My Blog
My Blog
Frustration, Jaywalk & Agony
FRUSTRATION
On my first visit to the Etive Slabs we did Hammer (VS then, HVS now). I was happy leading Severe at the time, I led the scoop which was fine. I seconded the main pitch above and found that a bit exposed and intimidating.
Second trip we did Spartan Slab (VS) and I was then more relaxed climbing on the Slabs. In the afternoon we started up an outdated route called Frustration (HVS then, E1 now). Half way up Frustration I set off up a pitch then decided I was stuck! Janet persuaded me you can always reverse what you climb up, so I managed to return to the belay, she then led the pitch.
In the evening we went swimming in the River Etive.
I had never met Janet before and regrettably never climbed with her again. I was living in Oban, she lived to the south of Oban. She was married to a dentist, he had had a bad fall in Glencoe one winter so no longer climbed.
Next year everyone was suddenly talking about Janet. She had been having an affair, when her husband found out he went for his shotgun and most of the shot went into her leg.
I had a second job working a few evenings in a restaurant bar, I was shocked at the reaction of some of the waitresses who thought she deserved it. I told them she was a climber and the sarcastic reply from one of them was; “she was a climber all right”.
The trial was in Glasgow and was reported in the Herald; I read that their marriage was under strain because he was away climbing all the time, I have no idea if it was the lawyers or the reporters that were twisting the facts.
I met Janet and her partner in the pub one time and asked about climbing. She said that she didn’t have much mobility in her leg and couldn’t walk for long on a road.
JAYWALK
Robert and Gilbert lived in Oban, they both led Severe. I had climbed The Long Reach (HVS then, E2 now) with Gilbert, Robert decided I was going to lead him up it six days later. I wanted to climb on Ben Nevis but Robert insisted we were going to do The Long Reach, he had arranged to go to Ben Nevis with someone else on the Sunday. I told him the forecast was poor for Sunday and we should climb on Ben Nevis, but he was wearing blinkers so we went to the Slabs.
I don’t like to repeat routes and definitely not within a week. I led a route, when we got back down to the coffin stone I told Robert we had climbed The Pause (HVS then, E1 now). I was expecting abuse but he wasn’t upset so I suggested another route. Back at the coffin stone I told him we had climbed Jaywalk (E1 then, E2 now). I asked if he had climbed an E1 before, it was his first.
The forecast was correct so he didn’t climb on Ben Nevis the next day.
AGONY
Billy and I were going to do Carnivore but I was worried about it so suggested The Big Ride (E2 then, E3 now).
As I was leading the crux pitch I couldn’t see any gear and Billy was chatting to George Szuca. I seemed to be in my own little world, I was strangely relaxed and just got on with it.
After The Big Ride we climbed Agony, I’ve climbed sixteen route on the slabs and I thought Agony was the best.
I never did climb Carnivore.
Photos below
Aberdeen team at the coffin stone (when I was still at school) Cynthia, Brian Lawrie and Dougie Dinwoodie.
Me on The Big Ride.
Thanks to Greg Strange, Billy Hood and Stephen Kennedy.
Monday, 27 March 2017