Climb Guide -- Pine Wall, Polldubh, Scotland

Grade

Length

62m

Location

Pine Wall, Polldubh, Scotland

Rock

Mica Shist

Attitude

South

First Climbed

Unknown

Approach

The crag is reached by turning off the A28 (Fort William to Inverness road) at the mini roundabout 1/2 mile south from town centre. Continue down the glen past the youth hostel, to Achriabhach and the lower falls. The crag can be accesses by parking in some over sized lay bys past the bridge. It is obvious as it is the only crag around, and one of the upper crags resembles a skull.

Pine wall is found by following the main path up past the closest buttress to the road, pinnacle ridge. The path bends round behind this buttress, and past a small buttress with an overlap at 10m on the left. Pine wall is identified by the large pine at 2/3 height.

Description

1)	37m. Start about 1.5 metres left of the central cracks. Follow the ridge with little protection up to a square cut ledge about 10m short of the ledge with the pine.
2)	26m. Go up the ridge to the right of the belay. The last bulge, before the ledge, is best in the middle. The top pyramid can be climbed in any way. The best is arguably a diagonal line up left, via a series of undercut holds.

Notes

If a picture is taken from the cracks, and the camera is tilted, the moves look like some sort of grit E9. Small edges, feet smearing, large fall potential. The easy angle makes it exceptional. There is virtually no gear, and a fall would be unthinkable.

After climbing it in drizzle and blazing sun I can say that when wet you should wear rock shoes. Approach shoes do not stick!

PINE WALL