan at its top. This route follows the pleasant right-facing groove, starting about 8m right of the gully. 1 30m Move up right and follow the groove, past a rowan at 10m. Continue up the short steep hand crack in the corner, then by more broken ground to belay on large ledge. 2 10m Continue more easily up the wall above, traversing left to belay on large rowan at the top of the dyke. Descend by abseil (sling & maillon in situ). | 
 Cliff Ogle on Brillig (V.Diff), Mome Rath Face  Martin Boyce on Smirr VS 4b, Misty Buttress  Harry McCaffery on Holly Tree Wall E3 5c, The Sentinel |