Cambusbarron West Quarry

Cambusbarron West Quarry (aka Fourth Quarry) is the open, recently landscaped quarry which has a pleasant outlook over the Trossachs and a friendly atmosphere. The quarry dries quickly after rain and does not seep, making it an excellent year-round venue. The routes, although short, are generally very good and well-protected but occasionally suffer from loose finishes.

The rock is Dolerite.

Directions & Approach

By public transport: From the centre of Stirling the crag is a pleasant 20 minute walk. Alternatively, buses run to Cambusbarron every 50 minutes from Stirling bus station. Disembark at the Forester's Arms and walk up the hill. Turn right and follow a footpath past the primary school. Follow the road to a barrier. The main quarry is hidden down a narrow path in the woods on the left. To reach the west quarry, pass the barrier and follow the track until the rocks are visible on the left. There is a taxi rank outside Stirling train station that is also close to the bus station. Multiple taxi firms pick up from here and the quarry is a short ride away, ask to be taken to Quarry Road in Cambusbarron close to the Forester's Arms Pub. Taxi price 2011 is £4.50 to £6.00 approx.

By car: From Glasgow - at the Granada service station, follow the signposts for Bannockburn. On reaching St. Ninians (Shell petrol station on the left of the roundabout) turn left and left again at the Somerfield supermarket. Follow this road until a bend in the road leads to a bridge across the motorway (Cambusbarron signposted). Drive through the centre of the village until Quarry road is seen on the left. Park at the top of this.

From the parking place, walk past the large boulders along the main path. The routes are described from left to right.

Rock Falls

Please see the discussion page for recent reports of rockfalls

There has been some major rock fall recently, the whole block at the top of ramplin fell down. Unfortunatly my rope was cut so did not get a chance to look at the exits to the neighbouring route as they will be damaged.

The Routes

Routes described from left to right.

Ninety-Five 10m E1 5b **
Greg Szuca - back rope solo - 25/10/1993
Tackles the obvious pillar on the left at the entrance to the quarry. Fine deceptive climbing with good friend protection, over all too soon.

Scales of Injustice 10m 7c **
Mark Somerville - January 2001
Sustained and difficult slab climbing up the smooth wall behind the trees. Climb up to and over the overlap and then continue up the flakes and wall above. Protected by five bolt runners.

Production Line 10m E6 6c **
A. Wren - 27/04/1993, Without pegs - Gordon Lennox - 1997
This very thin and hard slab and crack with a precarious crux lies about 10m right of the previous route. Now E6 since the pegs have been removed. Jon Read would like it to be noted that this route was chipped despite his chalk being on the route from when he was working it. He believes that it would have been a classic and very unique F8a slab.

Scrubbers 14m E1 ***
Trevor Brady, Tony Stone - August 2003
Start between Production Line & Eastering Home behind the last of the trees at the base of a right facing corner. Climb the blocks followed by the slab to the corner which is climbed via ever widening cracks to a rest below the roof. Follow the crack through the roof & move left onto the face to finish. Once fully cleaned it should finish direct. A very good & varied route.

Climb on you crazy diamond 15m E3 5c
Tim Higgins, Sam Hawkins - July 2004
Starting 3m right of Scrubbers, surmount the blocks and climb up the obvious cracks, trending left. When these run out, move right, and climb straight up to pass between 2 gorse bushes. Finish via the short corner and an entertaining top out! Good climbing low down, but it deteriorates near the top. Sufficient protection, but strenuous and sustained.

The next routes lie on the good section of rock about 15m right of Production Line.

Eastering Home 14m VS 5a
Ian McCabe, Jim Shanks - Easter 2001
The wide crack to a ledge. Finishing by some pretty awful loose rock.

The good slab to the right is climbed by the following three routes:

Cross in Oz 14m E1 5b **
Raymond Wallace, Allan Wallace May 1993
A good crackline and a good route, slightly marred by a potentially disastrous block at the initial overhang. Climb up to the hanging death block and, with any "what if" thoughts firmly banished, use it to make the crux pull into the main crack. Continue up this with a few delicate moves.

Crosstown Traffic 14m E1 5b**
Raymond Wallace, Allan Wallace May 1993
This companion route joins Cross in Oz after climbing the recessed corner and right-hand crack.

Arse On Stumps 14m E2 5b
Mark Somerville, Alastair Morriss - 2000
Climb the short smooth arete immediately right of the previous route. Place protection, step up and slightly left onto the slab and follow the excavated finger crack to finish.

Originally Graded E3 5c but the final crack has seen major excavation work since the FA and is now well protected and easier.

Cha 8m HS 4b
Greg Szuca, D. Gregg - 1993
Climb the blocks on the small pillar to the right until it is possible to move right onto good holds. Climb to the horizontal break, then finish up the crack.

Looney Tunes 8m E4 6a *
Michael Tweedley and Mark Somerville (both Led) - 1999
This short, bouldery, gritstone-esque route climbs the short arete which lies 2 metres right of Cha and comes complete with a difficult, unprotected crux and poor landing.

Wind Up 10m VS 5a
Mark Gathwaite, Greg Szuca - 21/05/1991
Climb the left-facing corner about 10 metres to the right of Looney Tunes.

Force 8 10m E1 5b
Mark Gathwaite, Greg Szuca - 21/05/1991
Climb the central crack in the buttress to the right of the previous route.

Pipistrelle 10m HVS 5a
Allan Wallace, Raymond Wallace June 1993
Starting at the same point as Force 8, climb up and right to a small ledge on the right arete. Follow the crack and arete to the top. Top-out may require care. Aln.

Miss Po 12m E1/2 5b/c
Mark Somerville, Lee Byrnes - January 2001
The technical right-facing corner to the right is still dirty. Again, traverse left to avoid the loose top-out.

Public Spirited Individual 10m E3 6a *
Reuben Welch - 2001
This routes climbs a cleaned crack system at the right hand side of the next wall, just before the next route.

Optimists Chimney 10m VS 5a
Climb the wide left-facing corner crack of the pillar to the right of the previous routes. Grade unconfirmed. This looks easy but is a hideous, loose, dirty, poorly protected off-width struggle, only recommendable to masochists. Aln.

Unnamed 10m F6b+?
Climb the chossy pillar. Easy to the third bolt, where a hairy clipping position introduces the harder section of the climb. pretected by 5 bolts, with lower offs at the top. Grade unconfirmed. Not one for the weightier climber.

Repeat Offender 10m VS
Allan Wallace, Raymond Wallace - June 2005
Climbs the corner on the right of the jumbled pillar of Optimist’s Chimney. Bridge up the corner by some dubious looking blocks to an off-width then continue up leftwards into a pod and follow another off-width to the top of the pillar. There has been rockfall from the top of this climb.

Chisel 15m E4 6a***
D. Gregg, Greg Szuca - 1993
A classic "guilty pleasure", chipped but still brilliant wall climbing. Crank up the thin crack (crux) to gain better holds, and continue confidently up the wall above to a worrying but easier top-out. The peg is AWOL but there is plentiful cam protection.

Gobi Roof 15m E2 5c **
Mark Garthwaite, Greg Szuca, G. Campbell - 17/07/1990
An irresistable testpiece. Climb the obvious groove to the small roof and pull stoically over this whilst pondering the distinction between 5c and 6a moves. Continue up the neat faint groove to a larger groove and easier finish, taking care with a bit of loose rock debris.

Ramp 12m HS 4a
The groove line/ramp right of Gobi Roof used to contain three saplings. EXIT DAMAGED BY ROCK FALL!

Contract Bridge 10m E1 *
Nick Bowen, Johnny Dyble - September 2003
Climb the crack of Easy Contract to just above where it splits, bridge across to thinner left crack and continue upwards on handjams and painful sloping toejams. Finish up vertical hanging crack above just right of the arete. EXIT DAMAGED BY ROCK FALL!

Easy Contract 12m E1 5b *
G. Harriison, Paul Laughlan - 1980s
Start at a crack about 3m right of the previous route. Climb the crack and follow the right hand fork until a large ledge. Finish up the arete of the buttress. EXIT DAMAGED BY ROCK FALL!

Not Easy Contract 12m E1 5b **
C. Hewitt, N. Sheperd, K. Clark - 01/01/1985
This good route follows the wider crack to the right to a small ledge at the base of a short shallow groove. Climb this and the vertical crack above and finish direct.

Slot Shot 12m E3 5c *
Mark Garthwaite, Greg Szuca - 23/05/1991
An eliminate that provides good climbing. Start just right of Easy Contract at a thin crack. Climb this until the small ledge of that route is reached. Step right and follow the very thin crack line and it's continuation crack above.

Another One Bites the Dust 12m E1 5b
G Harriison, Paul Laughlan - 1980s
Climb the scrappy broken corner right of Slot Shot to the ledge. Finish up the fine hand crack above.

Malky the Alky 12m E1 5b *
G Harriison, Paul Laughlan - 1980s
Climb the steep crack to the right Another One Bites the Dust to the ledge. Finish up the corner.

The Doobie Brothers 12m E1 5b *
Mark Garthwaite, Greg Szuca - 22/05/1991
Climb easily up the crack/groove line left of the dangerously jammed pillar of rock to where it steepens. Make a couple of difficult moves to gain more reasonable territory.

About midway between The Doobie Brothers and Buttons is a small tapering grey slab.

Thank God for Friends 12m E2 5c*
Alan Pert - 2001
Climb the tapering slab of good rock.

The walls become much more broken further right, but there are still some worthwhile climbs.

About 40m to the right of the previous buttress is an obvious tapering slab. This route, Scaresville, appears to have changed since it was first climbed, but still looks feasible.

Buttons 12m HVS 5a/b
Alan Pert - 2001
The broken arete about 10m left of Scaresville

The Road to Hell 18m HVS *
Alan Pert, Eddie McHutchison - August 2002
Start 2m left of Buttons. Climb the obvious bulge then traverse right until you reach the vertical band of rock sandwiched between two smooth slab faces. Climb upwards to a roof and large corner - pass on the left and finish easily. Well protected.

Scaresville 12m E2 5c
Greg Szuca, P. Hyde - 14/06/1991
Start below the left side of the slab and climb up to where an awkward mantelshelf allows access to the slab. Climb a very thin crack and the slab to the top. Necky. Grade Unconfirmed.

Scaresville - The Easy Way 15m E1 *
Alan Pert, Stuart Burge
Miss out the crux by climbing the grassy ramp on the right. From the corner traverse left back onto the main face of Scaresville and finish as normal. Best brushed before a lead.

Other climbs that were listed hereabout, The Ubiquitous Chip (E4 6a) and Brat Attack (E3 5C), appear to have fallen down.

Roughly opposite Cha is a short buttress with some clean crack lines.

Dark Side of the Spoon 8m E2 5c*
Mark Somerville, Alastair Morriss - 2000
Climb the arete and handcrack to an awkward top out onto the bushy ledge.

Confessions of a Speed Freak 9m E1 5b*
Climb the wider jam/layback crack on the right

Somnambulism 7m HVS 5a
Mark Somerville - 1999
At the extreme right hand end of the quarry, just as the path enters the trees, is a bulging wall. This short but enjoyable micro-route climbs this.