Adventure Climbing - The Mountaineering Council of Scotland

Enjoy and Care for the Countryside
Access:
You have the right to
walk and climb on
most land in Scotland
as long as you do so
responsibly. What
does that mean? – know and
practice the Scottish Outdoor Access
Code. See more at www.mcofs.org.
uk/access-law-and-soac.asp.
Conservation:
The MCofS Crag Code gives
advice about minimal impact:
erosion, cliff vegetation, nesting
Join Us
Where do I get more information?
‘How to’ Books: The Complete Guide to Climbing and Mountaineering (2008)
by Pete Hill, Rock Climbing (2007) by Pete Hill (Cicerone), TradCLIMBING+
(2007) by Adrian Berry & John Arran (RockFax)
Guidebooks: SMC Guidebook Series: North East Outcrops (for Aberdeen, Deeside,
Angus Glens and Arbroath), Lowland Outcrops (for Glasgow, Edinburgh,
Galloway, Fife and Borders), Northern Highland Central (for Gairloch), Highland
Outcrops (for Mallaig, Glen Nevis, Strathspey, Perthshire and Stirlingshire) and for
selected climbs across the country: Scottish Rock Climbs (SMC), Rock Climbing in
Scotland (Howett), Scottish Rock (Latter). SMC Journal (annual new climbs section).
Website info: See www.scottishclimbs.com for topo guides of many new crags
and more. See www.wildwesttopos.com for guides to the North West.
A Visitor Guide to Rock Climbing and accounts of some of the classic climbs of
Scotland (Climb Through History) are available on the MCofS website at
www.mcofs.org.uk/visitor-guides.asp.
See www.orkney-seastacks.co.uk for esoterica.
For new climbs see SMC website ‘new climbs
archive’ at www.smc.org.uk.
Parents Guide: More detailed information about
participation and progression can be found at
www.mcofs.org.uk/kids-info.asp.
birds, sanitation, litter, group use
and transport. See www.mcofs.org.
uk/cragcode-leaflet.asp
Climbing Ethics:
The essence of Trad’ climbing is
accepting the challenge posed by
nature, without placing and leaving
behind gear, particularly which has
to be ‘hammered’ in:
Bolts: placing any
bolts (even for belays)
on trad’ cliffs is not
advised. They may be
removed. Bolts for the development
of sport climbs should be placed at
accepted venues only. See MCofS
advice.
Pegs & Slings: better modern ‘gear’
has made these less important.
Pegs rust and slings degrade, both
giving a false sense of security.
Many climbers feel they should not
be used anymore.
Certainly
don’t trust them
on sea and
mountain cliffs.
Membership Benefits for Climbers
• Free Quarterly Scottish Mountaineer magazine (for regular bouldering, climbing & coaching articles) OR:
• Free Digital Version of Scottish Mountaineer (direct to your Email)
• Reduced entry to Youth Climbing Competitions in Scotland
• Access to Coaching Sessions (coaching in performance)
• Access to REALrock Sessions (outdoor climbing)
• Access to the Climbing Bursary (grants for competitions and climbing)
• Reduced subscription to ‘Climber’ magazine
Membership Categories: Individual Youth (under 18yrs); Individual Adult; Family
Scottish Kids Climbing Clubs (MCofS Members): These are clubs operated by parents dedicated
to encouraging their children’s climbing. Membership of the club entails both parent and child.
They will be expanding in number across Scotland. Contact the following:
See www.mcofs.org.uk/join-us.asp for our
The Quickdraw Climbing Club: Based at the EICA:
current Membership Offers and pay by PayPal at
Ratho (visit www.quickdrawclimbingclub.com)
finance@mcofs.org.uk or Tel: 01738 493 942
The Lead-On Club: Based at Aviemore (contact MCofS)
Granite City Rock Stars: Based in Aberdeen (visit www.granitecityrockstars.blogspot.com)
Photos by Pete Hill (Highlander Mountaineering), Kevin Howett, Ryan Glass Mountaineering, Steve Crowe
adventure climbing
MCofS Fact File No.2
IN SCOTLAND
www.mcofs.org.uk
mountaineering council of scotland

Adventure ‘TRAD’ Climbing
What is it?
Often referred to as Traditional climbing or ‘trad’, this involves carrying,
placing and removing your own protection in cracks in the rock. Bolts
are not used. The UK is regarded as the bastion of traditional climbing
style in the world and is the home to many of the world’s hardest trad
climbs. Most climbs in Scotland are trad style and so in order to get the
best out of climbing here it is worth learning the dark art!
What kit do I need?
Route lines are complex with available natural protection spread
unevenly so you carry more equipment. The harness and the ropes you
use differ from sport climbing.
• Harness (with as many gear loops as possible)
• 2 x Ropes (dynamic 50m long ‘half’ rope – denoted by ‘1/2’
8mm-9mm diameter)
• Belay Plate with locking ‘screwgate’ karabiner (a ‘stiff’ or ‘slick’ device
which takes 2 ropes is better for trad climbing)
• Gear (or ‘runners’: a double set of ‘wires’ [size 1-7], a selection of
‘micro-wires’ [min four], camming devices or ‘cams’[size 00-3½],
a selection of ‘chocks’ [size medium – large])
• Extenders (also known as ‘quick-draws’: are web extensions with
snapgate karabiners clipped into each end)
• Karabiners (>2 screwgates for belays; several ‘snapgate’ for backup)
• Slings (4x 60cm(4ft) slings for clipping to belay points and extending
runners)
• Rock shoes (you will be wearing them all day so comfort is important)
• Helmet (recommended for novices; on cliffs where stone fall may
happen; where falls may pendulum and on poorly protected climbs)
• Chalk bag and chalk (to clip to the harness or round your waist)
How is it done?
Climbing in pairs, one person ‘belays’ the rope attached to the ‘leader’
who climbs the route from the ground up. The leader places gear
(runners) into cracks in the rock and attaches them to the rope using the
extenders on the way to the top. It is important not to ‘back-clip’ the rope
into the extender’s karabiner or it may unclip under a fall (pictured below)
– a common mistake. How many runners it is possible to place and how
solid they are (dependant on the crack and the rock quality) determines
how serious the climb is.
If the leader falls off, the belayer ‘brakes’ the rope with the belay
device and prevents the leader falling to the ground.
The leader secures a belay at the top of the pitch. The leader then
belays the ‘second’
who climbs and
removes the gear from
the crag. There may
be several pitches
to reach
the top of
the crag.
Descent is
usually by
walking
off.
Belaying using
double ropes
Placing a ‘Friend’
in a crack for
protection
Falling need not be scary
- practicing on good gear
will help your climbing
Adventure Climbing: a
poorly protected route
on the remote sea cliffs
of Mingulay - not a
place to fall off!
Route Descriptions, Grades & Style:
The line of the climb may not be obvious so detailed
descriptions are often required. Topographical style
guides (‘topo’) or crag photos with rough route
lines indicated are supplemented by descriptions.
Scotland uses a British dual grading system of a
technicality grade (severity of the hardest move)
and an overall grade (a combination of technicality,
seriousness, looseness and scary-ness!).
The best ascent (without prior knowledge and
without ‘weighting’ the rope at any point) is an
‘on-sight’. Falling off and lowering to the belay and
trying again is called a ‘yoyo’ – ropes can be untied
and pulled through to start afresh. This is known as
‘ground-up’. Climbing in ‘red-point’ style (as
practiced in sport climbing) is less acceptable.
Trad Overall
Grade
Where can I go Trad Climbing?
Indoor Venues: A small selection of indoor climbing walls in Scotland have trad style climbs where you can practice
placing gear (Inverness, Kinlochleven, Aberdeen, Edinburgh). Some walls offer beginners courses. The MCofS runs
REALrock sessions for children. See the website at www.mcofs.org.uk/realrock.asp. Your nearest Climbing walls: See the
Climbing Walls Directory on the MCofS website.
Outdoor Venues: To progress outdoors on your own, it is first best to find a small low-lying crag with few natural hazards
(e.g. easy access). Choose climbs well below your equivalent indoor (sport) leading grade to start. You can choose
climbs as safe or as serious as you wish – read the route description and interpret the grade: go for the benchmark
grades or easier overall grade for the technical range (see the table – e.g. Benchmark: VS4c or Safe: VS5a, NOT Serious:
VS4b). The following is just a guide of the ‘best for...’:
Low-lying (outcrop):
Easy Access Crags (Starter – Intermediate Grades): The Wangie & Craigmore, Glasgow; Auchinstarry Quarry, Kilsyth; The
Qudrocks, Largs; Louden Hill, Kilmarnock; Trapprian Law, Haddington; Salisbury Crags, Edinburgh; Clifton Crag, Dumfries; Huntly’s
Cave, Nairn; Pass of Ballater, Deeside; Jetty Buttress, Gairloch; Polldubh roadside crags, Glen Nevis; Clifton Crag, Dumfries
More Serious Crags (Middle Grades): Duntelchaig, Inverness; Polney, Dunkeld; Red Craigs, Glen Clova; Polldubh and Steall
crags, Glen Nevis; Ring Crags, Ardnamurchan; Diabaig, Torridon; Creag Mhor Thollaidh and Loch Tollaidh Crags, Poolewe.
Extreme Grade Crags (E1+): Eagle and Balnacoul crags, Glen Lednock; Cave Crag, Dunkeld; Creag Dubh, Newtonmore;
Mountain:
Single Pitch (Starter – Intermediate Grades): Clach na Beinn, Banchory; The
Cobbler, Argyll; East Face Aonach Dubh, Glen Coe; Stac Pollaidh, Ullapool.
Multi-pitch (Starter – Middle Grades): Etive Slabs, Glen Coe; Indian Slab,
Glen Gour; Dirc Mor, Drumochter; Binnien Shaus, Newtonmore.
Big Mountain (Middle – Extreme Grades): Carn Dearg, Ben Nevis;
Buachaille Etive Mor, Glen Coe; Coire Laggan, Skye; Tripple Buttresses,
Beinn Eighe, Torridon.
Very Remote (All Grades): Cir Mor, Arran; Creag an Dubh Loch, Ballater;
Carnmore, Gairloch; Shelterstone Crag, Cairngorm; Fionaven, Rhiconich;
Dungeon of Buchan, Galloway.
Sea cliff:
Unless small and non tidal, sea cliffs are serious venues
requiring knowledge of ‘abseiling’, escaping up ropes using ‘prusik’ knots
or ‘ascenders’, performing ‘hoists’ and escaping the belay system.
Easy Access (Starter – Middle Grades): The Brander & The Souter,
Coldingham; The Hawcraig, Aberdour; Black Rock Gulch, Cove, Aberdeen;
Greymare Slabs, Cruden Bay; Reiff, Ullapool; Cummingston & Logie
Head, Buckie; Portobello, Stranraer.
Complex Access (middle – Extreme Grades): Meikle Ross, Kirkcudbright;
Murdoch Head, Longhaven; Sarclet, Mid Clyth & Latheron Wheel,
Caithness; Shiegra, Rhiconich.
Very Serious (all Grades): Mingulay & Pabbay, The Outer Hebrides;
Orkney & Shetland.
Trad Technical Grade
Serious
Safe
SPORT
Grade
Moderate/Difficult 1, 2 (not often used) 1, 1+
Very Difficult 2,3 (not often used) 2, 2+
Severe 3 4a 4b 3
Hard Severe 4a 4b 4c 3+
Very Severe 4b 4c 5a 4, 4+
Hard Very Severe 4b 4c 5a 5b 5c 5, 5+
Extreme E1 4c 5a 5b 5c 6a 6a, 6a+
Extreme E2 5a 5b 5c 6a 6b 6a+, 6b
Extreme E3 5a 5b 5c 6a 6b 6b+, 6c
Extreme E4 5b 5c 6a 6b 6c 6c+, 7a
Extreme E5 5c 6a 6b 6c 7a, 7b
Extreme E6 6a 6b 6c 7b+, 7c
Extreme E7 6b 6c 7a 7c+, 8a
Extreme E8 6c 7a 7b 8a, 8a+
Extreme E9 6c 7a 7b 8b, 8b+
Extreme E10 7a 7b 7c 9a, 9a+
Lewis
Foinaven
Shiegra
Rieff
Thollaidh
Diabaig
Skye Cuillin
Beinn
Eige
Ben & Glen Nevis
Glen Coe
Mingulay
Ardnamurchan
Cobbler
Quadrocks
Portobello
Wangie
Guinard
Orkney
Duntelchaig
Dubh
Binnien
Loch
Shaus
Lednock
Auchinstarry
Scrambling &
easy rock
Getting More
Technical
Middle-Grades
Extreme Grade
Elite Grade
Shetland
Latheron
Wheel
Cummingston
Huntly’s
Ballater
Clova
Polney
Traprain
Cir Mor Loudoun Law Souter
Dungeon of Buchan
Clifton
Meikle Ross
Aberdeen
Hawcraig
Salisbury Crag