Only one thing possible: Total commitment

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Stephen Richardson - 03/03/2005

Swallowtail, Erin, Cuillin, Jacobite Bebop, and Three Sheep's To The Wind. All absorbing tracks from Martyn Bennett's self titled debut album. To me this collection of Celtic dance sound was the best way to escape from the grit and aggression of Glasgow's deteriorating Clydeside. Easily seen through the filthy windows of the low level train, the views of sunken ships and dilapidated buildings seem a million miles away from the beauty that is the black volcanic rock of Dumbarton. On the train to Dumby.

Walking up through the boulders I see climbers hanging about on the steep roof of what I now know as 'Mugsy'. Who needs to warm up? Not me, I'm only a beginner and only hard climbers need to warm up. Not to be out done by experienced climbers I jump straight onto 'The Blue Meanie'. This classic problem is a fairly high 5C on the back end of the Eagle boulder that I'd done a few times before. I sketch about on the bottom section then cruise through the top. Feeling pleased with myself I look across to the other climbers for my well deserved respect. Not even the bat of an eyelid. I'll just have to do it again. Scrambling down after my third repetition one of the climbers comes across. A couple of pleasantries are passed, then:

"Have you done 'The Whip'? It's the real Dumby entrance test."

Wide-eyed and stupid I jump at the chance to pass this so called Dumby 'test'. I'd talked about this before with my friend Pete Greene and I was told that most people end up escaping off right after failing to commit themselves. 'The Whip' is a very high 5B problem on the Home Rule boulder. It has been given about E2 but if you fall off the crux moves, which are found at the top, then you will hit the ground at a considerable speed. I wait until no one is looking and then get straight on it. The initial part is vertical and relatively easy; I batter on through this to the hands off rest about four metres up. This is easy, nae bother. Whilst calming myself I look up to the next section. A faint corner on the slab leads up to a blank section; looks fun. Full of reckless confidence I continue on up. It gets harder, the crimps become slopey and further apart. Delicately balanced at the top of the corner I realise that the holds have run out and my footholds are poor. Thinking back to Pete's stories I remember being told about crimps out on the left-hand arete. I spot them, but they're miles away. I look down, not the right thing to do. The ground is definitely not close. I shuffle up until I'm pushing down on my fingertips and slap up to the crimps. Trying not to think too much I latch on to them with my left hand, my right hand comes off and my feet swing off. One way to experience my first barn door. Somehow I'm still hanging in, right hand up, bicycle pedal like mad on the slab and I'm at the jug. While composing myself for the finish I look down again, the pangs of vertigo kick in but it feels strangely calming. While I pad up the finishing slab I look across to see one of the other climbers on the top section of 'The Blue Meanie', legs shaking away like mad; maybe I'm not such a beginner after all.

The next year saw my interest in highball bouldering develop. Still full of enthusiasm from graduating from the Dumby 'test' I made quick ascents of 'Impostor Arete' 4C, 'BNI' 5C, and 'BNI Direct' 5C all on the large BNI boulder. The BNI slab is an immaculate piece of rock that faces directly towards the Clyde. The slab is famous for catching the evening sunlight and also for setting the scene of numerous exciting wobblers. Full of micro crimps and tiny shallow pockets the slab makes for beautiful flowing climbing in a super exposed position, especially as there is a three metre drop from the bottom of the slab to the deck. The serious nature of this boulder was highlighted to me by my spirited Irish friend Niall Sweeney. Niall is spirited in two senses of the word- always going for it and also never far from his next beverage. Whilst committing himself to the high crux rockover on 'Deo Gratis' 5B on the BNI his foot slipped. He plummeted down the slab, through his spotters and down into the descent hole. Luckily no spirit was stunted and only a twisted ankle was left to deal with.

Sneaking up the grades I onsighted 'Supinator', a highball 6A on the overhanging south wall of the Eagle Boulder. This incredible climb has solid 5C moves up to a jug just beneath the top that provides a place to compose yourself but also develop a considerable pump. The crux of this route is delivered in the form of a 6A rockover, high off the ground onto the Eagle slab where the Lion Rampant is proudly painted across it.

Realising that what I lacked in power was made up for in boldness I started to look for higher and more technical problems. The large southwest facing wall of the Home Rule boulder needed some attention. The wall had two established routes, 'Route Royale' 5C and 'Royale Arete' 6A, both rarely climbed. The only person I'd ever met that had climbed 'Route Royale' was Dave MacLeod and I was more than aware that he was a lot stronger than I was. For once I put my sensible hat on; I went for the 5C first and the step off the Warm Up boulder version. Standing on the edge of the boulder I look across the wall and then down at the landing. There's a considerable drop onto a slope that's covered by thorn bushes and entwined in these are glass bottles, Tennents cans and random pieces of rusting metal. Falling off is not an option. I heard a story once about Andy Gallagher falling off 'Presence' that goes straight up from where I was standing, apparently he hit the Warm Up boulder and tumbled down into the thorns. I saw him a couple of weeks ago so he must have survived. When looking at landing areas from problems I seem to have developed a habit of looking out the places I think would be best to land. For example on this route the best place to land would be on the foot wide path through the thorn bushes. Who am I kidding, there's no chance of being that lucky. Filled with this false sense of security I get on with the task in hand.

The first section consists of some lengthy moves on flat holds that traverses you out into the centre of the wall. These moves seem reasonable however I still feel a bit shaky. In the centre of the wall there's a small corner where if you get your feet in the right place you can get a no hands rest. I shuffle myself about and manage to get into the rest position. In order to do this I need to keep my head really close to the wall, I can feel the heat radiating off the rock after being warmed by the summer sun all day. I delicately move my hands round to my chalk bag and begin to contemplate the next section. There are two blocky pinches by my side but nothing else obvious near by. I have a go at pulling on these, they feel alright but I can't hang about on them for long. Back into the rest position. Strangely when I look down I seem to calm down and it allows me to think more clearly. I try to move up again with my feet slightly higher on smears, reaching up with my left I find a positive v-shaped hold. Spotting a spike about chest height I lean right back and get my right foot up. Pushing with my right leg I'm up to standing but still pushing down on my fingertips. I fumble about with some slopers and then I'm at the top. 'Route Royale' is wonderfully exposed with total commitment required for the high rockover. Next visit sees me making a quick ascent of 'Royale Arete' 6A and also adding in a route of my own. My route 'Royale Beauty' 6A goes straight up and left from the resting position in 'Route Royale'. The route consists of crimpy moves up to a mantleshelf and then a sketchy finish on slopers. Once again, only one thing is possible: total commitment.

My parents begin to get sussed to what type of climbing I've been up to at Dumby and buy me a Bouldering mat. Seems like a good excuse to try harder routes. My first choice is 'Physical Graffiti' E5 6B on the west face of the Home Rule boulder. This just off vertical wall comprises of some high rockovers, balance moves near the top, and a wobbly mantleshelf to finish. With Pete Greene spotting I onsighted the route without too much bother. Time for something harder.

'Trick Of The Vale' given E7 6C on the Eagle Boulder had only received two ascents to my knowledge, ideal. Full of determination I put my mat at the foot of the route and pull on. First move up and I'm already back on the mat. Trying it again I get one move further but end up on the mat. Realising that if I fall off the moves higher up like I am now then I'm going to do some damage to myself. I opt to try a headpoint tactic; top rope practise first. Next trip to Dumby sees me with a rope and Andy Yuill, a fellow climber from Glasgow. The moves contain powerful locks on small holds and some technical heel hooks. As with most highball problems I've done there is a point of respite near the top, just before some hard moves. I spend the afternoon working the moves and attempting to link it, but I never manage to do it in one. Thinking about the route during my uni lectures I decide not to bother with the top rope again, I know the moves so I just have to put them together and get it done. I head to Dumby after uni on a Tuesday evening and get warmed up; new policy for me this warming up. I round up a couple of spotters and get psyched up. Calming down and psyching up sound like total opposites but are both critical for dangerous routes. I power through the hard start and crux. At the position where you get some rest I realise that the spotters are now fairly redundant. I notice that I still feel fresh, excellent. I climb up the central headwall and then throw myself at the difficult mantleshelf. Some scuffling about and I'm at the top. Done. Compared to the other couple of E7 routes I'd led this one seemed a bit easier, probably E6. Talking to the first ascentionist, Andy Gallagher, I later found out that he had given the route E7 as he had only practised the wall on top rope and not the mantleshelf. Through 'Trick Of The Vale' I learnt that peace of mind and maintaining confidence is crucial to success in climbing.

Adjacent to 'Trick Of The Vale' I made a ground up ascent of 'Shadow' E5 6C. This in an exciting route with wild moves on steep rock and then a bold finish with technical moves. This route shares the same finish as the outstanding highball boulder problem of 'Tam's Route' 5C. This problem has recently been cleaned up and fully deserves three stars. During the summer of 2003 I made the second ascent of Dave MacLeod's 'Nadjilation' E6 6B. 'Nadjilation' is so named due to the desperate landing upon which you would touch down on if you fell from any of the relentless moves. The route takes the overhanging wall on the back of the BNI boulder.

Towards the end of 2003 I found what I now consider to be the finest highball I've climbed. The 5B right hand finish of the classic problem 'Pendulum' on the BNI boulder. This has every quality of a highball problem. Complete commitment is required, no hands rests are available, it's ten metres high, and falling off is not an option.