Join the Adventure: climbing Sou'wester Slabs

“Climbing’s changed. The world’s changed. The BMC has changed. The climate’s changing. But imagine that, you can still go and do Sou’wester Slabs and feel the rock, exactly as it was, 75 years ago. Isn’t climbing amazing?“
We couldn’t put it any better.
We’re the BMC - or British Mountaineering Council. To celebrate our 75th birthday - on the 2 Dec 2019 - we worked with Dom Bush of Land and Sky Media to create a film that connected modern climbing with our heritage in 1944.
In this short film, Gilly McArthur and Charlie Woodburn head to the wilds of Arran to climb Sou'wester Slabs (VD).
Sou'wester Slabs, featured in the Classic Rock book is a 100-m VD climb on Cir Mhor, Arran. Featuring slab and crack climbing on superb mountain granite, it was first climbed by G H Townsend, G C Curtis, M J H Hawkins and H Hore on 03 September 1944.
“To go up that piece of rock, you’re connecting very strongly with the people that first had the experience, because it won’t have changed. What people were doing in 1944 was exactly the same as people are doing today. The past doesn’t separate us, in a way it just brings us together... just being in this amazing rock world and what this was doing to you as a person.” - Niall Grimes.
Look out for our second Join the Adventure film, where we follow BMC president Lynn Robinson on her epic TGO challenge walk. Coming soon.
Film by www.landandsky...
Thanks to our friends at lowealpine.com... for supporting this film.
Archive photos from www.mountain-h...
Find out more about our 75th birthday: www.thebmc.co....
We're the BMC. Climb walls, rock, hills, ice or mountains? Join us. www.thebmc.co....

[@rosemaryscott4116]

That was my first V.Diff lead, in 1975, in walking boots in April, and it snowed a bit on the first pitch. I had a rack of 6 nuts and a single 120 foot rope. But the leap forward in trad protection and nylon ropes had already been made, compared to what they had in 1940.

[@andyhewlett999]

Love this. Makes you want to get out and climb.

[@daveblack2602]

For the climbers, there's about two minutes if footage of the climb starting at 7:00. The rest is just preaching.

[@avva4090]

Underrated channel! Thanks for the background on the organization, I was curious but hadn't done any digging. Looks like a great spot weather permitting.

[@ВасяБуковкин]

Very similar to Ergaki in the Krasnoyarsk Territory!

[@TheCuriousbubbles]

Starting at 2:50 the sound is screwed up. Maybe its just me but was fine until then.

[@largeformatlandscape]

It's just panned to one side..

[@onsight2822]

@@largeformatlandscape or screwed up , ruined a brilliant film 😥

[@marcindiadioo5718]

what is this book please?

[@DavidJones-yl9jo]

The book is called classic rock

[@jimswift52]

Bit boring, not much footage of the ascent.

[@johnyoung6498]

Lots of chat, carrying hundreds of pounds worth of gear up a vdiff and you missed out the crux which was just above their heads at the end. 'Climbing has changed' ... for sure.

[@DizzyVizion]

Climb begins at 7:32

[@johnbennet542]

Chalk on a v difficult!!!!!!!!!!!

[@onsight2822]

It's because the first generation of climbers polished all the holds to a sheen with their hob nailed boots 😉

[@howler6490]

A truly superb route and not much to see of it...pity. Did it a few times a while back...a long while unfortunately.Still remember it vividly.