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Cyclops
5.9,
Trad, Alpine, 950 ft (288 m), 9 pitches, Grade III,
Avg: 4 from 1
vote
FA: Greg Strange & Mike Freeman, May 1973
International
> Europe
> United Kingdom
> Scotland
> Cairngorms
> Creag An Dubh-L…
> Central Slabs
Description
A classic route that follows a direct line of cracks up the slabs. Start below the overhangs in the middle of the Central Slabs on a small grassy ledge. Look for two parallel cracks that head up towards the overhangs.
I've described the route using Gary Latter's guidebook and from my own memory of climbing it in 2013.
Pitches can sometimes be linked, especially 4&5, 6&7 and 8&9. Watch your rope drag if using a single-rope.
P1: Climb the left of the two cracks up and past a right-facing corner to pull up onto a hanging flake. Go up the edge and move up to a good ledge under a small overhang.
P2: Climb the overhang above and then up the obvious crack to a scooped area with a constricted groove above. Follow the groove up and over a long grassy section and belay at the top of this.
P3: Move up and right and pull through the overlap. Move up to a nice fingers to hands crack and belay below the 2nd overhang.
P4: Continue following the weakness through the overhang and then straight up on cracks. You'll hit some grassy ledges (the mid-height terrace). Move up and then left a bit and find an area here to make a belay (this area was a bit confusing...look for the crescent-shaped groove in the walls above).
P5: Scramble up and locate an obvious crescent-shaped groove near the right edge up the upper slab walls. Make a belay at the base (or just continue up).
P6: Climb the short, flared groove (crux - we started up left then moved up and right) and continue up to a small ledge on the left.
P7, 8 & 9: Move up through clean cracks to a grass ledge. Go directly up the slab above and then move left to the left-facing Quartz Corner. Climb up this and pull up to some grassy grooves. Scramble up the grooves and the terrain will become more broken. Pick your way up to a good belay.
Walk off by heading further up and right and then around to Central Gully. Be sure to take in the wonderful views up there!
Location
Start in the center of the Central Slabs area. It's up and right of where the toe of the cliff hits the grassy area (Dinosaur/Pink Elephant). Look for the twin parallel cracks and the right-facing overhangs above.
Walk-off by descending the Central Gully.
Protection
Standard trad rack. Doubles of small-medium cams helpful if linking pitches.