Steall Hut

From SCWiki

Steall Hut is a crag for the hardcore, but with some amazing attributes: it is mostly permanently dry and has superb lines (trad and sport). It is also just about the midgiest crag in Scotland, so come prepped with a midge net for belaying. Conditions are generally excellent all summer, so it is the best non-mountain crag to climb hard over the summer in Scotland and avoid the grease. Stolen, Steall Appeal and Leopold are virtually permanently dry and can be climbed in heavy rain, but the finishes of Lame Beaver, Ring of Steall and Arcadia take a while to dry out - although it is possible to work on the lower parts of these routes at any time.

Access

From the road-end car park in Glen Nevis, follow the path to Steall Falls and cross the wire bridge. The crag is visible above Steall Hut. 20 min approach.

Routes

Steall Yard Blues E2 5b
Willie Jeffrey, Noel Williams 1983
Neglected and in need of a thorough clean to restore it to a climbable state. The big brown slab left of the main crag.

Lame Beaver E7 6b **
FFA Dave Cuthbertson 1987
Excellent safe but sparsely protected climbing at the left end of the main crag. A tricky move gains a shield of rock. Move up on edges to the overlap - good small cam and wire in a block overhead. Traverse right on good undercuts into a niche and pull out of this to jugs (crux). Superb climbing gains and climbs the easier flake crack in the headwall. Re-cleaned by Dave MacLeod in July 2007 - get on it!!

Stolen 8b ***
Dave MacLeod July 27 2007
Brilliant and perma-dry climbing up the overhanging walls and bulges left of Trick of the Tail. Difficult climbing leads leftwards to the big tooth (no-hands rest). Follow the undercut grooves above with more cruxes to a rest and yet another tricky section to gain the finishing headwall. The best 8b in Scotland?

Trick of the Tail E6 6b 20m
Mark McGowan 1989
The line linking the big niches in the centre of the crag. A blowtorch was used to dry stubbornly wet holds that ooze permenantly. Hence it's neglected now.

The FA of the obvious two cracklines up the middle of the crag were pinkpointed (gear in situ) and most choose to do so. There is nothing stopping those who'd like to make a clean ascent!

Arcadia E7 6b (8a) *** 20m
Gary Latter 1993
This line follows the lefthand diagonal crack which crosses the centre of the crag. Starting on the righthand side of the cave follow good holds (knee bar) to pull into the lefthand crackline. Bolts to start with, then in-situ pegs and wires. Slow to dry at the top, so if you see it dry - do it! It's an excellent climb.

Ring of Steall 8c+ *** 25m
Dave MacLeod 1st Aug 2007
The well-known project of Dave 'Cubby' Cuthbertson during the early nineties. Follow Leopold to just beyond its crux, then move left to the big undercut. A heinous boulder problem leads to the base of the leftward slanting crack which leads with slightly easier climbing to the top. Brilliant technical climbing.

Leopold E7 6c (F8a+) **** 20m
Murray Hamilton 1992 - FA Pink Pointed
This line follows the righthand diagonal crack which crosses the centre of the crag. Starting on the righthand side of the cave follow good holds to pull into the righthand crackline (double knee bar on left). Follow the crackline on sloping holds past two cruxes until it is possible to pull rightwards along a series of undercuts. Pass a final crux above the resting jug to easier ground. Bolts, then in-situ wires, pegs and a cam. Permanently dry until the last couple of moves. Most choose to lower off here.

Steall Appeal F8b/+ * 12m
Malcolm Smith
Make an extremely desperate move above the boss using small sidepulls to reach a sloping hold and a ramp-line of better holds. At its top move back right via another hard move off an undercut to pull through on easier moves.

Watermark E4 6a 16m
Gary Latter
Neglected, nearly always wet and covered in layers of moss and slime.

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