Climbing Routes & Information
A MINI GUIDE - ROCK AND ICE
The Highlands provides most of the best big routes in the British Isles.
Both classic big mountain and low-lying routes abound at all grades.
Below we have listed crags and their classic/quality routes to show the sheer scope of what is available and within striking distance for the day and what's more it is quite possible to have the whole crag to yourself!
Rock climbing
Ice climbing
Local Crags
Rock Climbing
CAIRNGORMS
Loch A'an Basin
Around the Loch's west and north shores is a superb arch of cliffs
which is dominated by the massive square-topped, 270m high Shelter
Stone Crag, climbs more than 10 times the size of those at Stanage!
There are well over 70 routes of all grades with the majority being
between D and HVS
Cairn Etchachan
Crevasse Route MS 75m
Poison Dwarf HVS 75m
Red Guard S 250m
Shelter Stone
The Citadel VS 270m
The Spire E3 280m
Cupids Bow E4 84m
Haystack E2 280m
Steeple E2 247m
The Needle E1 264m
Clach Dhian Chimney VD 220m
Hell's Lum
Hellfire corner VS 180m
The Clean Sweep VS 180m
Hell's Lump S 100m
Deep Cut Chimney VD 150m
The Devil's alternative HVS 180m
Sneer VD 120m
The Stag Rocks
Afterthought Arete M 150m
Final Selection D 60m
The Sand-Piper Direct VS 150m
Wigwag S150m
The Tenements VD 156m
Stac an Fharaidh
Whispers VS 135m
Linden VD 60m
Bellows HVS 141m
Pushover HVS 138m
CAIRNGORMS
Northern Corries
Approximately 30 rock routes
Coire An t-Sneachda
Magic Crack HVS 100m
Fingers Ridge Direct VS, 110m
Coire An Lochain
The Vicar E1 70m
The Demon E2 60m
Savage Slit VD 90m
Fallout Corner VS 70m
BEN NEVIS
Ben Nevis is unrivalled by any other crag in the whole of the British
Isles for the sheer number and quality of its routes providing some
of the most sought after rock climbs. To climb on the NE face of Ben
Nevis is to experience the best mountaineering that Britain has to
offer. There are well over 160 rock climbs, many of them of gigantic
proportions.
Classics include
North-East Buttress VD 300m
Raeburn's Arete S 230m
The Long Climb VS 420m
Observatory Ridge VD 420m
Tower Ridge D 600m
1944 Route S 125m
Ledge Route E 450m
Route II Direct VD 265m
The Bullroar HVS 285m
Torro E2 215m
Centurion HVS 190m
King Kong E2 275m
The Bat E2 270m
Titan's Wall E3 245m
Winter Climbing
CAIRNGORMS
Northern Corries
Coire an t-Sneachda
There are 79 routes in the coire with a good spread from grade I to
VI with very many between grade III and VI
The Mess of Pottage
No blue skies VI 75m
The Message V 90m
Jacobs Ladder I 105m
Alladin's Buttress
Original Route (summer) IV 150m
The Lamp IV 150m
Doctor's Choice IV 105m
The Genie V 110m
White Magic VII 100m
Original Route (winter) IV 120m
Pygmy Ridge IV 90m
Fluted Buttress
Central Gully I 135m
The Runnel II/III 135m
Crotch Gully II 135m
Spiral Gully II 150m
Fluted Buttress Direct III/IV 135m
Fingers Ridge III/IV 135m
Red Gully II/III 120m
Fiaciall Buttress
Polar Crossing IV 175m
Houdini VI 160m
Fiacail Couloir II 150m
Belhaven V 75m
Invernookie III 120m
The Seam IV 120m
Coire an Lochain
There are 54 routes in the coire varying from grade I to grade VIII
with the majority between grades III and VII
No3 (Ewen) Buttress and No 4 Buttress
The Couloir I 150m
Ewen Buttress III 90m
The Migrant VI 95m
The Vicar VIII 70m
The Hoarmaster V 60m
Right Branch Y Gully II 100m
Deep Throat VI 90m
Savage Slit V 90m
Prore VII 90m
Fall-Out Corner VI 70m
Side Winder III 100m
Western Route IV 120m
No1 + No2 Buttress
The Vent II/III 115m
The Milky Way II/III 100m
Central Crack Route IV 150m
Local Crags - a selection
Huntly's Cave (15 mins)
- near Grantown on Spey
In sheltered gorge and is impressively steep, composed of blocky
schist. Despite its steepness, routes are easier than they seem due
to the
proliferation of holds. Protection is good. Includes:
Hanging Groove E1 (5c) * 10m
Huntly's Jam E2 (5b) * 10m
Pete's Wall E2 (5c) ** 12m
Right-Hand Groove VDiff * 10m
Slot Direct Severe ** 10m
Left Rib VDiff * 10m
Dead Tree Wall VS (4c) * 15m
Double Overhang HVS (5a) *** 20m
Diagonal VS (4c) 25m
Cave Route Hard Severe *** 25m
Creag Dubh (20 - 30 mins) - near Newtonmore
One of Scotland's largest roadside crags with a reputation for exhilerating
but occasionally scary climbing. Micha schist with horizontal strata.
Not a good choice for beginners. Includes:
Quickie HVS (5a) * 30m
Downtown Lunch HVS ** 80m
First Offence E4 (5c) ** 25m
The Art of Relaxation E4 (6a) *** 25m
Case Dismissed E3 (6a) *** 25m
Ruff Licks E3 (5c) *** 25m
Ayatollah E4 (6a) *** 25m
Acapulco E4 (6a) *** 45m
King Bee VS *** 110m
Colder than a Hooker's Heart E5 (5c) *** 45m
The Final Solution E5 (6a) *** 45m
The Hill E2 *** 60m
Over the Hill E3 (5c) *** 45m
Inbred HVS *** 105m
Ticket to Ride E3 (5b) *** 35m
Tree Hee Severe *** 70m
Jump so High Combination E1 *** 45m
Kingussie Crags (20 mins) - by Kingussie golf course
Split tier crags composed of mica schist. Very slippery in wet conditions.
Includes:
Classic Crack Difficult ** 20m
Tennis Shoe VDiff ** 20m
Slanting Crack HVS (5a) * 10m
The Flake HVS (5a) ** 12m
The Slab Difficult ** 12m
The Groove Hard Severe ** 15m
Left-Hand Crack E1 (5b) * 10m
Duncheltaig (40 mins) - near Loch Ness
Several buttresses of good quality gneiss which provide a wide variety
of interesting technical climbing on well defined lines. Slippery
when wet. Includes:
Dracula E3 *** 30m
Vampire E3 (6a) ** 30m
Balrog HVS (5b) * 10m
Misty Crack E1 (5b) * 30m
Drum VDiff * 60m
Little Drummer Boy HVS (5a) * 45m
Mica Arete Mild Severe * 20m
Pinnacle Chimney V Diff * 10m
Creag a Barns (1 hour) - near Dunkeld
Together these crags offer some excellent & contrasting climbing
on excellent rock. Very accessible. Includes:
The Chopping Block 7b ** 20m
Hot tips E5 (6c) ** 15m
Hogg's Hindquarters VDiff ** 30m
Twisted Rib VDiff ** 45m
Beech Wall Hard Severe ** 35m
The Way Through E2 (5b) ** 30m
The Groove VS (5a) *** 30m
Holly Tree Groove VDiff ** 30m
Cuticle Crack Severe ** 25m
Springboard VS (4c) ** 45m
The Pied Piper E3 *** 65m
Rat Catcher E3 *** 35m
Morbidezza E5 (6b) *** 35m
Warfarin E2 *** 50m
Rat Race E4 *** 45m
