Here’s a few shots from the boulder competition last weekend. I’d have taken more/better shots if I hadn’t been climbing but I couldn’t resist having a climb myself. Next competition is on Saturday the 4th February! (Click photos to enlarge)

TCA is opening its doors tomorrow at 12pm! It’s been a long time coming but is without a doubt going to be worth the wait. I had the chance to climb there on Sunday at their test run and it did not disappoint. The sheer quantity and high quality of problems definitely makes it one of the best walls in the country, if not further afield.

 

I’ll stop telling you how good it is because you can decide for yourself in less than 24 hours. Here’s a few more photos before you get to see the real thing.

It’s looking a lot more like a bouldering wall down at TCA these days with over half the walls set and the majority of the matting in place. In a few more weeks, Glasgow will have one of the best dedicated bouldering facilities….anywhere. Psyched!

You can’t miss the Eagle boulder, it’s the first boulder to greet you every time you arrive at Dumby. I’d never really thought about or heard any reason for it being called the Eagle boulder but I got an interesting email today…

 

“My name is Brian Crichton, and I live in Penryn Cornwall, I recently lost my Father, and as I was doing research for a book about his life I happened accross your site and thought you might be interested in a story he told me about himself as a boy.

 

In 1936 my father Colin scaled the rock and using a length of rope pulled up tin’s of paint and brushes and painted a Golden Eagle on the top. He was only16 at the time. The Eagle was refreshed in 1979 by Colin’s nephew Billy Wilson and some friend’s.”

 

Since I wasn’t born when the Eagle was re-painted and have only really been climbing at Dumbarton for 4 years I’ve no idea really where this Eagle was painted. On the slab, facing the Clyde, there is still the faint remains of a Lion Rampant that was painted at some point too which I also know very little about. Maybe this replaced the Eagle at some point, or maybe the Eagle has just completely vanished due to over 30 years for weathering by the Scottish elements. I’d be interested to find out more  if anyone knows any more about it.

 

It would be nice if the Eagle returned to Dumby one day…

Sqaumish may possibly be the polar opposite of Dumby but here’s an awesome little video which should get you psyched none-the-less. Enjoy.