Category Archives: Commentary

New Lochain Route

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Simon Richardson

On November 23, Michael Barnard and Lee Harrison climbed Snuffleupagus (IV,6), a new two-pitch line in Coire an Lochain on the very left side of No.4 Buttress. “It starts up grooves and corners parallel to and left of Oesophagus,” Michael … Continue reading →

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New Route Recording – A Conundrum

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Simon Richardson

Simon Yearsley had an enjoyable day in the Northern Corries on November 25, coming away with a possible first ascent on No.4 Buttress in Coire an Lochain. His climb raises some interesting aspects about the recording of new routes. “I … Continue reading →

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Overstepping the Mark

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Simon Richardson

This blog is a celebration of Scottish winter climbing. As per my statement of March 5, the original post was kept live for a number of days and has now been removed.

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Nanga Parbat’s Mazeno Ridge

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Simon Richardson

On July 15, Rick Allen and Sandy Allan succeeded in making the first ascent of the Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat (8126m). This 13km-long route was first attempted in the 1970s and was widely considered to be one of the … Continue reading →

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BMC Winter Meet Video

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Simon Richardson

Simon Gee and Justin Tracey from Reeltime Adventure have made an excellent video of last month’s BMC International Winter Meet. http://vimeo.com/36723593 “Hopefully catches a bit of the spirit of the event without getting bogged down on any one route or … Continue reading →

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CIC Hut Back in Business

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Simon Richardson

Good news – The SMC released the following statement earlier this week: “Thanks to the work carried out by Neil McGougan, John Orr and team, the roof on the CIC hut has been repaired and will be fully open from … Continue reading →

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Bill Brooker (1931 – 2011)

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Simon Richardson

When I first visited Aberdeen in the mid 1980s, my good friend Rick Allen took me along to an Etchachan Club meeting. Unlike other climbing club evenings, this was not held in a pub, but somewhere in the University, and … Continue reading →

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Creagan Cha-no – Arch Wall Topo

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Simon Richardson

Following on from the Creagan Cha-no – Anvil Buttress Topo post, the photo above shows the routes on Arch Wall. This wall typically provides two-pitch routes up to 70m long, with pride of place going to the eponymous Arch Wall … Continue reading →

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Creagan Cha-no – Anvil Buttress Topo

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Simon Richardson

Several people have asked me for a topo of Creagan Cha-no, the recently developed winter cliff on Cairngorm. The photo shows the Anvil Buttress area, and a topo of the Arch Wall area will be covered by a second post. … Continue reading →

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CIC Hut Update

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Simon Richardson

The SMC have recently issued a note on the CIC Hut as follows: “As you may be aware, the CIC Hut sustained significant damage to the roof during the recent exceptional weather. A large area of roof cladding on the … Continue reading →

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