Saturday 27 December 2014

Essential Ticks For The North West Cragsperson No 2 The Warm-Up

Gaz Marshall on The Warm-Up

Now, if you get talking to the locals about your amazing week of climbing in the the North West, you'll inevitably describe your list of fantastic three and four star classic routes and their stunning locations.

Diabaig Pillar, Angel Face, Fionn Buttress (the local is looking a bit unenthusiastic)
Dragon, Gob (the local's expression is starting to glaze over)
Open Secret, the Old Man of Stoer, (the local's eyelids are starting to droop)
Westering Home, Bloodlust, (they're definitely nodding off)
The Warm-Up at Am Fasgadh. THE WARM-UP!

And so a slow hour goes by while they wax lyrical and mime the moves again and again and again...

So the Warm-Up. It's rubbish. Short, only four bolts long. Mean. Nasty. No proper finishing hold. Originally 6c+, it's slowly crept up to 7b, but still folk complain. Infamously a strong Scottish sport climber was on it after a very successful trip to Spain. He'd managed to on-sight 8a, but didn't think he'd done any moves as hard as the Warm-Up.

Here's the beta. Typically the ascent shown is indicative of the locals' over-personalised relationship with the crag. And grabbing the chain definitely doesn't count!

The Warm Up Am Fasgadh from North West Outdoors on Vimeo.

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