Climber September/October 2017

8 A great way to end the day.
Mike Hutton scopes out an
unnamed problem above Angel
Walls on a perfect evening.
Mike Hutton on the bold, sketchy,
but superb Dandy Don’s Arête
(Font 6b) at the Ship Boulder. 2
There is even much scope on the
opposite side of the glen. Lurking on the
foothills of Seana Mheallan is the
magnificent Scotty Dog bloc with its
bizarre shaped prow and amazing, and
quite out there, challenge going by the
name of The Diehard (Font 6c+) which
surmounts the prow by its two arêtes.
Just this boulder alone has scope for many
more lines. Even further up the hillside
and quite out of view is perhaps the best
problem in Torridon. Those who are willing
to make the steep scramble through the
mountain of heather will realise what all
the fuss was about when they cast there
eyes on the mother of prows. The Essence
(Font 7b+) represents fridge-hugging at its
very best and has to be seen to be believed.
In reality the bouldering in Torridon is
unlikely to ever become over-crowded.
After all it is miles away from anywhere
and that’s actually a pretty good thing.
I hope you too can one day have a
magical adventure up on the glens. ■
FACT FILE
Guidebooks
The best and most up-to-date defi nitive guide to the area is Torridon Bouldering – Welcome to the
Jumble by Ian Taylor and Richie Betts the area’s main developers:
www.davemacleod.com/shop/torridonbouldering.html
If you have the guide then this update will be useful:
www.northwestoutdoors.co.uk/northwestoutdoorsullapool/2014/11/torridon-bouldering-update.html
Boulder Scotland (Third Edition) by John Watson covers some of Torridon and is a great guide to get for
the rest of the country. Boulder Britain by Niall Grimes will get you to the crag and gives an overview of
the most popular areas.
How to get there
The majority of the boulders are scattered on the hillsides of Glen Torridon below the ridgeline of the
famous Liathach mountain range and can be accessed from the parking in Torridon village. A pair of
Wellington boots will come in handy to cross the bog.
When to go
The boulders by their free standing nature will face all directions but many of the problems face south
and west so will receive a lot of sun and are quickly dried by any prevailing southwesterly winds. Sunny
winter, spring and autumn days offer the best conditions. Although it’s possible to climb from May to
September the midges will send you packing unless there is a breeze. It’s best to avoid the area after
rain as the sandstone is easily damaged when damp.
48 Sep–Oct 2017 www.climber.co.uk