Creag Nan Luch

I like Creag Nan Luch.

After a week of no much climbing I was fortunate to have good friends offer me a lift to some hard Wester Ross projects on Sunday. I was delighted to accept the invitation, though the forecast was questionable, and I was soon travelling along the A832 in the backseat of Andy's Megane with Murdoch, Rich and Andy (who fortunately wasn't in the back seat).

We arrived at Creag Nan Luch just as the sun left the crag. To warm up, I tried to onsight Walkaway 7a+, so called because once you do it, you'll never want to do it again... The climbing is dead easy up to a desperate move off crimps which felt very greasy. This is where I promptly got stuck in a tenuous position, resulted to throwing for what looked like an ok hold, and fell off. Bugger. After working the move out, it was dispatched second try.

Walkaway 7a+ (all photos: Rich Betts)

The day was interspersed with boulder seshs on the boulders below the crag. Rich and I repeated The Best Boulder Problem in Wester Ross, V4/5 ish?, which Murdoch raved about, it is indeed a good problem, though where the boundary of wester ross lies is still a debate (Rich proclaimed the testpieces of Torridon were far superior). Rich also found and brushed an arete which was easy enough but had a scary landing and highball feel. ("If I was half my age I'd have no problem at all committing to the move" said Rich, "I guess I have no excuses then" I said) I managed it in my bare feet, woo! Toilet Arete V3, named after Murdoch's nearby shitpit, heehee!

Rich Bouldering at Creag nan Luch

Andy interrupted the sesh by saying there was a perfectly good crag right next to us. We agreed and got back to clipping bolts. Jim B and Rich's boss Mark and Mark's wife turned up, this created a very social atmosphere. Rich and I managed to redpoint Shootabeena, 7b+, Andy came agonisingly close to sending Superblue, also 7b+.

Andy on Superblue

My highlight of the day was a flash of Superblue, thanks to superb Beta from Andy. This involved climbing up through the crux to a ledge fairly swiftly and unconsciously. At the ledge, all I remember thinking was don't mess up this last bit to the chain... I tried to take it slow and climbed up a bit to scope out the holds - the next thing I know I'm committed onto the the climb, past the point where I could return to the ledge. I was up by the chain, stretching to clip the 'draw in what felt like a tenuous position, 2 inches to go, I though shit, I can't reach it - but managed to hold on just long enough to clip with much relief all round.

The Flash Attempt

After this the rain came on and it was back to Andy's for a short sesh on his home wall. This made Murdoch very psyched but his injured body stopped him from doing much more than sitting on a patio chair, shouting abuse at the struggling climbers.

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Check out Wild West Topos for a pic of Murdoch's scar and an awesome poster of Creag nan Luch!

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I'm genuinely surprised at the number of views this blog gets! Unless there's some cock sucker sitting at home pressing refresh over and over!

Mike