UKH

Hi guys

looking for recommendations of some steady VS 4c routes within a day trip from Tayside (eg Deeside, as far as Lochaber up to Newtonmore)...want to get mileage in at the grade! 
cheers

nick

Pain Pillar
Proud Corner

Whither Whether on the Cobbler

Spartan Slab in Etive

Hiccup and Spider in Glencoe

King Bee at Newtonmore

The Hood, The End and The Groove at Dunkeld

Mousetrap, Black Mamba and Scabbard in the Cairngorms.

...some long days out though..

Any of the vs at limekilns. A few got downgraded  to hs in the new lowland outcrops. White ensign lost a hold.

Pain pillar needs a steady head at the start , it does have gear if you look hard enough.

Distant memory of either Whither Whether or Whether Wall, can't recall which one, was that gear was occasionally spaced and needed a steady head. I do remember both were quality climbing though.

OP:

Top two pitches of Satan's Slit on Rannoch Wall. The 2nd pitch has a slightly bold traverse but if that puts you off you can do the first two pitches of Agags or January Jigsaw. June Crack and May Crack, also on the Buachaille, are both brilliant, I can't recall either being bold but it was a long time ago.

There a few other worthwhile well protected VS routes at the Hawcraig, can't remember the names. One immediately left of Pain Pillar is particularly good.

Polldubh has loads, Resurrection, Phantom Slab and Clapham Junction Direct (hard but safe) spring to mind. Flying Dutchman may have been upgraded, whatever it's one of the best routes there, the bold slab traverse is friendlier than it looks.

I thought The Groove (VS 5a) and The Rut (VS 5a) at  Polney Crag (Craig a Barns) were brilliant. Particularly The Groove.

Oops, just noticed you said 4c - both these routes are 5a - but very well protected.

I think we may have overlapped at Oxford...I was in Chris W and Rich C's year. 

Anyways for single pitch cragging routes that haven't been mentioned so far:

Trundle at Auchinstarry is very good

Healthy at Rosyth Quarry

Multi-pitch climbs:

Clean Sweep at Hells Lum, high in the grade and you want it dry but it's very very good

Fallout Corner and Prore in Coire an Lochain you want it warm for these as that section of the corrie gets very little sun. Prore is slightly stiff, Fallout Corner is 4b but feels more like 4c and is very good.

Alder at Glen Clova is good too. 

I thought the VS 4c finish was very well protected. One of my first leads at that grade and I happily laced it.

Should be Heathy at Rosyth (predictive text strikes again).

This is definitely not well protected.

My bad. Got a bit over excited there.

Hi all - thanks for the suggestions so far, some new (to me) ones there!  To confirim, I am after something reasonably well protected ideally so not too bold/spicy.

Yes, rumbled! (Am still in touch with Chris W). 

I have an odd feeling we said hello to each other at the bottom of Troutdale Pinnacle late 2022 - I might have offered some slightly stale biscuits...

Nick

A few of these are 5a. E.g., King Bee, The Groove, The End. 

Mousetrap, personally I'd steer clear until very happy at 4c or take a partner that is. I found the pitch with flake really quite scary. 

Scabbard is pretty good, pitch 2 is one of the best 4c pitches I've ever climbed. 

I am a massive grade snob/elitist knob (delete as appropriate) and often stupidly think VS is beneath me, but I thought clean Sweep was absolutely brilliant and one if the best lower grade mountain routes I'd done in the UK, however p1 does not fit the bill of well protected alas. 

The second best is possibly Salamander (HVS 5a) which is pretty soft for the grade, so might be worth thinking about. A little run out on the crux though.

I agree about The Clean Sweep, I thought it was superb. I was somewhat underwhelmed by Salamander but I seem to be in a minority there so I might need to revisit it.

Ah, apologies, I've just read my logbook re Clean Sweep. I didn't remember it being too bad on pitch 1 but my notes suggest otherwise. 

To the OP, maybe save that one till you're happy at the grade. 

Crathes Crack (VS 4c) at the Vat Burn near Ballater should suit. It's a long way to go for 12 metres, but there are plenty of other potentially suitable routes too - over 20 VS 4cs in total. Additionally the Vat Burn is worth a visit just for itself: lovely, atmospheric lost world in the woods sort of place, with great geological/landscape process interest.

Its only HS but The Talisman (Summer) (HS 4a) is interesting for the grade. I see somebody gives it 4b, 4c, 4a, which would be nearer my thoughts.

Fair enough, it's a great route although my logbook tells me it's 30 years since I did it!

The Clean Sweep (VS 4c). I always thought this was one of the "hardest" VS's I led.

Maybe 5a on P1 (hard 4c at least) and the main pitch is sustained, long but well protected (and often wet). Having climbed it when dry its worth ****.

I think when we did it the team ahead bypassed p1 on the left. The original description is here (p278) which definitely describes going over the whaleback. https://simrich.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/SMCJ/Number%20153%20-%20Vol%202...

I think you're right re Troutdale Pinnacle but it was 2021 rather than 2022. Small world 😀

By memory the first pitch had one very hard move (I have done it twice and thought 5a+) but close to a really good runner.

Didn't think it was as good as the other Cairngorm Classic Rock routes but everyone else seems to rate it highly.

That's one way of putting it! I'm actually surprised it hasn't been upgraded; certainly felt harder than Hell's Lump.

Agree with others re Clean Sweep, the best VS route in the Cairngorms for me.

Thanks all - some great suggestions and cautionary tales here.

Nick

PS Fiona - 2021! 🙄