Garrochty Bouldering
On the southwest corner of the Isle of Bute and close to Garrochty Farm, a deep horizontal roof is carved out of the coastline. This cave gives steep, physical climbing across overlapping lobes of igneous rock, with routes often long and beta-intensive on solid, featured and pitted rock. The quality of the climbing is superb. It is a raised beach cave and entirely above the high water mark, with an aspect that faces Arran and Kintyre across open sea. The setting is reminiscent of the Arisaig Cave.
Moritz Eichert stumbled on the cave, recognising the potential. Mike Tweedley, Dave MacLeod and Kevin Woods all subsequently added routes.
Travel
The Isle of Bute can be accessed by either of two CalMac ferries. If travelling from the Central Belt, the Wemyss Bay-Rothesay ferry departs every hour. If travelling from the Highlands, the Colintraive-Rhubodach ferry departs every thirty minutes. Park at the very south end of Bute as for St. Blane’s Chapel: 20 minutes by car from Rothesay, or 50 minutes by bike.
To keep the cost of repeated journeys down, take the bike on the ferry, go with a team to split the cost, or make a west coast holiday of it.
(Heads up - I routinely do day trips from Glasgow. Out first thing in the morning, home for dinner. Cost aside (!), the ferry is cumulatively relaxing, despite travel time on paper.)
Access (1.1km on foot, 15 mins)
Begin walking down toward Garrochty Farm. This is a working farmhouse - do not disturb. Instead, after 300m (at the first trees), turn off the track and into the field on the right, tracing its edge. Pass the farm to its right, and go between three transverse basalt ridges. The shoreline is just below. Either walk 400m down the shore to the north-facing cave (rougher), or follow the narrow field on the left to its end. When possible, drop to the shore and find the cave tucked into the base of a north-facing escarpment. The cave itself is like a tilted slot that only becomes really obvious when near. It is named Uamh Capull, visible on the 1:25,000 Ordnance Survey map.
Conditions
The cave tends to stay dry between spring and autumn, and catches the evening light in summer to make climbing very enjoyable. Otherwise its north-facing aspect makes it very sheltered in most weather. The cave is resilient against showers, but more persistent rain seeps through easily. Therefore despite being a cave, the climbing can be wet in winter - not recommended. That said, dry winter winds from the north will blow straight in. Circulating cool air turbo-dries the cave and friction can be excellent. Incidentally, when this happens, the winter climbing is often in condition further north!
ROUTES
Routes are broadly described left to right.
Grades may need confirming as many routes haven’t yet been repeated.
Éireann font 7C+/8A
Kevin Woods, 17 April 2024
Climbs the roof in its entirety. Start at a spike at the very back of the cave. Climb out to a hands-off rest on the rail of Slaughterline. Use a big undercut to span the roof directly to a fingerlock crack inset into a niche in the roof. Slap out to the crag lip and a kneebar at a flat jug. Finish leftward along the lip to a big finishing jug.
Boomerang font 7B+
Kevin Woods, 8 January 2024
Eireann into Slaughterline. Start at a spike at the very back of the cave. Climb out to the prominent rail. Go hard left, staying on lower holds on the lip (avoiding jugs in the roof taken by Captive Bolt), continuing along a crack to a big finishing slot jug.
Fat of the Land font 8A+
Dave MacLeod, December 2022
Start at a small spike on the back-centre wall of the cave. Use a very crimpy undercut to gain a hands-off rest on the rail. Use a big undercut to span the roof directly to a niche. Go left, following the niche and hanging rail (Valerate, font 7B, listed below), and climb directly to a big finishing jug.
Valerate font 7B
Dave MacLeod
The hanging ramp through the left-hand lip of the cave is the end of Fat of the Land, and a good straight-up problem in its own right. Pull on matched at a square block. A hard first move to a finger edge in the groove leads to crimps and a slap for the lip, finishing at the big jug above.
Captive Bolt font 6A
Mike Tweedley
Start in the big niche midway on the Slaughterline rail, traversing left on big jugs set into the roof. Finish far left on a large slot jug.
Slaughterline font 7B
Kevin Woods, 4 November 2022
The big chalked-up rail of the cave, usually dry. Sit start at the back of the roof on the right. Turn the bulging corner and follow the rail to a hands-off rest. Continue to a niche. Here, stay on lower holds on the lip (avoiding jugs in the roof taken by Captive Bolt) and continue along a crack to finish on a large slot jug.
Garrochty Dash font 7A
Mike Tweedley
A standing start from the right side of the rail, finish along the rail low as for Slaughterline, or high as for Captive Bolt.
Nostos font 7C
Kevin Woods, 15 December 2022
Sit start at the back of the roof on the right (similar to Slaughterline). Turn the bulging corner. Then leaving the rail behind, use a good undercut to reach a fingerlock crack inset into the roof in the next overlap. Slap out to the crag lip and gain a kneebar at a flat jug. Finish leftward along the lip crack to a big finishing jug.
Myristate font 7C+
Dave MacLeod, 7 December 2022
Nostos into Fat of the Land.
Hippoglossus font 6A
Moritz Eichert
Start at a flat jug at the lip of the roof. Climb straight up with long moves through good holds to finish at a mega jug (jump off).
Anton Chigurh font 6C
Mike Tweedley
Climbs through the right side of the crag. A niche runs across the centre of the main roof. At the right end is a fingerlock crack (common to Nostos). This crack becomes a crimpy edge on its right-hand side. Start LH on this crimpy edge, and RH on a slot crimp in the roof. Move up and rightward to slot holds inset in a hole in the main roof. Span to the lip and finish up Ermintrude.
Squeeze Chute font 6C
Mike Tweedley, 16 February 2023
Sit start at a tiny pillar on the right of the cave. Follow the long fault and crack to a flat jug (kneebar, common to Nostos), finish along the lip crack to the big finishing jug.
Creme de Udder font 6B
Mike Tweedley
Sit start at a tiny pillar on the right of the cave. Follow the long fault and crack to a flat jug, finish up Hippoglossus.
Ermintrude font 6C
Mike Tweedley, 27 February 2023
Sit start at a tiny pillar on the right of the cave. Follow the long fault and crack, with a hard move passing a spiky flake, to a fingerlock in the juggy break. Pull out right using big sidepulls on a hanging slab. Slap up rightward to the lip of a second hanging slab, traverse the lip and finish in a groove to the right of the cave.
Milky Way font 6C
Mike Tweedley
Sit start on the right of the lower hanging slab. Traverse this leftward to a flat jug (kneebar) and finish up Hippoglossus.
Temple Grandin font 6C
Mike Tweedley
Milky Way into Squeeze Chute.
Heifer font 6B
Mike Tweedley
Sit start on the right of the lower hanging slab. Pull over direct onto the higher slab and traverse the lip rightward to finish in a groove to the right of the cave.
Bitty font 4
Mike Tweedley
The groove to the right of the cave from a sit start.
Looking from the cave up the coast to Dunagoil. A really beautiful place to hang out in.