Here are some video stills of the new traverse I did the other week at the Skeleton Boulders, Glen Nevis. The problem is called Frontal System (V11). The footage will be in the film we are making, but I thought I’d upload some stills because it’s a really amazing problem (and boulder) and deserves a bit of attention.
As you can see from the pics the holds on the crux are not the biggest and I could only pull on them in fairly cold weather. I thought my chances of getting good enough conditions for it were done until autumn, but one afternoon I spotted from the forecast that the incoming front has some super strong easterlies ahead of it – just right to howl past the wall and keep the holds nice and cool and dry. The window just before the rain started falling would be just the right time.
At the crag the wind was getting stronger and stronger as the clouds got darker, but I waited until the first spits of rain started falling and took my opportunity to nail it first go and head off down the hill in the downpour – soaked but happy!Tactics are so important in climbing!
Looks such an amazing boulder.
ReplyDeleteHow many other lines are on it?
Looks like a sweet boulder and boulder problem, definitely my kind of style. Stoked to see some footage . When does you film come out?
ReplyDeleteHi Ryan
ReplyDeleteIf (and that's a big if) Dave gets his route done on Echo Wall this summer, it'll be out in the autumn. Cross your fingers for a dry August!
Hi Dave,
ReplyDeleteThat problem looks immense (I don't even like traverses!) and the Schist almost like grit!! How bad are the midges up there at the mo..?
Peter (Glasgow)
Hi Peter
ReplyDeleteSky Pilot really catches any breeze going so midges are ok up there - I've only had to bale out once this summer so that's not bad going. The rest of the glen, however, is a different story....