Dwindle Wall basking in the late evening sun

In the late 1950’s early 1960’s a young Indian born star, living in Edinburgh studying philosophy, was shining bright on the Scottish climbing scene.  A veritable Sirius in the galaxy of rock climbing. The list of his legacy is long, even though his life was short. Killed in the Pamirs with Wilfred Noyce in 1962. Robin Smith, a name synonymous with hard quality rock climbs on Scottish mountain crags.

Glencoe is host to some of his outstanding climbs. A lesser-known Smith route aptly named Dwindle Wall, overlooks the upper Glen. Creag na Tulaich, a smaller buttress than Creag a' Bhancair below isn’t a big crag and Dwindle Wall starts at its left side in a chimney groove, then crosses its face before heading straight up to finish. When I climbed it with local Alan Thomson it was graded VS 150ft and had about four brief lines as the guidebook description. I was working my way through the graded guidebook list, and although it’s a short route it just had to be ticked off.

A sunny June afternoon and I was a bit fed up, as there wasn’t much to do after a training session on the road bike, so I gave Alan a phone and asked if he fancied an afternoon climb. He collected me in his car. We took my rack and twin 150ft 9mm ropes for the climbing.

We started off on a lovely route on the crag below called Cayman Grooves. Beautiful well protected climbing with lovely positions up to a belay on a terrace. You have to pick your time for this part of the crag as a raptor sometimes nests behind the tree belay and is best left alone if you hear or see it flying about. The next pitch goes up the left side of a big open groove without much gear, bold but easy enough climbing. The route to the right, Piranha is a lovey VS and to the left of Cayman Grooves is Walk with Destiny, which is in my opinion a superb route going at E2 5c.

Alan and I finished up and went up and over to the bottom of Dwindle Wall. I found the start and led off up the groove. It was a bit rattly if I remember right, and not much gear, although I found an old piton. Then you leave the sanctuary of the groove and traverse right along a ramp of good rock that is devoid of any protection. Very quickly you are in ground fall territory and running out rope with no gear as you move right and up.

At a point when well up the ramp disappears, then it’s up the steep wall above. No move is particularly hard. Maybe sustained 4c, but by this time you are 80 feet above your last gear and have another 40 to go to the top. I was about 15ft from the heather at the top above me when the rope wouldn’t move. I had run out of rope and there was still a couple of sketchy moves to make. It was hot and I was having to dig really deep to keep it together. I shouted as loud as I could for Alan to start climbing and gave a hefty two tugs on one of the ropes.

 Alan had some starting moves of about 5a on less than perfect rock, so this was a pretty serious situation. I felt some give on the ropes and waited a bit. Alan thought I was on belay, and he was safe. Was he fuck! I started slowly moving up and was a wee bit scared. Really scared actually, as I would fly if I fell, and go away past the bottom of the crag and would die.

 Alan wouldn’t be unscathed either. Eventually I got to near the top and its extreme heather pulling to get over the top. As a climber and rescuer going into shitty places you become accustomed to heather pulling and testing the quality of Calluna vulgaris for pulling on. This wasn’t good but grab enough then pull and hope. I got over with just enough rope and as Alan ascended I just kept walking, ready at any point to just fall down and grab anything if Alan should fall off.

Eventually I reached a spot where I could sit and brace myself against a big rock and waist belay Alan up. Fairly safe at last. 150ft (45m) ropes were just not long enough and 50m or even better modern 60m ropes would be better. Dwindle Wall is a bold route typical of Robin Smith, and even with modern gear I suspect it will test nerve and not be for those who are not accustomed to a bit of soloing or soul searching. Smith was truly a great climber. His route Marshalls Wall, down in the lower glen is also very bold. Named, I believe, after Jimmy Marshall, who to wind Robin up had called a winter route first ascent "Smiths gully" as he knew robin had it in mind. Retaliation from Robin Smith was naming Marshall’s wall after Jimmy, possibly as it was a line Jimmy was after. Tit for tat between young and old maestros of rock and ice.

Robin Smith aka "Wheech"