Shaken not Shtirred. |
| Date: 20/04/08 Submitted by: Iain Miller A funny old week in which several cunning plans and several potential possibilities for vertical pleasure at the weekend came and went came and went, by 2100hrs Saturday the final plan fissled, OH WOEISME what to do, what to do? And as if by magic a cry came from the stairwell, my old friend the GRI-GRI, what shall we do together I asked my well worn friend. "It hasn't rained for nearly 2 weeks" came the sagely reply! Result, Poison Glen was the solution to the crisis. And so I wondered alone towards the Castle Buttress early Sunday morning, the object of my desires was the line "Dubliners", VS, 210mtrs a worthy opponent for a days vertical pleasure. Arriving at the coffee table stone at the bottom of the face with dry feet was defo a good sign of thing to come! There is something very special about being alone in a remote setting, esp if you are about to embark on something quite foolish, I contemplated as I ascended the white slabs to the base of the route. I was climbing on a 60 mtr fully rope for leading and a 60 mtr half for abbing (combined with fully rope for a full 60 mtr abb, techno fans) Ran the first 3 and a half pitches together to give a full 60 metre pitch and saved a wee bit of shananigans! Abbed back down the 60 mtr pitch and stripped gear, reclimbed the pitch and led the remaining 2 and a half pitches as a 1 near 60 mtr pitch. The ground was now beginning to taper away to scrambling territory. This 2nd pitch was abbed and stripped, which took me to the base of the Porcullis Wall, ropes pulled and abb rigged for the descent to the base of the wall. Sorted! An excellent if lonely wee adventure! Soloing, it's not big and it's not clever and as Johny no mae would sy no-one can hear you scream. :-) |
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