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New Bouldering Summer 07

Lee Robinson on 'Soap', Trossachs


Despite the bracken, the heat and the midges, boulderers continue to find new stuff around the country... Richie Betts is busy developing Duntelchaig with Dave Wheeler, Lee Robinson and Craig Henderson did a couple of new lines on the Fight Club boulder at the Trossachs: the best being the 'Soap' dyno at about V3 which is a direct line through the start of Fight Club (Lee named this after the bar of soap they make out of human fat in the film, yecchhh) and BBT V4, the wall right of Fight Club from a hard move off the flatty (Craig named this after Meat Loaf's character in the film!).

Ross Henighen repeated the full hard version of In Bloom at Dumby (7c), a good effort in the warm season as the rock gets impossible to handle this time of year!

Richie Betts has topos developed for the next Stone Country Companion to Bouldering in Scotland - check out my main site local map for some easter egg draft topos to Kessock boulders Inverness (conglomerate!), as well as Carn Liath on Skye (thanks to Lee Robinson) and Kev Howett's Glen Lednock and Ben Ledi guides in Perthshire...

Richie did an excellent-looking new V6 Font 7a called The Dagger at Duntelchaig, the vid makes this look a future classic... Richie, you've a good eye and obviously good knee-technique!!




I'm sure more areas will be developed this year and look out for some hot autumn action when conditions cool down, especially Glen Nevis now Dave MacLeod has decanted to Fortwilliam! Tim Rankin has a few big lines in the NE as well. The Southern Highlands have a few good lines to go yet, and continue to throw up classic schist bouldering in odd places. A gritstone venue will even be revealed if we can formalise access.

As for the meantime, I'm going into the mountains as they dry out over the summer...

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