My Blog
My Blog
Dun Beag
We started September with a return to Glen Esera in Spain.
There was some work going on at one of the crags.
Found a cigarette machine. The tobacco companies will do anything for a profit even removing a leader’s rope so it looks like he is soloing (but they left the knot).
I was asked to do some work to the text for Bunkhouse Crag on Canna. I slept in the car near Mallaig then caught the 07.30 ferry.
The 46m long fishing boat is still on the rocks on Rum. This French trawler was based at Lochinver. In January last year the forecast was bad for NW Scotland so it was heading to South Ireland to work. The skipper had just travelled to Scotland from France so had had little sleep. It was decided that he had fallen asleep and failed to take a right after going past Canna.
On Canna I made some notes at the crag then dumped my gear and went for a walk on Sanday. I picked a few mushrooms and disturbed some geese.
I took photos of Dun Beag in 2008, from the photos it looked fairly straight forward. Easy angled unprotected conglomerate, a looser section with cracks for gear followed by a simultaneous abseil.
The tide was out so I went to do the first moves in my wellies, most of the holds I touched came away in my hand so I didn’t get off the ground.
Back at the crag on Canna the ground gave way under my foot and I fell down a rabbit burrow. Rabbits have made a mess of Canna after the NTS poisoned all the rats.
I went to Scoor one evening as I couldn’t remember where one of our routes went so wasn’t confident to do a topo.
I took at days holiday and went to Iona. I cleaned then soloed an easy new route on the east coast then went to (guide book) work. Walked to Creag Taghain, Ravens Crag, Labrador Wall, Tolkien Crag and Eilean Didil. Took photos and reminded myself where the routes went.
At Tolkien Crag there were four people on the sand, maybe they were looking at shells.
I said “hi” but didn’t get a reply so thought they were foreign.
I noticed when they talked they were from England.
I said “hi” again and was ignored again.
The third time I said “hi” I was about three metres away from the blond woman, she was looking straight at me but still didn’t reply.
The man with the glasses was talking about me (not to me) and started giving me a hard time for taking photos of a cliff. As I was leaving I announced that I was writing a climbing guidebook and they would probably be in it. The blond woman finally spoke to me in a panic.
“Oh no can’t you use Photoshop?”
I used her technique and ignored her.
I went on to Eilean Didil, the crag there is very impressive and overhangs about 15 degrees but is an autumn crag as there are nests above it (and has a tidal approach).
Mark Garthwaite climbed the only route ‘Cognative Therapy E4’ in 1993, Davie Gregg fell off another route the same day when a hold broke. We have top roped a route, perhaps the same one Davie was on. If nobody is going to develop this fine crag I will end up bringing it down to my level with some bolts.
I had wanted to avoid Kintra (and some other crags) for a while. The last time I was there I had gone to the crag with Steve’s brother, brother-in-law and father to show them where Steve had died.
Eight weeks later I had returned to Kintra for a crag photo.
Michael was working on another stunning new route.
Cynthia dispatched a slightly damp and friable project (Michael Tweedley photo).
I got note of a dozen new routes near Dervaig so I went up after work one very short evening for a look, then on to Tobermory for some shopping.
Sunday, 30 September 2012