Des Rubens climbing the steep initial pillar of Three Chimneys, Left Hand (IV,4) on Cul Beag during the first ascent. (Photo Dave Broadhead)
“Just to let you know that the team you mentioned in your Free Tibet post is still active occasionally!” Des Rubens writes. “Dave Broadhead and I visited the North Corrie of Cul Beag on January 26. We went there to get away from the high avalanche hazard elsewhere and take advantage of the amount of ice around on the watercourses. We climbed the left-hand of three ice lines which lie about 150 metres left of Left Buttress and are really on Meall Dearg, a subsidiary peak of Cul Beag. The other routes looked quite easy, although no doubt enjoyable.”
Tongue in cheek, Des and Dave named their new route Three Wee Chimneys, Left Hand (IV,4), after a similar name on Cul Mor.
“It is quite a low venue so not often in condition. But having been into Beinn Udlaidh the week before, when there were eleven cars plus two small vans at the parking (on a Thursday!), it was lovely to have a lonely corrie to ourselves!”
Looks very steep for tech 4? Looks 5 or even 6 to me.
Hi Andy The photo is a little misleading as the ice below me isn’t quite vertical although there is a bulge to get round onto easier ground. It’s also quite short, so overall I didn’t think it merited more than a 4.
Obviously have been climbing grade 8 all these years and not realised!
OK Des, but it still looks technical 5. Quite happy with Grade IV overall. But it’s up to you of course.
Hi Andy, OK, I’ll go with technical 5. It was quite a steep pitch, if short. Interestingly, abroad, it is clear that the ice grades purely go by steepness, independent of length or seriousness.
I would say the technical grade here also goes with steepness as the major factor.