So, now for the final leg of this voyage through my sea of psyche. All of these suffer from being far away, and for the most part covered in rain and/or midges, but that doesn't stop them being great...
Grey Panther - E1 5b, Kilt Rock
My number 1 to do route. An Extreme Rock tick with jamming and bridging at the same time and it looks incredible.
Road To Ruin - E2 5b, Kilt Rock
More classy jamming and bridging but with added offwidth factor.
The Swan - E1 5b, Eala Sheadha
More sea cliff girdle action.
Spring Squill - E1 5b, Pabbay
Hard to get to, but sounds amazing.
Prophecy Of Drowning - E2 5c, Pabbay
Its reputation of amazingness precedes it.
Original Route - E1 5b, Old Man Of Hoy
History and aesthetics aside, there's a dirty great crack to climb, and a proper summit tick. Winningest.
West Flank Route - E1 5b, Cir Mhor
Granite chimneys and cracks, lovely.
Shibboleth - E2 3c, Buachaille Etive Mor
"The finest route of its grade and length on the planet" - sounds worthwhile.
White Wall Crack - E1 5b, Buachaille Etive Mor
Reputedly ace.
Unicorn - E1 5b, Stob Coire Nan Lochan
More bridging cornery goodness...
Yo-Yo - E1 5b, Aonach Dubh
... And yet more.
The Big Top - E1 5b, Aonach Dubh
There's an incredible looking photo of this in Gary Latter's Bumper Book Of Lies.
King Kong - E2 5c, Ben Nevis
Another rather over-ambitious route, but damn, it sounds ace.
Minus One Direct - E1 5b, Ben Nevis
I've wanted to do this ever since we saw a party on it from Tower Ridge years ago. A Whole lot of E1 for your money!
The Devil's Alternative - E1 5a, Hell's Lum Crag
Need to get improve my granite slab skills first though.
The Needle - E1 5b, Shelterstone Crag
A mega-classic.
Hall Of Mirrors - E2 5b, Sgurr A'Mhuilinn
A jamming crack/slab double header.
Angel Face - E2 5c, Beinn Eighe
Apparently both sensational and improbable. Doppelwin.
The Pillar - E2 5b, Diabeg
Another one of those mega-classics.
Jack The Ripper - E1 5b, Stac Pollaidh
Awesome situations on an awesome crag.
Bloodlust - E1 5b, Sheigra
Steep moves on big pockets by the sea.
The Sarclet Pimpernel - E1 5a, Sarclet
Basically everything at Sarclet looks great, this in particular, and it's got a puntastic name. Hurrah.
Main Mast - E2 5b/c , Sail Rock, Donegal
Everybody who's done it rates it as the best E2 ever, so it must be good.
Railroad - E1 5b, Fairhead
Looks ace, Fireball's companion route.
Crib Pad Crack - E1 5b, Fairhead
More jamming goodness.
Toby Jug - E1 5b, Fairhead
Yet another jamming testpiece.
An Bealach Runda - E1 5b, Fairhead
A proper Fairhead main cliff experience.
Conchubair - E2 5c, Fairhead
I love Fairhead corners...
Equinox - E2 5b, Fairhead
... And here's another.
I think I'll stop there for the moment. Now all I need is a really long holiday, some unlikely weather, and some more skillz. Hmm.
Damn damn, I read your comment "perhaps I need to find an E2 in a similar vein to crush. Any suggestions on a postcard to the usual address please" a couple of posts ago and got all excited as I have a recommendation, then I see your next three posts where you have already compiled a mahoosive list and any recommendation likely to be tacked on the bottom. Must be quicker off the mark ;-)
ReplyDeleteBut I'll give it anyway - Red Square at Nesscliffe! I was eager to have a go just before I lost the climbing bug. And pleeeeeease let me know if you go as I really want to take pictures there, the rock is an amazing colour and texture :)
Funnily enough, I suddenly remembered about Red Square this evening (entirely independently of your suggestion) and have added it to my newly increased list. I realised I was only a few routes short of 100, and found a few bonus routes to add :)
ReplyDeleteIt does look ace...