Stone Country Bouldering Movies and Topos

I'm just updating the main website www.stonecountry.co.uk with new material, including lots of topos that didn't make the new guide (eg. The Whangie is downloadable in Pdf A4 format on the Clyde page), as well as lots of recent new movie clips of classic problems. I'll continue to add more material to the site to complement and update the Stone Country Guide to Bouldering in Scotland, which is just about to be published and can be advance ordered from the Books page or the Paypal link on the sidebar - you benefit from Freepost if you order now!

There'll also be a launch for the new guide in Glasgow at the end of March, along with a preview of the new Bouldering in Scotland movie by Pete Murray -'Elements' - which will feature some of the best venues and hardest problems in the country, as well as some insightful exploration into the various 'elements' which all go into making bouldering adventurous, magical and meaningful in Scotland.

The Whangie Bouldering - Fingaripper Font 6a

So the weather has become spring-like and perfect for bouldering, a time to get to your favourite places if you can escape work! The Whangie is a beautiful place to hang out when the weather is like this, yesterday I had a full cloud inversion with only the distant peaks of Ben Lomond, Ben Vorlich etc. joining me in the clear blue air above the mist. I did the circuit of the best problems here, which I've topo'd for the curious on the main site, with about 14 quality independent problems up to font 6c+. Attached is a wee video of the excellent new problem 'Rune Wall'.

New Glencoe Testpiece

Dave MacLeod has climbed the project roof of the Aonach Eagach boulder above the Stob Coire car park. This lone boulder has an excellent steep roof, the right side of which gives 'Bittersweet' Font 7b+. To access the lone boulder, walk 5 mins above the car park for Stob Coire, diagonally uphill on the Aonach Eagach, but heading down the glen. Take a rising traverse arcoss a big scree fan until you come across this single hidden boulder. Dave has a video from his blog site www.davemacleodblogspot.com

Optimus in his Prime

Tim Rankin has shown a fresh burst of energy and strength early in the season to claim the North East's first major boulder problem of the year - Optimus Prime - with an ascent of the dramatic and highball prow at Cammachmore south of Portlethen. This oft-spied line was thought to have an impassable blank section, but Tim managed to find a solving sequence on brushed edges, arete clamps and poor slopers... he says it goes at about V9 but Tim is unsure of the grade as the climbing is so unusual and specific, just expect it to be well hard! Tom Kirkpatrick filmed the first ascent. Named after his son's skills with the daddy Transformer, which leave most adult visitors gobsmacked, same as the problems!

Beat Kammerlander beats up Marilyn Manson

If only Scottish winters were like this!! An inpsiring bit of wintersoloing in Austria, from Beat Kammerlander, who, incidentally, is a world-class photographer as well as climber - some of his images appeared in Stone Play.

New Brin Testpiece - The Scientist

Brin Rock is full of mossy projects and another has fallen recently to Richie Betts. This bold and dynamic arete looks a bit of a headpointer, but Richie assures me the climbing is good, it may be a bit more reassuring in a dry spring rather than a damp green January! Richie called it 'The Scientist' and it goes at Font 7b.

He describes it:

'The big bad arete up behind new shoes I'm calling 'The Scientist' and goes at about 7b I think. The boys had been clamping and squeezing up a blank section. I found a better way with a big move between two good holds and this made the whole thing doable. Still managed to have a 'moment' on the damp top out which we couldnt reach to clean. It's a brutal overhanging arete, one of the best features at Brin and the landing's not too bad with a few pads.'

Glen Nevis New Bouldering

The Pagan Direct Font 7b+

I visited Dave MacLeod in Glen Nevis for a flying visit to get a couple of last pics for the forthcoming new Stone Country guide, with Dave close to a couple of projects on the Heather Hat. We worked a few lines and noted Tom Ballard's new line through the roof on the left -a crimpy lock from a dubious flake crimp. I noticed that the old Pagan Uillean line had a more direct start and a logical link to the widest part of the roof... feeling a little heavy and unfit, I handed it to Dave, who came close on the first attempt, until diminishing returns set in! With tired arms, we began a leggy hunt for a few new boulders and crags on the hillsides - we weren't disappointed and came away with a haul of new projects from Font 5 through to at least Font 8b+, possibly 8c (those ones are for Dave, not me). It was encouraging to see Dave's endless enthusiasm and drive, we both got inspired by some new undeveloped lines and it was heartening to see that the Glen still has a host of new climbing for the adventurous. It was a little dark for photography, so we hiked further up the hill to get some shots of a stunning looking Ben Nevis and Aonach Beag... we should really have been up on the ice!




Well, the Stone Country Guide to Bouldering in Scotland is done and will be available from March - thanks to all who helped with the research and thanks to all the keen boulderers out there brushing up new problems and areas... well done, you're all adding to a very vibrant climbing scene. Hopefully the new colour guide will encourage boulderers to visit some of the forty odd new and stunning bouldering venues, as well as attempting all the hundreds of excellent new three-star problems done since 2005!

Advance orders can be placed on the right through the Paypal button. As a pre-pub offer, all orders will be despatched first class FREEPOST on publication.

Happy Bouldering! Time for Stone Country to move on to other projects!

New Year, same resolutions

Quinag, January 2008

First of all Happy New Year to all who drop in to Stone Country. 2008 should be another busy year. In March, we see the release of the new Bouldering in Scotland guide, accompanied by a new film from Pete Murray on the philosophy of bouldering - hopefully we'll have another launch party at Glasgow Cotswolds in the spring. We'll let you know the dates closer to the time.

The rest of the year will be dedicated to new books and guides, one of which may be a radical new biking guide to Scotland. Also in the pipeline are complete bouldering guides to Scottish areas and a new series on Scottish mountain routes. Oh, and maybe a European bouldering guide will appear... it all depends on how much research we get done!

Congrats to Donald Slater for winning our Christmas comp and thanks to all who entered. A free copy of Stone Play is on its way to you, Donald! The book is still available from bookshops or discounted here at Amazon.



Personally, I'll be looking to cover a lot of ground in Scotland this year, resurrecting my ice climbing in January and February with some new routing, busting a gut in the spring to maybe finally crack Font 8a, then disappearing into the mountains over the summer to get some air and bag some big routes, if we actually get a decent summer! So effectively, the same resolutions as every year... let's see what reality brings!

Dave Kerr on the 'Deceiver Direct', Rhue Blocks