Scottish New Routes Report

Despite the most appalling summer anyone can remember, new routes are still going up as fast as ever in Scotland, if only by a few activists. In Glen Nevis, Dave MacLeod added Juggernaut E7 6b to Buzzard Crag. This route was climbed ground up after removal on abseil of some ancient in-situ wires (placed by another suitor). Success on the immaculate wall climb came after a couple of falls from the wild dynamic last move. Dave and Blair Fyffe also added some gritstone style micro routes to an unclimbed crag at Steall (see photo), including Fontindundar, E5 6a and Corduroy E6 6b.Dave MacLeod has been developing the largely untouched Glen Croe boulders near Arrochar over the past month adding over 50 problems at all grades. The hardest problems include Axeman Font 7c+, a brutal overhanging wall, and The Cutting Room Font 7b+, a fingery wall problem. Dave has written an online guide to the bouldering which will be published at scotlandonline.com in the next two weeks.On the repeats front, Dave MacLeod has finally made the second ascent of Scotland´s hardest crack climb, Leopold 8a+ At Steall Hut Crag. The 30 metre diagonal crack had lain unrepeated for almost exactly a decade since Murray Hamilton´s first ascent. Dave took three days to redpoint the route which is partially bolted (as part of Cubby´s 8c+ project).Niall McNair is continuing to establish himself as one of the boldest and most prolific trad onsighters in the country, with a continuous string of E6 and E5 repeats over the summer. In one day he onsighted Handren Effect E6 6b, Jahu E6 6a, Precious Cargo E5, Evil Eye E5, Where the Mood Takes Me E5, Sweet Little Mystery E4 and Fingertip Finale E4. Most of these routes were soloed.Photo: Dave MacLeod onsighting Fontindundar E5 6a, Half Dome, Glen Nevis.

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