Climbs

Takes the soaring arete to the left of Longhope Route. Not many routes compare.

Start on the left-hand side of the grass slope at the base of the cliff. Climb grass to a tangle of ropes beneath the centre of the upper wall. Belay at the top of a rope hanging down a rock wall (l44m). Climb a slabby wall trending right to a ledge then back left to grassy ledges level with the base of the 4b chimney on Longhope Route (45m, 5b). Traverse horizontally left for 22m and climb up and back slightly right for 23m to a stance below the prominent overhanging flake crack leading up left to the arete (45m, 4c). Climb to a ledge at the start of the flake crack (23m, 4c). Layback the overhanging flake and struggle sensationally up the upper flake to a small corner ledge (26m, 5c). Continue in the same line up the corner to a ledge on the arete beneath a prominent overhang (16m, 5b). Trend leftwards round the overhang and follow a vague fault line to a ledge after 29m. Move right along this to the arete, sur­mount an overhang, and gain a ledge (38m, 5b). Climb a difficult but well protected crack on the right-hand side of the arete to a ledge. Traverse this round to the left side of the arete to belay where two large block5 have dropped from the overhang above about 12m left of the arete (29m, 6a). Pull over the overhang and climb direct for 6m to a traverse crack. Follow this rightwards to a ledge just left of the arete. Move up via two dubious undercut flakes and use a very poor peg in a poorly protected position to gain a ledge (32m, 5c). Climb a delicate wall on the left to gain a shallow groove leading to a ledge. Climb the short chimney above to a further ledge and belay below an over hang on the left (32m, 5b). Surmount the overhang in the fault line, easier to the top (27m).

Descent was by grassy slopes and a short rock step about 400m north of St John's Head, i.e. the other way from the Old Man. [1]

References

[1] Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal 180 1989

South Africa

The route gets it's name from a scene in the film Snatch where the character Brick Top gives a speech where he defines the word Nemesis.

The problem is on The Animal Boulder, so named because it looks like a bear.

Dave MacLeod:

I'm calling this line Bultitude after the soft spoken but deadly bear in C.S. Lewis' That Hideous Strength. [1]

References

[1] https://www.instagram.com/p/C5v6ldgIbo6/

One of the harder routes on slate alongside The Meltdown and The Very Big and the Very Small.

A route with a somewhat chequered history. Originally an aid route, persons unknown are reported to have climbed the line repeatedly with pegs with a view to enlarging the crack to the point it was free climbable. [1] Paul Mitchell then filled the scars with mortar to repeair the damage before John Allen removed the mortar in the hopes of free climbing it, though he was unsuccessful.

Sean Myles suggested E8 but after a repeat from Robin Barker around 1994 it then waited 20 years for another repeat from Tom Randall who suggested it was around 8b/+ protected by some RPs and dodgy pegs, with a bold start which suggests E9 is likely closer to the mark.

References

[1] Mountain Issue 141 (1991), page 10 https://climbing-history.org/library/11320/mountain-141