Dumbarton Rock Bouldering
From SCWiki
Dumbarton Rock is the amazing basalt crag at Dumbarton, near Glasgow. It may not be Scotland's most picturesque climbing venue, but it's certainly got a climbing pedigree. No small thanks to Dave MacLeod, Dumbarton boasts some of the hardest Scottish boulder problems.
- Videos - Link to the Scottish Climbs bouldering videos page for Lowland Outcrops.
Once you have nailed the problems why not try some of these: Dumbarton Circuits and Super Links
Contents |
Eagle Boulder
The first boulder you see walking in to the crag.
Slab
1920 Traverse VB 4a
Traverse across the slab, starting at the descent route and finishing at No. 2 Route.
Rankin's Bajin VB 4a
Soixante Neuf V0 4b*
Pas Mal VB 4a*
No. 1 Route VB 3a*
Video of No. 1 Route (youtube)
Left Direct V0- 4a**
Centre Direct V0 5a*
Right Direct VB 4b
No. 2 Route VB 3a*
Zig zag roof
No. 2 Direct V0 4c
Runs on Potato Power V6 6c*
Kev's Problem V6 6c*
Pullover V0+ 5a*
Video of Pullover (youtube)
Bust My Chops V5 6b**
Bust My Chops Right-hand V8 6c*
Zig zag V1 5b***
Video of Zig zag (youtube)
Fire Starter Cave
Tam's Route 4m 5 ***
Shadow 4m 7A+ ***
Trick of the Vale 4m 7B ***
High Flyer 4m 6C+ ***
Smokescreen 6m 7C *
Dave MacLeod - February 2005
The second big project to go in the Firestarter cave. Start just left of the flat lip jug with both hands in a good slot. Levitate up and slightly left on atrocious glassy slopers until it is possible to make a technical slap right to a tiny ripple on a smooth ramp. Go again for the High Flyer jug and finish up this. Devious and technical, with a backbreaking landing. The hardest bloc at Dumby in Feb 2005 (Font 8a+), but new beta was subsequently found at the easier grade.
Pressure 14m 8B **
Dave MacLeod - December 2005
The long-standing roof project in the Firestarter cave under Gorilla. Start crouching at a small pillar at the back of the cave, LH non-existent pinch, RH obvious smooth good hold. Use heel hooks (no feet on block underneath pillar!) to gain the big flat layaway. Use cunning to climb the horizontal roof to the flat jug on the lip (shake out). Finish up Smokescreen, the line of slopey pinches leading into the finishing jugs of High Flyer. The last move to grab the slopey finishing jug is the frustrating redpoint crux.
Firestarter 4m 8A ***
Dave MacLeod - February 2003
Between High Flyer and Gorilla on the Eagle Boulder is a huge black cave. On the lip of the cave roof are two large jugs. Start on these and climb diagonally rightwards on small, sharp crimps to gain a good edge near the top (crux). A scary off-balance dyno leads to the finishing jugs.
Firefight 14m 8B
Malcolm Smith - April 2010
The link-up of the roof section of Pressure into Firestarter. Hard for the grade.
Gorilla 3m 6C ***
The classic of the Eagle boulder, from two crimps pull to a big flat side pull. Aim high and left to a jug on the lip.
Gorilla Warfare 6m 7A+ **
Neil's Extension 6m 7B **
Silverback 3m 7C ***
Dave MacLeod - April 2001
The true arete of Gorilla is a classic! Start at the starting holds of Gorilla and move left using poor crimps to the obvious incut on the arete. The next destination is the inset jug at the top of the arete. British 7a.
King Kong 12m 8A ***
Dave MacLeod - October 2002
A massive link-up climbing the whole Gorilla arete! Start sitting down, and climb Neil's Start, into Silverback, into Gorilla Warfare. The finishing jug on Gorilla is out of bounds. Font 7b + 7c + 7a+ = 21 hard moves.
Orange Wall
Hoops 4m 7C ***
Dave MacLeod - October 2001
The wall halfway between Gorilla and Supinator has a small ear-like flake high up. Climb the wall using this, with a long reach to gain the crimp on top of the flake.
Bingham's Wall 4m 7B+ **
Supinator 4m 6B ***
2HB 4m 6B ***
Dressed for Success 8m 7B+ **
A Ford Flash 4m 6C **
Torino Sun 4m Font 5+ **
Stephen Richardson - 11/05/2006
British 5c. Takes the wall right of A Ford Flash on the Eagle Boulder. Climb the wall with a series of good side pulls and make a lunge to huge holds to finish. Rock over with jugs a plenty. Surprisingly good climbing for a new addition at Dumby.
Oceans 4m 7B+ ***
Dave MacLeod - October 2001
The excellent overhanging wall just right of the tree near 2HB on the Eagle boulder. Start up the shallow groove then move left using an undercut to a bold and tricky finish. British 6c.
1990 Traverse 8m 7B ***
Blue Meanie 4m 5 ***
PTO 4m 3 ***
Warm up wall
Between the Eagle Boulder and Home Rule Boulder there is a wall with easy problems that faces the Clyde.
Left Edge VB 4a*
Left arete of the wall. A nice problem on good holds.
Friday's Fill V0- 4a**
Holds on alternating sides of the crack. The bottom hold is very polished.
Friar's Mantle V1 5b***
Excellent rightward-trending line of slopers.
Ungava V0+ 5a*
Sidepulls and small holds leading up the wall to the right of Friar's Mantle, the right arete is out of bounds.
Right Edge V0- 4c*
Right arete of the wall.
Low traverse V3 6a*
Low traverse from the right end of the wall to the left, staying about a foot from the ground.
Home Rule Boulder
Dweller 3m 6C *
Michael Tweedley - October 2002
Start in cave below Mugsy and traverse out on boulder then make move to crimp, heel hook the boulder and go to another crimp, grab flat flake and finsh on juggy lip.
Spam 8m 7C *
Dave MacLeod - October 2002
A good problem with a cramped start. Start lying down on a small boulder/ledge below Mugsy. A desperate deep egyptian allows the twin crimps above to be reached. Slap for the starting jug of Mugsy and finish up this.
Sucker's Boulder
Pongo Boulder
Referred to as the "F" boulder in Lowland Outcrops guide. Problems range from VB to V13.
Skint Knuckles V1 5b *
Slap Happy V6 6c **
In Bloom 7C+ 6c ***
Pongo V5 6B ***
Pongo Sit Start 8A 7a ***
Super Size Me 8m 8B ***
Malcolm Smith - June 2005
Low level traverse into Pongo Sit Start, starting matched in the pocket round on the slab, then reversing In Bloom and finish up Slap Happy.
Andy's Arete V5 6b *
Sorcerers Slab V0 5a
Magic Wand V0+
Slant V1 5b
Nemesis V1 5b *
Narcosis V0 5b*
Lunik VB 5b *
Cheddar Direct V0 4b ***
Hard Cheddar V1 5c ****
Consolidated 7B+ ***
The rising traverse from left to right along the ramps on the seawards face of the boulder. Start with one hand on the arete. Climb around the corner without using the jugs on Hard Cheddar and make a longish move to the small hanging arete feature. Finish straight up.
Consolidated Low Finish 7C ***
As for the standard version, but match on the chest-height block and then make a long move to the lip over on the right to finish. The 7C+ version is no more - the holds were shattered by a large fire the wee darlings lit in a bath tub that they had draggd up from the water. It made a couple of rather contrived moves on small slopey edges to the right of the block.
Big Cheese 3m 7C+ *
Dave MacLeod - December 2002
This is a powerful and slightly eliminate counter-diagonal to Hard Cheddar. Below the right trending rib of Hard Cheddar is an alcove. Sit start at the right edge of this at a LH poor pinch and RH smooth, poor undercut just underneath the lip. Using only these, pull out of the sit start and make a frustrating slap left to the good inset sidepull on the wall above. pull over leftwards and top out.
Babybel 6m 6C+ *
John Watson - November 2004
From a low sit-start by the descent hole, left hand in slot and RH on crimp on lip, reverse Consolidated from cave to finish up Hard Cheddar arete. Totally different to the L-R traverse, with crux slaps along wee scoops and edges to a crosshanded use of the V-hold... pumpier than it looks.
BNI Boulder
Sugar Rush 4m 7B
Dave MacLeod - March 2006
The steep arete right of Nadjilation, BNI boulder. Sit start, LH triangle crimp, RH incut crimp. Climb the scary arete with technical and tensiony moves. Not too scary with some jammed pads and a spotter.
Najidulation
Pendulum
Good Nicks
Good Nicks sit start
You're Nicked
Sabotage 10m 8A ***
Dave MacLeod - 01/02/2003
Possibly the best hard problem at Dumby, certainly the most popular. The problem takes the obvious line of the hanging roof/prow under the BNI slab. Sit start at the short pedestal at the base of the Good Nicks crack and climb out to the crux, which is bringing your right hand over to the arete. Finish by rocking up onto the BNI slab and traverse off leftwards. Part of its attraction is that there are so many ways of doing it, depending on your strengths, weaknesses or body shape.
La Tour de Technique
Mike Lee - 2010
Start at the arete and traverse the lip of the BNI slab to the finishing moves of Sanction.
Le Saboteur 8A+ ***
Malcolm Smith - 2010
Links Sabotage into La Tour de Technique.
Grande Tour 8B ***
Malcolm Smith - 2010
Climb Perfect Crime Extended Start into La Tour de Technique.
Perfect Crime 8A+ 25m ***
Dave MacLeod - March 2005
This traverses the dark walkway cave underneath the BNI boulder, emerging to finish up Sabotage. Start crouching at the left end of the roof, LH on protruding sidepull, RH on low slot on left arete. Gain the next slots and launch into a very technical and contorted crux. Pull out onto the hanging slab at the start of Sabotage (shake out). Finish up Sabotage. Extention - start as for Serum of Sisyphus at 8A+/B.
Serum of Sisyphus
Elbow Basher
B.N.I.
B.N.I. Direct
Sanction 8B < /br> Dave MacLeod - Feb 2007< /br> The blunt and very steep left arete of the BNI cave. Start at the small pedestal where Sabotage starts, but slightly to the left. The boulder to the left needs to be padded, but is not as much of a hazard as might first be thought. Around 7C from sitting up to a hard one-move crux, which is a jump from an absolutely repulsive left hand pinch to an incut sloper on the lip. Finish more easily no to the BNI slab.
Gut Buster 8b+ ***< /br>
Malcolm Smith - Sept 2008< /br>
Start as for Serum of Sisyphus, climb through the cave to a strenuous kneebar rest on the pedestal at the start of Sanction, then finish up Sanction.
Very Ape
Imposter's Arete
Deo Gratis
Descent Route
Chahala
Chahala Sit Start 8A+/B< /br>
Dave MacLeod - 2007< /br>
A very steep sitting / crouching start to the arete of Chahala. Very fingery and very technical. The small boulder to the left needs padding. Thought to be 8A by the first ascentionist, but hard 8A+ by the second ascentionist (Malcolm Smith). They both used the same sequence...
Sea Boulder
Closest boulder to the water. Tidal. Problems range from VB to V3.
White Streak V3 6a**
TODO
Steptoe V0 4c*
Arete where north and west faces of the Sea Boulder meet. The lump of lead is not in.
Red Streak V2 **
TODO
Chowbok VB 4c **
Follows the crack line up the center of the west face.
Erewhon V2 5c
Arete where west and south face of the Sea Boulder meet.
Commercial route V0- 4c **
Corner route on the south face.
Wednesday Wall VB 4c
This problem goes up the south face, just right of the arete that borders Commercial Route.
Silver's Route VB 4c*
Starts on side pulls on the right side of the south face. A hard sit start version of this problem is possible.
Gardner's Girdle V1 5a ***
TODO
Triplets
Sometimes referred to as the G/H boulders.
Long Reach
Short Notice
Short Sight
Everdry walls
TODO
External links
- UKClimbing.com log book for Dumbarton Rock
- www.dumby.info Topos, photos, and videos of Dumbarton Rock bouldering
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