15 TIGHNABRUAICH
Map p. 3
Tighnabruaich is the pleasant marina town opposite Bute at the bottom of the Cowal peninsula. From Glasgow follow the A82 through Glen Croe and over the pass of Rest and Be Thankful to Glen Kinglas. Take the A815 signed for Dunoon and take a right at Strachur onto the A886 down Glendaruel. At the bottom of this glen take a right onto the A8003 which rises up to an obvious viewpoint over the Kyles of Bute and Loch Ridden a few miles before Tighnabruaich. Park out of the way, hop the rails and descend a rocky gully heading right steeply downhill. Mark Somerville, Mike Tweedley and Dave Redpath we should thank for their pioneering work! The first crag on the left is Savage Slab which turns the corner to a roof. For The Kraken keep descending to the right before Savage slab to a messy crag. Slide down the boulders to the right to come across the almighty Kraken roof. Jerusalem Buttress can be gained below Savage Slab to the left. The Lost World is seen across the trees from the descent gully. From the parking walk 50m uphill and bushwhack into a clearing above the crag. Abseil descents to bolt belays. Summer is horrible here - make sure you visit in spring or winter. In June, July and August the place is more like a rainforest. Savage Slab The Lost World 1. Ya Butey 10m F6b+ 1. Distant Cries 20m F7b+ Short wall is the first route seen. Left side of buttress. Wall to a grooved roof at top. 2. Event Horizon 12m F7c+ 2. Crouching Tiger 20m F6c+ Hook along the cave lip to a jug and Bolt belay to hanging ramp through the roof. gain the pocket and rock over onto slab. 3. Vanishing Point 20m F7a+ 3. Psychosis 12m F7b+ Bolt belay up slab to exit left through the roof. Bold. Campus over the lip, then gain tricky slab. The Lost World 4. Bananas in Pajamas 12m F7b Fingery pockets and a press crux gain better holds. 8. Moon Beams and Honey Dreams 12m F7b+ 3 Long reach to a sloping letterbox hold. 2
Jerusalem Buttress 1. Killing in the Name Of 8m F7b+ Steep gully wall to break, crux to chain. 2. Room With a View 15m F6b Left side of wedge through overlap to lower off. 3. Jerusalem 15m F6b Right side of wedge. Pockets to slab. The Kraken 1. Moments of Enlightenment 10m F7a+ Power up wall, traverse to arête. Direct: Smoke on the Water F7b. 2. Elysium 15m F8a The hanging ramp. Andromeda to jugs, undercut left to hanging ramp then arête. 3. Apollo 15m F8a+ The horizontal groove, pulling over right on the nose. Groove undercuts sequence. 4. Hand of Andromeda 15m F8a+ Traverse into roof round past the jugs to gain the right wall and gain the crack to lower off. 5. Head of Medusa 10m F6b+ Fight the Rhododendron bush to gain wall and through the overlap to ledge and next routes 6. Shield of Perseus 18m F7c+ Left from ledge over crux shield to exit via groove. 7. Clash of the Titans 22m F7b+ The overhanging wall above ledge to hanging arete direct.
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