New and Improved Boulder Scotland Website

Another hard session done

If you haven't checked out the bouldering potential in Scotland yet, heres the place to start www.boulderscotland.com. the website has just had a impressive makeover, adding new features that show all the established and potential bouldering, Scotland has to offer, I enjoyed browsing the Google maps to locate areas, video footage of classics, full colour topos to download that are accurate and easy to read.
This website is the place to start if you fancy a bouldering trip to Scotland.

My Scottish Bouldering Bible

A copy of Bouldering in Scotland is essential, the guide will show you around the main explored areas and established circuits such as Dumbarton, The Trossachs, Glen Nevis, Porthlethen, Applecross, Torridon, Reiff..... and many more, giving you a feel of the stunning landscapes and geological diversity Scotland has to offer there is something for everyone, and a must for the adventure boulderer like myself.

PS. New areas are being developed all the time so check the site or email John Watson for details.

Prey for dry weather!

When things get desperate!!!!! Prey to the Golden Boulder to bring sunshine on the boulder fields.

He who believes, will be enlightend

Waiting to Clean up the Green

Sat at home looking through a rain spotted window at a mass of grey and not getting out, is like having an itch you cannot scratch, to make things worse, I got to thinking of the places to go back to when there is a big dry spell!!!

Shepherdskirk Boulders Kyloe woods

Deep damp woods are getting deeper and damper, hidden boulders could end up buried under all the winter fall, rock can vanish without a trace.......

Binky Crags Kielder Forest

Kielder forest Northumberland is one such place this has happened, the forest is vast and has a scattering of small groups of Sandstone edges and Boulders that are slowly disappearing, or being removed by the diggers as they prepare the next wave of trees to be planted, the vast forest surely bears a sandstone oasis?

 A North Yorkshire Moors Intimidating Prow

Closer to home the North Yorkshire Moors is getting greener and a lot less traffic these days, but not forgotten, The stones are just sitting waiting for brighter skies and welcome grooming from the adventure boulderer.

Mission to Moors

The Moors Explorer has had lift off! Investigations into circuits on the North Yorkshire Moors are now well underway, plenty to go at and to clean up, the area has a lot to offer the boulderer and micro-route climber, the sandstone is very friendly to the skin, so shredding is minimal.

Great Autumn colours and moody skys

Whilst exploring we made a flying visit to Luke Hunt's good find, the NOS boulder this proved worthwhile and most enjoyable session dispite the very moody weather.

Steve Ramsden on Boulevard of Broken Dreams F6b

They were some worthwhile straight up problems done, and good hard pumpy traverses, the best being Boulevard of Broken Dreams F6b and the lower traverses, both with a big reach up or down depending on the direction you traverse, Elevator F6b+ left to right and Down Elevator F6b+ right to left, There is a possible lower traverse without using the curved sloping ramp, starting from sit on a vertical rib two metres from the left hand end working into the thin hand crack towards the large pocket (a l-o-n-g way), there is a faint hold inbetween and lower undercuts, hard!!! but someone may find a sequence across?

Locking the finger jam on the drop down to the reverse 

of the lower traverse Down Elevator F6b+ right to left

The Windy Wainstones, Part 1 and 2

Part 1
After gathering a motley crew together, we prepeared an assault on the bouldering potential of the fantastic looking north Yorkshire Moors Wainstones.
Two weekends gave us skin wrecking, arm wrenching, elbow hurting entertainment, The Highlights of first day, captured on video by the mad monster of the moors Steve Ramsden (Aka the Ram Man)

Steve Ramsdens Wainstone Hoolathon Edit

The best problems of the day were For Liechtenstein F7b, The Prow F7a, Frogs Legs F6b, The Fruit Machine F6a, Pebble Climb F6a, Grip or Grovel F6a, Scotch Eggs F6a, names have been given to problems not in the guide but they have probabley been done?  Please Email us if you have done the First ascent!

Steve Ramsden on For Liechtenstein SS F7b

Wainstones Overveiw 

Part 2

The second assault was left to myself and Rob with a surprise appearence from the Moors crew Franco and company.

Rob Lonsdale on Tyrannosaurus Alan SS F6b+ 

We started at the far South end on a two big freestanding slabs, one that looked like a dinosaur, grabbing three lines on these, Tyrannosaurus Alan SS F6b+ tackle the nose direct, a very had mantle!, Alan's Breakfast a morpho 6b from sit straight up past the mouth on small nibs, then Huggy Bear a sit start on the wider block hugging a direct F6c.

Rob Fighting hard on Huggy Bear SS F6c

After that we worked our way back to the 'A' boulder, stumbling upon two blocks up the hill at a 25 degree angle, with what we thought would be a very hard link up on it, so mats down and lets go!

First to fall was the section Fruit of the Gods SS F6a+

Fruit of the Gods F6a+

then the second section, Greek God SS F6b, finally Rob took the link to a *** F6c Body of a Greek God pulling through Crimps, undercuts, Slopers and a crucial Jam!

Jam and Slopers on Body of a Greek God (I wish!) SS F6c 

As the light faded Franco Cookson and company joined us for some entertainment on the 'A' boulder, showing us the way on two great No Hands problems, and getting acsents of the pebble right hand Arete F6b+ (without the crack) and a good looking dyno from Franco, thanks Lads.

A Moonlight Dyno Attempt, Franco Cookson