| • Sutherland - 2000 | ◄ . . . back |
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SCOURIE CRAG NC 167 441 Altitude: 70m Aspect: W (8 routes/741 words) A short steep outcrop, clearly visible in profile when driving north on the A894 just beyond Scourie. The lower overhanging rock is black, shattered and sharp, the upper the more usual ubiquitous well-weathered gneiss. Access: Park on the verge on the south side of the road 200m further east. Approach: Walk back along the road, then follow a line of telegraph poles up to the base. 5 minutes. Descent: Traverse right 100m and down broken ground. Sare Fingers 20m E3 6a * -FA Gary Latter (on-sight) 4 July 2000- The short steep crack on the left side of the wall, finishing more easily up the fine upper crack beyond a bulge. Sare Heid 20m E4 6a * -FA Gary Latter (on-sight) 4 July 2000- The hanging crack 10m further right. Climb on good holds up the right edge of the recess, then pull into the crack and follow it which soon relents. Continue more easily on excellent rough gneiss, pulling over a small roof just short of the top. CREAG AN FHITHICH (Raven Crag) NC 258 538 Altitude: 80m Aspect: NW -W Three separate good sections of rock on the dome-shaped hill looking down Loch Inchard. Much better than it appears from the road, composed of the usual impeccable gneiss. Access: Leave the A838 at Rhiconich and follow the B801 north for 1.1 miles/1.8km to park on the right (east), on the south side of the old bridge at the south end of Achriesgill. Approach: Head up the hill to the crags. 5-10 minutes. RUBY WALL About 100m further up the hill to the right is a fine steep ruby-coloured wall with a very distinctive band of black striated gneiss in the centre. Descent: Abseil (sling & maillon in situ) from small rowan above centre of crag. The Swirl 35m E3 5c *** -FA Gary Latter 4 July 2000- Climb large pockets just left of the black swirl to better protection beneath a small roof. Step right then left onto a ledge over the roof, and finish up the cracked wall on immaculate compact pocketed rock. RUSSET WALL Continuing further right up the hillside for a little less than 100m is an excellent compact wall, well endowed with letter box slots & pockets. Descent: Traverse right across heather and down the right edge of the crags. Dragonfly 25m VS 4c ** -FA Gary Latter & Alan Warner 4 July 2000- Climb directly up the wall at the left side to break through the final bulge past a couple of flakes. Horseshit 25m VS 4c ** -FA Gary Latter & Alan Warner 4 July 2000- Start beneath the hanging crack towards the right side of the wall. Climb up and move left along diagonal break for a few metres. Follow the crack to finish up a layback flake, pulling onto easy slab above. A couple of hundred metres up the hillside to the right is a fine pink slabby pocketed wall directly above a prominent boulder. Various routes from VD-VS from 8-12m. The immaculate hanging finger-crack in the slab a short way further right gives an excellent 9m Severe 4a. SHEIGRA THE 2ND GEO The Black Edge 35m E3 5c ** -FA Gary Latter & Alan Warner 2 July 2000- Start at the belay ledge at the base of Shark Crack. Move up leftwards to the Black Pedestal, then step right and climb the edge on pockets, past a good vertical slot until forced to pull round the edge. Finish as for Lucifer’s Link, stepping right to finish up the edge. SANDWOOD BAY CRAGS A collection of wonderfully situated crags of immaculate water washed gneiss rising from the beach. Access: From Kinlochbervie follow the single-track road towards Sheigra for 3.5 miles/5.4km to a large car park on the left. Approach: Follow the track north into the wonderful extensive mile long Sandwood Bay and continue to the east end, crossing the burn at the outflow of Sandwood Loch to the first crag. 1.25-1.5 hours. A mountain bike would reduce the journey to under an hour. CRAG 1 NC 225 657 Aspect: SW & NW An excellent bouldering wall, with potential for routes up to 15m high. Clear of the water from about mid-tide onwards, with the vertical NW facing wall clear a bit longer. There is also a fine ruby-coloured mini geo with an excellent 3-4m vertical walls just before the next crag. CRAG 2 NC 229 656 Aspect: W Continue round the first promontory for 200m. A fine tidal crag, with a steep 40m slab at the right end, dwindling and steepening leftwards to about 15-20m. The routes at the left end are clear of the water 1 hour either side of low tide, those on the right for about 4 hours. Descent: Abseil descents from the belays was used to regain the beach, scrambling across broken ground at the top of all the routes. Alternatively, walk a long way right from the top of Marram and descend grass and the small rocky promontory. Marram 60m Very Difficult *** -FA Gary Latter & Alan Warner 3 July 2000- Start beneath large flakes near the right side of the large slab. 1 35m Climb the flakes and obvious vertical crack and continue steeply directly on good holds to belay on large ledge. 2 25m Scramble directly over short walls and ledges. Rose Root 35m VS 5a ** -FA Gary Latter & Alan Warner 3 July 2000- Climbs a line up the left side of the slab, aiming for the steepest areas of rock. Follow a line heading for a short bulging finger-crack in the upper left edge, and climb this to belay on large ledge. Finish as for Marram. Continuing left, the base is guarded by barnacles and green slime for the first 3m. The following two routes both share a common start, up a tiny left-facing corner. Wild Wood 15m E2 5c ** -FA Gary Latter & Alan Warner 3 July 2000- Negotiate the start and pull up right to good holds. Continue directly on good holds. Sandal Wood 15m VS 5b * -FA Gary Latter & Alan Warner 3 July 2000- The prominent left-slanting diagonal crack, after the problematic entry. Can also be gained by starting further left. Driftwood 15m E2 5c ** -FA Gary Latter 3 July 2000- 20m further left is a fine looking pink wall with a steep bulge low down. Negotiate the start and make difficult moves over the bulge to finish more easily up the wall. The following two routes lie above a large pool. Ledges at 6m were gained by abseil from the rightmost of three large blocks at the top, but could also be gained quite easily by a right slanting line from the broken ridge bounding the left edge of the crag. Thrift 12m HS 4b ** -FA Gary Latter & Alan Warner 3 July 2000- The prominent crack up the pink wall, a few metres left of an easy open black corner. Sea Pink 12m Severe 4a ** -FA Gary Latter & Alan Warner 3 July 2000- Cracks up the left edge, finishing up the arête to step round the left side of the large boulder. THE FIRST DIONARD BUTTRESS Regeneration 185m E6 6b ** -FA Rick Campbell & Gary Latter 3 June 2000- A direct line through steep ground up the centre of the cliff. Start directly beneath a prominent roof crack in the right wall of the open groove 10m down left of the fault of Millennium. 1 30m 6b Climb straight up rock and unpleasant heather to gain the base of the crack. Climb this with increasingly difficulty beyond the hanging block (F #3.5) to belay in groove just round the lip. 2 40m 5c Continue up the groove, moving out left into another groove. Trend up left beneath a further roof to easier ground, and head up rightwards to traverse left along large flakes to belay beneath crack in overhanging wall. 3 25m 6b Make a long reach off the belay ledge to a good fingerlock, then heave into the groove above. Climb more easily to arrange protection in crack above, then swing left into the base of corner Climb this mainly on its right wall to belay in groove just above. 4 & 5 90m 5c,- Climb straight up the thin crack and the slab above, trending slightly right to finish up the final fault of Millennium. Escape out right along grassy terrace, scrambling down (Difficult) slabs. | 
 The Swirl E3 5c, Creag an Fhithich  Alan Warner on Rose Root VS 5a, Sandwood Bay Crag  Rick Campbell on Regeneration E6 6b,5c,6b,5c First Dionard Buttress |