Canadians Mixing It Up in Scotland

Last week was the British Mountain Club (BMC) winter international meet, 44 climbers from 26 countries gathered in Scotland. Ten new routes and a number of impressive ascents were climbed during a week of perfect Scottish mixed climbing conditions.

“Scotland is just as rad as Patagonia.”

From Canada, Jon Walsh and Michelle Kadatz made the trip. UK climber Nick Bullock and Scottish sender Greg Boswell visited Canada in the fall of 2013, during their visit they climbed a number a Rockies test-pieces and told Walsh of the excellent climbing in Scotland. After arriving in Scotland and climbing a couple of routes, Walsh told Gripped, “Scotland is just as rad as Patagonia.”

Kadatz teamed up with Will Sim for a week of impressive climbs. They repeated Bullock and Guy Robertson’s new route on Stob Coire nan Lochan, Slenderhead, VIII, 8, which takes a line of corners up the right wall of SC Gully. The line had been tried before but none of the teams had got past the first pitch. Kadatz is one of Canada’s leading female alpinists. “Michelle’s first route in Scotland, she was obviously feeling a lot better as she followed the three pitches with style perfected on the flat edges and shallow hooks of Canadian limestone,” wrote Sim in his blog.

Kadatz also teamed up with Ian Parnell for an ascent of Centurion on Ben Nevis. “Crazy day climbing on Ben Nevis with Ian Parnell. I don’t think climbing can ever be the same again. A new level of commitment, psych and suffering has been obtained,” wrote Kadatz on her Facebook page.

Walsh teamed up with Bullock for a rare ascent of Extasy, VIII, 8, on Craig Meggy. “Jon Walsh and I walked in, checked it out and the following day climbed the third ascent of Extasy on the Pinnacle Face of Craig Meagaidh.

Its difficult to imaging that I will have a more compelling, engaging day of the winter than this one,” wrote Bullock on his blog. The climbers then teamed up with Boswell for a new route on Beinn Eighe, they named their new route Making the Cut, VIII, 8.

– For more 2014 news from Scotland, see here.