Will Sim making the second on sight lead of The Tempest (X,9) in Stob Coire nan Lochan. The Tempest was first climbed in 2001 by Neil Gresham, with pre-placed gear and graded M9. It was a deliberate attempt to raise Scottish mixed standards, but the difficult to place in-situ gear meant the style never caught on. (Photo Greg Boswell)
Greg Boswell, Will Sim, Guy Robertson and Nick Bullock visited Stob Coire nan Lochan in Glen Coe on January 13. “It turned out to be a very successful day,” Greg told me. “Guy and Nick went off and did their own thing, which turned out to be a stinking new three pitch route. [Slenderhead (VIII,8) – the thin ice seam and arête left of East Face Route]. Will and I went to look at something new early on, but were foiled by lack of protection. So we turned our sights to the Tempest. Will led off first as I had been the one on lead whilst trying our new line. He put up an awesome show of style, fight and bravery. The route was pretty icy all the way. The cracks were chocked and gear was tricky to find. His last runner that would have held any weight was just above half height, and there was some heart in mouth moments on the snowy top out when he was looking at a ground fall if his axes ripped!
By the time he had finished, the light was starting to fade, but I really wanted to climb. So Will rapped the route and I put my head torch on (just in case) and proceeded to lead the route as well. It was an awesome pitch but the second half of the route was very serious and we both agreed that the last tricky four metres were absolutely a no fall zone! It was an awesome day and everyone got some brilliant climbing done. Glen Coe delivers five star activities once again!”
The Tempest was first climbed by Neil Gresham in 2001. This 30m pitch on Summit Buttress was a landmark ascent at the time, because along with Logical Progression in Arrochar, it used pre-placed nuts and pegs for protection (but no bolts). The route was repeated in this style soon after by Innes Deans, and then ground up by Andy Turner in 2010. The first on sight ascent fell to Dave MacLeod a few days after Andy’s, so Greg Will and Greg’s repeats are the second and third on sights respectively.
But as is so usual for Scottish winter climbing, The Tempest was as much a head game, as a pure technical climbing exercise. “The icy conditions on the Tempest meant that it felt more bold than it was hard,” Will explained. “We thought that if we had fallen on the very top section we could maybe have bounced on the floor… just! I think a lot of the gear, and perhaps the in-situ pegs as well, were hidden under the thin ice, but overall it’s an amazing pitch!”
Well done, Will and Greg – bold boys.
Simon your report gives the impression that Andy Turner’s ascent was in the same style as Neil’s and Innes – with insitu gear, I might be wrong but I think Andy removed all Neil’s situ gear over two abseils and then climbed the route placing his own gear (again taking two attempts). Obviously not a big point in your report but Andy’s ascent was part of the progression of this route that I thought worth crediting, just my pennies worth. Talking of progression what are Will, Greg, Guy and Nick drinking? their start this season is scarily impressive.
Fair point, Ian, and thanks for clarifying. Quite rightly Dave receives the credit for the first on sight, but Andy’s ascent was the first ground up (assuming you don’t count the necessary cleaning of Neil’s old gear first), and a significant step forward.
I was meant to say the Nick and Guy’s route was stonking, not stinking. 🙂 it looked mega!
I also think the Tempest was more like IX/8 rather than X/9. There’s no way it was grade X, even with the serious top section.
Cheers. G
Thanks Greg. I thought ‘stinking’ was a sign of respect for the difficulty of the route! Regarding The Tempest, I think the grade originated from the first ground up ascent, when it was thought to be IX,9 or possibly X,9.
I would just like to comment on Nick&Guys route Slenderhead, a truly inspirational line, much kudos to you guys, looking at those pics just makes me want to get on some icy mixed just now! I’m not sure if you know this already Simon, the first pitch was climbed by the late Mark Millar, I remember talking to him the evening after the dead, a seam of ice down the back of the groove and a very bold lead with Chacals, not sure where he went after the first pitch, it was written up in the new routes book in Nevis sport, they called it Boomshanker, nice to know for a little historical context.
Hi Andy. A couple of other folk today have reminded me of Mark’s lead. I remember Mark talking about it too, and great that it is still remembered after all these years. As you say, it would have been some pitch with Chacals! Can you recall who he climbed it with?
I could be wrong, but I think it was Simon Yates.
Hi guys,
I kind of thought that pitch may have been climbed before – and it was certainly the crux of the route; old school balancy fall-and-you’re-hurt territory. There was also a nut and a krab low down (quite new) where someone had bailed. The top two pitches were, however, every bit as good if not better. The last pitch in particular is just nuts!
Cheers, Guy
Hi Simon,
I think Mark Miller climbed Boomshanka with Adrian Moore – the guy who runs the rucksack company Aiguille Alpine and also made a quasi-winter (no crampons on the Great Flake) ascent of CB on Scafell.
Cheers, Tom