Climbing @ Craigmore
Wednesday 10th November 2010
 

Weather/Conditions: Cold weather with snow on the distant tops. The rock numbed hands very quickly, although it was dry and the sky was cloudless. We arrived around sunset so discovered that it's actually really difficult to climb by headtorch.
Accompanying: Dave

This was a short session. A few days previously, (while I was at Lagangarbh, Glen Coe for the weekend) Dave went to Craigmore alone and set up a rope down the Tom and Jerry Wall which has the convenience of a pine tree growing right above it. He 'shunted' up it (a shunt is a kind of self-belay device used on top-rope) and climbed the T&J wall a few times before heading home. When it was mid-week and I was back in Glasgow, we headed out to try it.

The weather was superb but it had been cold and (much to my excitement!) snow was falling on higher summits. So although we kind of understand all the moves necessary to climb the wall, our fingers went numb the minute we touched the rock. We would climb up with increasingly numb fingers, struggle and flounder then fall back on the shunt, feeling frustrated, fingers buried under oxters. It took a while to get used to the feel of the shunt, but a couple of practice falls made me understand it.

Night fell gradually over the crag so we resorted to headtorch. It turns out that it's real difficult to climb with one on because it smoothes over the ledges, making it hard to judge where to go. This applies to feet, especially. The creases in the rock all disappear when the headtorch points downward. We decided two shots each had been enough and headed home thereafter.

Two climbs each for a quick evening isn't too bad. Craigmore with Dave is always a laugh anyway.



 Climbs:
Tom and Jerry Wall, Very Severe: Kev and Dave, twice each on shunt

Written: 2011-02-11