Newtyle Quarry

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Newtyle Quarry (AKA Birnam) is a unique climbing venue. In a short history it has been host to the development of a few good middle grade rock climbs, both trad and sport, and also some aid projects in the deep amphitheatre, The Tube. The rock here is Slate, which is pretty unusual in Scotland.

In 2003 a further spate of development has seen the establishment of some hard routes of several styles. Side by side in the Tube now sit a dry tooling route D12, a sports route F8b and a trad. route E7. There are also four sport routes above the tube which are all in the french 6a/b category.

Since Fast and Furious was completed by Scott Muir further dry tooling routes have been established, and now a variety exist ranging from an amenable D4 to a savage D12.

• Please do not dry tool any established rock climbs, or any new lines that are rock-climbable.
• Particularly do not dry tool Spandau Ballet. The rock is soft and tools will damage the finger crack.

Contents 1 Grading 2 Equipment 3 Climbing Style 4 Rock 5 Parking 6 The routes 6.1 Lower Wall 6.2 Happy Hooker Wall 6.3 The Tube

Grading

• "D" grades are used to reflect the "dry" ethic, routes being climbable all year round. They roughly equate to M grades.
• Comparison with Scottish winter grades is pretty meaningless given the total contrast in styles, but as a very rough guide D4 at Birnam is about Scottish tech 6.

Equipment

• Grades reflect use of leashless axes. Normal axes are fine on the lower tier, but elsewhere leashless is beneficial.
• Mono point crampons are best on all routes. On the lower tier any crampons will suffice. Heel spurs will make all the routes in The Tube less sustained. The current grades on this guide reflect a spur-less style.

Climbing Style

• It is wise to pre-clip the first bolt on all routes. Ground falls with axes and crampons are painful. Note on F&F pre-clipping the second bolt is needed, note also that people have hit the deck from the third bolt.

• Pre-Inspection
  • On the lower tier the routes are fine to onsight.
  • On Happy Hooker Wall it is best to abseil (trees above) and place quickdraws This is also a good way to check out hard to spot axe placements.
  • In the Tube ground up is the only possible way.

Rock

• The rock is loose and chossy. It is also quite soft. Placements, especially slots in seams, will sometimes blow out.
• Most routes have some manufactured holds. The two D4s are all on natural placements.
• Experience has shown that it is worth wearing a helmet when belaying. This is because of both loose rock being knocked down, and also the occasional axe being dropped.

Parking

Please park with consideration to local residents. Park either by the start of the private road, or in the open ground up the rough track.

The routes

Lower Wall

1. F6c+
   I. Taylor
2. Spandau Ballet E2 5c
   D. McCallum
3. Pulliscious D6
   S. Muir
4. Roofiliscious D5+
   S. Muir
5. Grooviliscious D4
   S. Muir
6. Bonzai D4
   F. Murray

Happy Hooker Wall

1. A Mind of Metal D7
   P. Diffley
2. Insane in the Membrane D8+
   D. MacLeod
3. Happy Hooker D7
   D. Brown
   Also a link up line, start up Va Va and finish up HH D7.
4. Va Va Voom D8
   S. Muir
5. The Sting D8
   M. Tweedley
   Also an lower start from the very bottom right D8+.

The Tube

1. Gone in 60 Seconds E7 6c
   D. MacLeod
2. Hurley Burley F8b
   D. MacLeod
   Please don't tool this route as its one of the few steep routes in the quarry that's naturally climbable.
3. Project (Sport)
   
4. Training for Something D12-
   W Gadd / D MacLeod
   Between TFS and F&F there is also a harder line. Project.
5. Fast and Furious D10+
   S. Muir
6. Too Fast Too Furious D11
   S. Muir
7. On the tier directly above The Tube is a left to right lip traverse. Hammerhead and the Quarryman, D8+
   P.Diffley

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