Muchalls Shore: The Four Toes
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A walk south from the wooden bridge and steps leads past the Trackside Boulder to a headland which juts out into the bay immediately opposite the large sea stack. Where the headland meets the pebble beach, a wall of rock is presented (some of it impressively steep) but its quality is poor and has discouraged climbing to date. Just south of this, four stubby ridges of rock sit below the headland and provide the next collection of problems. They are described north to south.
Contents |
The First Toe
The first pinnacle feature reached when approaching from the north. It is possible to traverse easily round the seaward nose.
All the problems on this face top out, though the finishes are still a bit dirty and the rock isn't as good as the water-washed lower halves. The problems which follow the cracks aren't described or graded as eliminates, but they could be climbed as such if you feel that way inclined.
1. Soul Brother V0 4b *
A superb little eliminate problem, climbing the bottomless arête from a sitting start at its base, and only using the layaways on the right side of the arête. An even lower start is possible from a horizontal break underneath the arête. The tall can span directly from the regular starting holds to the jug at the top of the arête, but this misses out the good moves and so spoils the problem.
2. Low traverse into Soul Brother V0+ 4c
Starting on the north side of the Toe, traverse leftwards round the nose, keeping low, to gain a slightly slopey block. From this, span left onto the starting hold of the previous problem at the base of the arête, and finish up this.
3. Daddy Cool V0 4c
The right hand crack from a sitting start, finishing as for the hanging arête problem
4. Wicked Sister V2 5c
This climbs the wall between the right hand and central cracks without making any use of either of these features as handholds. Pull on using a magnificent vertical layaway flake, span up to a decent hold at head height to the left of the grey roof on Daddy Cool and then climb the upper shield of rock either with a monster reach with the left hand or a tiny quartz crimp (possibly V3).
5. Sonny Jim V0+ 5a
The central crack, again from a sitting start, proves more sustained than its right hand companion and includes some painfully sharp holds.
6. Baby Face V1 5b
The innocuous little crack tucked in on the left looks trivial, but proves to be the hardest of the trio. Significantly harder for the short.
The Second Toe
1. Andy's Traverse V0+ 5a
A right to left low level traverse of the north side of the toe, mostly easy but with a couple of awkward moves under a small roof.
2. Minimantel V0- 4b
An easy mantel onto the low ledge (currently strewn with pebbles) up and to the right of the start of Andy's Traverse.
3. Spare Rib V0 4c
Climb the rib above the start of Andy's Traverse. Unremarkable.
4. Andy's Traverse Reverse and Spare Rib V1 5a
As the name says, reverse Andy's Traverse and finish up Spare Rib.
More easy traversing is possible around the seaward nose of the block.
The Third Toe (The Big Toe)
1. Right Part V0 5b
Pull up from a sitting start to rock delicately onto the slab above, making no use of the big diagonal break.
2. Middle Part V0 5b
Starting to the left of Right Part, pull up and left to again make a delicate move onto the slab.
3. The Brush Off V2 5c *
From a sitting start at the obvious flat hold, pull up and onto the hanging slab on the seaward face of the boulder, choosing from a variety of indifferent holds. No use of the right edge of the slab for hands. Hard to suss initially, but easy to repeat.
4. Left Part V2 5c
Climb the nose to the left of the Brush Off, starting with feet off the flat rock below. The rock to the right of the crack is also off limits.
5. Hair Flick V2 5c *
A left to right lip traverse of the seaward face of the boulder, starting at the groove to the left of the overhang, finishing up the right edge of the hanging slab to the obvious juggy break. Hands only allowed on/above lip, and no use of the ramp to the right for feet.
6. Hair Lip V2 5c *
Start on a lower hold and traverse using holds on the lip of the overlap to a big pull up to a jug on the face below the lip of the slab. Continue up and right, staying below the lip of the slab, to finish at the break as for Hair Flick. Again, no use of the ramp to the right for feet.
7. Lip Flick V3/4 6a
Follow the low variation to the big pull, but instead stay low on small crimps until an even bigger pull gains a better break, and then the penultimate hold of the low variation.
8. Short, Back and Sides V4 6a
Traverse left to right along Lip Flick, return to the start along Hair Lip from the common penultimate hold, and then finish up Hair Flick. Pumpy, but not too technical.
The groove immediately above the start of Hair Flick provides a useful descent.
9. Groovy VB
The tall, easy angled groove left again.
10. Easy Face VB
Round the edge to the left, the tall face may be climbed by a variety of non-descript lines.
The Fourth Toe
1. Tone Ale V0 4b
Climb directly up the face right of the rightmost layback flake from a sitting start at a fine sloper.
2. I Like to Move It, Move It V0 4c
From a sit start at a good undercut, pull up and rightwards along the flake to an easy but dirty finish.
3. Not the Golden Child V0+ 5a
Starting as for the previous problem, pull over the slight bulge and climb the slabby face above. Needs further brushing.
4. Brown Flambé V0 4b *
A pleasant easy problem up the prominent snaking crack. Harder (V1 5b) if only the crack is used for hands.
5. Span Key V2 5c
From the undercut and sidepull at the start of Brown Flambé and feet on the quartz, span left to the break of Two Hour Shoeshine and finish up this.
6. Two Hour Shoeshine V0 4c
Climb the face left of the crack, utilising a prominent sidepull en route.
Further round to the left is a small but steep prow of rock.
7. Alpine Ginger Fro V0+ 5a
To the right of the groove right of the prow is an overhanging flange of rock. From a sit start on slopers reach up to the lip and mantel up. A harder variation eliminates the holds on the lip.
8. Muchall About V3 5c/6a
Start in the groove right of the prow and traverse left, keeping below the lip, to join and climb The Neuk. From a good hold on the lip, finish by moving left and stepping off where the angle eases.
9. Muchall Ado V1 5b
From a good low jug, move steeply up and left to finish over the nose of the steep prow. No use of the break right of the prow for feet at this grade.
10. Knucklecracker V4 6a/b
From a sitting start undercutting the crack, pull on and make a strenuous move to gain a good hold where the crack meets the lip of the roof. Finish more easily.
10.5 Knuckleduster V3/4 6a/b
From the same start as Knucklecracker, make a big, powerful reach leftwards, going directly to a good hold/pocket on the face climbed by The Neuk. Finish as for that problem. Eliminate, but butch, and harder for the vertically challenged.
11. The Neuk V2 5c *
Starting at an obvious sloper, move up to an edge and layaway and use these to gain the lip.
12. Cadet in a Tutu V1 5b
Round on the backside of this boulder, a steep wall of slightly friable rock provides a pleasant traverse. Start at the right end of the big mid-height ledge and move rightwards along it to its end before continuing at the same level, finishing at the left arête of this face. Attempts to extend this traverse have so far been thwarted by detachable holds.
13. The Back Passage V0
From a good incut hold behind the boulder, pull up and left on small positive holds, moving leftwards to a good jug. Step backwards onto boulder. A pad and/or spotter are useful to protect your head/back on the boulder.
Some short problems have been worked out on the smaller boulders just to the south.
