Bouldering in Dunagoil mini-topo II

 

Boom! 6a.

Don't slap, it's sharp, 6b.

 

 To be or not to be precise, 7a.

 

Am bàl dòrnach, 5. 

 

It's not how you fall, it's how you land, 6b.

 

The seamstress low-start, 7a/7a+?

 

Coup de maître, 6a (probably my favourite problem at Dunagoil)

 

Bouldering in Dunagoil (Isle of Bute)

Here's a mini-topo of problems I climbed at Dunagoil on Bute. 

I'll try to post up pictures when I get a chance.

Creag a tuath (North cliff)

The arête of death  f4
Morning sunshine  f4

An sgàrdan (the scree)

It's not how you fall, it's how you land.  f6B
Coup de maître  f6A
The Seamstress sit-start  f7A+
The Seamstress  f6B+
Don't slap, it's charp!  f6B
Aoife's mental  f4+
Boom!  f6A

An uamh mhòr (the big cave)

To be or not to be precise.  f7A

Port Dòrnach (the old name of the pebble beach)

Am bàl dòrnach (the boxing ball)  f5

Coup de grâce

Here's my latest problem at Gullane / Hummell Rocks. I reckon it's a solid 7b.

Unfortunatly, it requires top conditions - low tide, dry spell, dry air flow... 

A late summer morning session is probably best as the crag still catches the sun so the holds are dry, even with a slight sea breeze.

 

 

 

Aonarachd (overhang lip traverse extension)

With the sand at a higher level, it's been easier to work out hard moves at Hummell Rocks this summer. Yesterday I managed to stick to my traverse project.

Aonarachd, which is the Gaelic for 'isolation', is an extension of my existing Overhang Lip Traverse. 

Instead of deadpointing to the good hidden flatty, I continue leftwards to the slopers of An t-Sliseag ('the slice') and finish left into the big jug of An t-Sliseag Cop Out.

I thought it would be 7a+ but I have done it only once so far after weeks of trying. Being tall allows me to use the low plinth as a foothold but it is very sandy and it is very difficult not to sleep. I have also tried to do it footless but then, sticking to the slopers is even harder.

So I reckon the grade is probably more like 7b for small people - unless you get very dry and cold conditions, which does not happen often at Gullane.

Here's a photo of the problem:

 And here's a video of my original Overhand Lip Traverse:

Bouldering at Gullane beach, Àrd-ealain

 

Hummell wall - Gullane beach (near Edinburgh) V

Here's an update of my mini-topo (September 2016).

I did a few vids at Gullane since 2016, you can find them here.

The sand level has gone up very high in Winter 2019-20, so some sit-starts have almost disappeared, e.g. 'An t-sliseag', and landings are much safer  - no mats required!!! :)

As a results the grades are much lower:

1. Àirde An Làin, 
2. High & Dry, 4    
3. Leum, 5
4. An t-sliseag 6a    
5. Àrd-ealain 6b
6.  Overhang Lip Traverse, 6b

 

I've added another couple of problems, which I thought worth trying if you are bored. Here's my topo update.

• Green: An t-sliseag, 6a at the moment.
• Red: Shit-Start, 6b
• Blue: Àrd-ealain, 6b at the moment.
• Purple: Overhang Lip Traverse, 6b at the moment.

Please remember -

Don't use any hard/wire brushes !

Hummell Rocks is a soft sandstone crag by the beach. So holds will always be sandy here. In many cases, you will need to brush the holds before climbing but please, brush them very gently, using soft (not wire!) brushes, to avoid any damage to the rock. Soft nylon are the most popular, but at Hummel Rocks, even soft brushes need to be used gently! If you want to compete with the next guy, give him a chance to try the same climb ;)

Don't climb here less than 24 hours after the rain!

Climbing on wet sandstone destroys it. Hand holds and footholds are softer and break apart more easily. Wait as much as possible, at least a week when there's been high humidity, cold temperature and already moist conditions.
So late summer is probably the best period to climb at Hummell Rocks.

Air beulaibh Liath-Eilein

Falaichte - 7a

Cùrsachadh mhic Nèill

Training Routine

This is my new training project at Agassiz Rock - linking as many loops as possible.

I know neither the name of the problem nor its grade. I think it's a variation of Jammin' Beneath the Darkness (7a) but in any case it provides a good routine for training, one loop making about 20 moves. Exactly what I needed to build a bit of stamina outside :)