Perma-dry Scottish crags
Lets face it, spend any amount of time in Scotland and you are going to come across some rain. What do we do? Throw up our hands in despair? Well, sometimes, but there is an alternative. All over the country are various spots that you can climb in the rain. Not enough people know about them, hence this article. Below is a list of crags that might just make your day if you are out there and hit with the driech.
Disclaimer: These crags TEND to stay dry. Don’t blame me if you go there and find it wet. If there’s one thing Scottish crags have a particular talent for is confounding your expectations! One thing to watch out for especially in the cooler months is condensation. If it’s been cool for many days and a warm front comes in bringing rain, and humid misty air, chances are every bit of rock will be minging. That said sometimes you might strike it lucky and get the elusive ‘sticky damp’. You don’t know, unless you go…
In no particular order:
Upper Cave Crag (sport wall), Dunkeld.
Survives a good downpour, but also seeps if it’s been very wet of late. The sport routes at nearby Myopics buttress also stay largely dry, with some bouldering at the base too.
The Diamond, Glen Ogle
Often completely fine in the worst possible weather, but take full midge equipment from mid May onwards.
Weem Rock, Aberfeldy
The steep part of the crag is a good one, especially very early in the spring.
Huntly's Cave , Grantown on Spey
Easier and well protected trad, steep enough to stay dry in the rain and often good very early in the season.
The Anvil, Argyll
The big cave routes are climbable in any weather, but are they climbable at all I hear you cry!?
Dumbuck
Will handle a driech day, but if it’s a serious downpour, don’t bother, See next.
Dumbarton Rock.
If it hasn’t been raining too long, many of the boulder problems and sport routes will still be fine. Some of the steepest problems are virtually perma-dry, as is the black wall at the far end of the main crag, which is great for circuits.
The Kracken, Tighnabruaich
The roof routes are workable and Shield of Perseus seems to be perma-dry.
Balmashanner Quarry
Needs time to dry out, but once dry, survives a wet day or two.
Cambusbarron main Quarry
The harder steep trad routes can handle a wet day and Anabolic Steroids is perma-dry.
Wolfcrag Quarry, Stirling
Not a great crag (chipped as hell), but it does seem to stay really dry.
Tunnel Wall sport routes, Glen Coe
All of the sport routes are climbable in torrential rain. Just turn your chalk bag round to your front at the last bolt! An atmospheric place to climb in a full on Glen Coe tempest.
Sky Pilot, Glen Nevis
Good steep bouldering and although it has some wee seeps following a lot of wet weather, it generally has lot of climbing on the wettest of days.
Steall Hut Crag, Glen Nevis
If you are up to the routes, Stolen 8b and Leopold 8a+ are perma dry apart from the odd avoidable hold. Ring of Steall the other routes are affected by seep after several days of rain, but stay dry in immediate rain. Full midge gear essential for survival in summer.
Traigh na Berigh, Lewis
If the wind is going the right way even the trad routes stay dry, but the various bits of the big 7C traverse will keep you entertained while you wait for the hebridean showers.
Sron Ulladale, Harris
The big, the bad, the Ugly. The biggest umbrella in Britain. Hang out on the left side of this and the worst of the atlantic storms are miles out in space unable to touch you. Shame you have to be climbing E6 or harder to appreciate it!
No doubt I’ve forgotten many more. Please drop me a line and remind me of the other lifesaver crags that keep us sane on the rare days when the Scottish sun doesn’t shine.
