After not getting much climbing done since I came back from Northern Ireland – other than a bit down at the indoor wall – I managed to get two days in a row out at a great crag called Traprain Law, just outside Haddington. Traprain Law is a popular crag in the Lowland Outcrops guidebook, with a lot of low to middle grade climbing. Because of the popularity and its proximity to Edinburgh, the crag gets a fair amount of traffic which has resulted in the rock getting a bit shiny in places. It can still give you a lot of quality climbing though – look at me, I spent two days there!
Traprain Law from the road.
On Wednesday 28th August, Dougie and I headed down to Traprain Low. I had never been climbing outside with Dougie before, but had watched him several times on bolts and placing his own protection on rock and he’s a pretty good climber with great confidence on rock.
Dougie
There has been a lot of fuss over the past couple of years regarding access to the crag through the field as it is a bit restricted by the farmer. When we pulled up at the side of the road there was a couple of combine harvesters working their way through the field harvesting the crops. It was very interesting to watch; it was like a military operation as the four tractors would pull up beside the combines so they could empty their crops for taking away. But that’s enough rambling on farming, so let’s talk about the climbing.
Combine harvesters and tractor.
As I was pulling my rucksack from the car, I felt a spike of pain in my wrist. I must have tweaked it somehow which made me a bit annoyed at myself as it was right at the start of the day, but I thought I’d take it easy and see how it went. If it was still sore I’d stop.
Over the last few years, I’ve climbed most of the easy routes at Traprain Low up to about VS, and I’ve followed people up a few harder routes there as well. I started on Pinch, a 15m Hard Severe* on the Lammer wall – a route that I’ve done a few times. I moved really well and my wrist felt fine, so I topped out, built the belay and brought Dougie up the route. We abseiled off the Lammer Wall and followed the climb with a quick bite to eat and drink.
Dougie starting Pinch.
Dougie then decided that he wanted to climb a hard route. I had talked about a route called Piglet, a 20m HVS 5b**, on the way down in the car so I suggested that he should try it. We wandered over to the Overhanging Wall, swapped some gear over and Dougie set off up the route. He made good progress up the slab with good protection to the little roof of the overhang where you pull out left over it and up to the top. He spent a little while under the roof trying to work out the moves. He got high enough to put his hand around a flake and placed a nut to protect the move, and then he was over and got to the top.
Dougie on piglet.
When I started climbing up the groove, I had good holds until I got to the roof where they were very smooth. I didn’t really trust my feet to go higher and reach the good hold above the roof to pull over, so I was getting a bit annoyed with it. I pretty much gave up and just wanted to get to the top, so I hung on the rope looking at the rock trying to find a line of least resistance to climb up to Dougie at the belay. I managed to find some foot holds on the line beside mine, so I pulled myself onto them. They weren’t as shiny as the holds on Piglet, so I started to make progress again up to the top. I didn’t really care that I couldn’t manage the second climb as it really didn’t feel enjoyable and my wrist was sore again.
It was then my turn to choose a climb, so I was looking for routes that weren’t as hard as Piglet and decided on a route called Via MacNiven, a 20m 5a*. The holds looked really good and it also looked really well protected. I started off stepping on the ledges at the bottom. They felt really slippery, and as I got a bit higher – only about a meter above the ground – the hand holds disappeared and there wasn’t that many gear placements. I know I was only a meter off the ground but it still felt scary. I climbed back down to the ground and decided that it wasn’t a good idea to try this route today.
I looked at the guide again for another route and went for one called Left Edge, a 20m Severe**. I started off really well as I was finding lots of good holds and gear placements. However, as I ascended higher I could feel my confidence going, my wrist was feeling sore, and I started getting ‘disco leg’. I plugged the route with as much gear as I could until I reached the belay. When Dougie tackled and finished the climb after me, we decided it was time to call it a day so we packed up our gear and headed back to the car.
Belay at the top of Left Edge.
While we had been climbing, the combine harvesters had pretty much cleared the whole field of its crop. Also my nut key had managed to catch on my shorts and rip a bit hole in them, which I wasn’t happy about.
Even though I didn’t climb very well it was still nice to get on some real rock and out of Edinburgh for a while for some fresh air.
Second Day at Traprain Law
I had arranged to head back down to Traprain Law with a few friends the day after on the 29th August , as my friend Ben had not been there before. He wanted to scout about for a venue to take his clients too. Gabe also wanted to take his girlfriend Jeni down for her first experience of roped climbing on real rock as she had only ever bouldered before. I just wanted to get on the rock again.
I woke up on Thursday morning with my wrist still feeling sore, and when I walked to the bathroom I found my left ankle was also sore and a bit swollen. There is a story behind what happened to my ankle involving taking a lead fall and really badly spraining it, but I won’t go into it right now. I stuck on my Mammut boots so I could strap it up and could still get involved with the belaying or abseiling, and taking photos of the others climbing from a better angle.
My lovely boots 🙂
As we walked through the field to the crag my ankle felt okay but climbing over the fence and standing on my toes was painful. Gabe started off by setting up a bottom rope on a route called the Vertical Ladder, 15m VDifficult*, for Jeni to try as her first outside climb. I pottered about at the bottom as we waited for Ben to turn up. Several phone calls later – Ben’s satnav had got him lost – he found us and I showed him around Lammer wall, and then headed over to the Overhanging Wall. Ben explored for a bit and soloed a couple of easy routes on the left-hand side of the Overhanging Wall before deciding to climb Slab and Tickle, a 20 Severe 4c – a favourite route of mine.
Jeni being lowered off Vertical Ladder by Gabe.
Ben on Slab and Tickle, Jeni being lowed off Great Corner.
Ben started racking up using my rack of gear and was getting confused with the way I have my extendable quick draws set up. I use rubber bands at the rope end and get the ends of my non-extendable draws the wrong way. I’m a bit fussy on the way my draws are set up and used.
Ben racking up.
He set off up the route, talking his way through it as always does, making good progress to the little roof on good holds and placing gear where he needed it. He pulled up over the roof and then worked his way easily round to the top to the belays using my mega single around the big block. I was still not happy with my ankle so I kept my boot on – I always enjoy climbing in my boots – and I was surprised how well I climbed, including past the roof and to the belay. We de-rigged and headed down to find something else to climb. Ben went for the Chute, a 20m E1 5b*. We left a fixed rope out for him to climb the Chute, and then abseil off to take the gear out as I wasn’t really keen to climb this route. We got into another argument about my extendable draws which got me really annoyed as he just kept laughing at me. Anyway, he climbed up the crux and little roof, pulling over what looked like high feet and then onto easy ground to the top. He then abseiled off to retrieve the protection.
Ben cleaning the route, while Jeni is Seconding Gabe on Great Corner with my nut key.
While we were doing this, Gabe had lead Great Corner and Jeni was climbing up her first proper second and taking the gear out on the way up. I talked her through a couple of moves.
Gabe leaing Great Corner.
Ben and I went over the Hexagon wall, a 25m VDiff*, to try and link a couple of routes together to make a big long route. I fancied leading it so I geared up and just went for it. I’ve climbed the Hexagon wall before with Cathryn on her first outing onto rock last October, and it is an amazing slab with blocky holds. I was still climbing in my boots which I really enjoyed using as this route had lots of edges, each little one feeling like a big ledge. I was trying to stay right of the normal line of the route on these lovely little ledges and crimps that just sat really well. I kept looking for a line that I could use to traverse over the top of the other routes on this part of the crag, but looking at the rock there really wasn’t a great line to explore. I climbed to the belay point, built the belay and brought Ben up. We then abseiled off to pack up our gear, as Ben had to be back in Edinburgh for a certain time.
Looks its me climbing, I rare picture of me climbing, as well I’m climbing in my big boots.
All in all, it was a good couple of days out. Despite my sore wrist and ankle, I had fun, got some great pictures and got some good climbing done. Hopefully I’ll get a few more days before people will stop wanting to go outside because it’s too cold.
All the pictures from the 28th August are here and the pictures from the 29th August are here.