Aonach Dubh - Quiver Rib

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 John Kelly 27 Sep 2019

I'm trying to locate

Quiver Rib (D)

Big face and from ' Scottish Rock Climbs, smc guide' I can't figure where abouts on the face - anyone got annotated photo of the wall or good verbal description?l

Thanks John

Post edited at 06:09
 alan moore 27 Sep 2019
In reply to John Kelly:

East face Aonach dubh.

Above mid height terrace toward LH side of crag.

Starts up protruding, square-cut rib just right of a deep, leftward curving chimney (upper bow).

second pitch up leftward ramp until big holds lead to top.

 Mike Conlon 27 Sep 2019
In reply to John Kelly:

Not difficult to locate, with no local knowledge and in misty conditions we found it earlier in the year. You need to discern on the approach, which of the several buttresses / tiers it is on. Having done that, the start of the route is obvious. A distinct rib, just to the right of an equally distinct chimney/ crack feature. We approached the face by leaving the path and going off piste, heather hopping around which wasn't too bad. If I was doing it again, I would stay on the path longer, gaining height until adjacent to an obvious waterfall, then cut across below that. A very worthwhile route which goes in the wet. Read up the guidebook for the descent, we did but still had to make a sketchy traverse across the face to regain the base. Ignore me if more people like Alan respond with greater experience of the location. I would have posted a photo but tried and failed.

 Michael Gordon 27 Sep 2019
In reply to John Kelly:

I would have thought it would be clear from the Scottish Rock Climbs topo, or indeed from the Glen Coe guide with the old hand drawn topos.

 Captain Solo 27 Sep 2019
 skog 27 Sep 2019
In reply to Captain Solo:

> it's the line between sunlight and shadow in the centre/ upper half of the pic.

That's Archer Ridge. Quiver rib is the vague rib about two thirds of the way left of that, between it and the shadowy corner, trending up and right, then up and left higher up. Pretty much exactly halfway across the picture, from left to right.

> I'm struggling to see the figures mentioned though.

Catching the sunlight under the shadowy corner, at the left end of the grassy ledge where the sunlit ramp comes down.

Post edited at 09:33
 Captain Solo 27 Sep 2019
In reply to skog:

Of course it is, better not ask me for directions, that explains why I couldn't see figures!

 galpinos 27 Sep 2019
In reply to John Kelly:

No advise but the second pitch was my first lead a 15yo back in the day. Happy days!

OP John Kelly 27 Sep 2019
In reply to skog:

Thank you very helpful.

The guide is pretty good on the actual line, the topo is essentially the photo Solo linked with the line drawn on, the bit i don't quite get is where on the face is that chunk of rock. I need an overview of the East face.

Post edited at 13:46
OP John Kelly 27 Sep 2019
In reply to Captain Solo:

I suspect our levels of navigation are very similar, I once got lost climbing a crack.😀

Post edited at 13:52
OP John Kelly 27 Sep 2019
In reply to John Kelly:

Thank you all 

John

 IanMcC 27 Sep 2019
In reply to John Kelly:

I climbed the route twice fairly recently. On the second occasion a group were following us to the base of the route and got lost! My advice would be to climb up the lower tier (Weeping Wall) wherever it is dry. This may entail going  almost as far as the  easy rock of Barn Wall. When you reach a terrace, head rightwards along it until it narrows and you turn a corner. The chimney of the Upper Bow and Quiver Rib should be obvious, with the very clean compact rock of Archer Ridge beyond. If this doesn't happen, turn back along the terrace until you find it!

Post edited at 14:16
 alan moore 27 Sep 2019
In reply to Captain Solo:

The tiny pale streak just left of the foot of quiver rib is a person stood in the sunlight; his mate to his right, in the shadows and barely visible.

> . I'm struggling to see the figures mentioned though.

OP John Kelly 28 Sep 2019
In reply to John Kelly:

I found the crag and identified the route, the bottom wall was too wet for me so tried to traverse in from the right which was harrowing, wet, dirty and slabby, felt like escape would be tricky. Eventually found a line of good holds to escape upwards from the trauma of traversing. Think I climbed up too early and at too modest a grade so I will have to come back for this one. Finished day with a walk over the hills behind. 

Thanks for your help 

John

 henwardian 29 Sep 2019
In reply to John Kelly:

We just did it a few hours ago. There are 2 dashed descent lines marked in Gary's book, we accessed the terrace face by the upper of the two, the lower one looked horrible and even the upper one concentrated the mind somewhat in the wet. Quiver Rib was basically dry, as was the Vdif arete on the right, the Vdif and severe in the middle of the wall were very wet.

Descending in the dark and the wet was quite crappy actually. We elected to downclimb to the tree at the top of drainpipe and abseil from there. I think I might see if I can add an ab station next time I'm up there though because there is no easy way down and when the best routes are dif to severe, it seems a shame to have a dodgetastic descent route.

3
 alan moore 29 Sep 2019
In reply to henwardian:

> I think I might see if I can add an ab station next time I'm up there though because there is no easy way down and when the best routes are dif to severe, it seems a shame to have a dodgetastic descent route.

You can always walk a few hundred yards up to the left and stroll easily back to the path....

OP John Kelly 29 Sep 2019
In reply to henwardian:

 'Descending in the dark'- I don't think I would have liked that much, very serious feel.

Post edited at 08:19
OP John Kelly 29 Sep 2019
In reply to alan moore:

Spotted that.

I had to climb what I thought was an additional easy 20m wall to reach that point

I didn't see that descent mentioned in my Guide, SMC, but got to be way to go.

Post edited at 08:19
 Cam Forrest 29 Sep 2019
In reply to alan moore:

Exactly. This has all been a bit bemusing to me. Your suggestion/explanation is easily seen on the photo in the GL book (although not marked). And the straightforward, quick approach, per SMC guide, is by the Lower Bow, which is Moderate, clean, easily climbable when wet, and leads precisely to the start of Quiver Rib. Or I McC’s variation on this. Start at the traditional gearing-up spot at the wee blocky outcrop (with a rowan tree?). Everything shown clearly in the SMC definitive Glencoe guide.

OP John Kelly 29 Sep 2019
In reply to Cam Forrest:

My first time on this buttress

Aonach dubh, big chunk of ground with 3 faces

Not blessed with a great sense of direction, the SMC definitive guide or the GL book

Neither of the 2 parties on the crag yesterday thought climbing the lower tier for a direct approach was a good idea.

loads of people have pitched in to help for which I'm really grateful 

I had a good day out


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