Balmashanner

The infamous 'shanner. A North facing hole in the ground. On the positive side, it provides steep, well equipped sport routes.

Other local crags: Ley, Legaston, Arbroath Sea cliffs, Elephant, The Red Head, Glen Clova. Also see the Angus section of North-East Outcrops.

Getting there

From Dundee take the road North to Forfar. Take the first exit to Forfar. A short distance after the road takes a sharp bend to the right some houses can be seen on the right. A small signpost points to Glencoe cottage. Turn up the minor road/track and park with consideration for the residents at the bottom of this road. Follow the track up the hill to its end. The quarry can be seen over to the right. Follow the edge of the field, then the path down into the depths of the quarry.

Routes

Routes are described left to right.

LEFT HAND WALL

1 Dennis the Menace 6b
Scott Muir (2005)

2 Desperate Dan 6a+
Scott Muir (2005)

3 99 Flake 4
Alan Fox (2005)

4 Ice Scream Wall 6b
Scott Muir (2005)

5 The Balmashanner Bomb Shell 6c
Scott Muir (2005)

6 One Can Dan 6b
Scott Muir (2005)

7 Mini the Minx 6a
Scott Muir (2005)

8 Rat Race face 6b
Scott Muir (2005)

The left hand wall can be traversed at 6a

RIGHT HAND WALL

1 Syes don’t Matter 6b
George Ridge (1996)

2 Sye of Relief 6b+
Neil Shepherd (1995)
Supercedes David Douglas' route Rancid Hellspawn E2 5c

3 Firestarter 6a+
Scott Muir (2005)

4 Delivery Man 7a+
David Douglas (1989)

5 Start the Fire 6b+
Neil Shepherd (1989)

6 Made to Suffer 7b+
Neil Shepherd (1995)

7 Savage Amusement 7b
Neil Shepherd (1988)
Climb the sequency crackline with increasing difficulty. Left Left Right Left Right...

8 Putting Shame in your Game 7c
George Ridge (1998)

9 Manifestations 7b
Neil Shepherd (1989)
A bouldery first half (on often wet holds) leads to a difficult move of a huge sloper. On gaining the ledge move up more easily following the huge flake.

10 Rat Attack 6c+
Neil Shepherd (1989)

11 Tales of Creation 8a
Neil Shepherd (1995)
Start by making powerful rockover to gain better holds. Move up and right past small pod which is devoid of any 'good' holds (wont give away the secret here) to a small undercut and a good resting place. Move left past a further crux off a ackward undercling to reach the LO.

12 Hell Bent for Lycra 6c+
David Douglas (1988)
Move up and right on good but sloping holds.

13 Le Bon Vacance 7a
Neil Shepherd (1988)

14 Half the Battle 7a
Neil Shepherd (1992)

15 The Comfort Machine 6c+
Neil Shepherd (1992)

16 Off the Couch 6c
Neil Shepherd (1996)

17 The Essential Balmashanner 7c
Neil Shepherd (1992)
Do the next route but bail out left after the second crux. Less sustained.

18 Gravity’s Rainbow 7c+
Grant Farquhar (1990)
Make two hard moves off manufactured slots to connect better holds in the breaks. Continue on good but small holds to the top. Powerful then sustained.

19 The Niche 8a+
Stuart Cameron (1991)
Starting up a small corner the holds soon run out. Levitate of a good but low hold and the edge of a shot hole to reach a crimp (hard for short!). Move into large scoope above moving right to a LO.

20 Merchant of Menace 8b
Stuart Cameron (1992)
Follow the sloping holds along a ramp to its end before making a series of hard moves to better holds above. Takes a while to dry. Helps if the weathers cold!

21 Chien 6b+
George Ridge (1996)
A poor eliminate line (bolts missing?). The temptation to bridge to the right will be too strong for most!

22 Balmashanner Buttress 4+
Local youths messing around (70s)
Retro-bolted.

Digital Sclerosis 7b+ 40m
David Douglas (1989)
The full low level traverse of the right wall from left to right. Avoid the resting ledge below Hell Bent and finish on the starting holds of The Niche. Given route grade - not Font grade... Worth 7c+ for "there and back"

New Routes

Tower Of Pain 16m 8a+ **
claimed by Tom Ballard 10/05 was in fact the original finish of The Niche.

Brixton Overhang 15m VS *
John Giblin, Iain Anderson - July 2004
left of the burnt out car there is an overhang above two horizontal faults in the rock. Climb the central fissure running through these two faults, past the slate with our names carved on it and directly over the overhang, finishing on the grass above.

Brixton by Forfar 10m 6A *
John Giblin, Iain Anderson - May 2004
Head for the outcrop with the burnt out car (hence the Brixton reference) and start directly below the arete. Climb up the outside and then swing to the left and traverse the sloping face. If you follow the natural contour of the rock it will bring you back to ground level about 5m from the arete.

These above two "routes" are total nonsense.