The Citadel (VS 4c) 270 m, Shelter Stone Crag
Climbers: Graeme Ettle & Jenny Graham
When first climbed 49 years ago by the ace Aberdeen climber Ronnie Sellars, ‘The Citadel’ arguably represented the most significant Loch A’an rock route climbed in the 1950s, since it signified a major psychological breakthrough by forging a line the length of the forbidding Shelter Stone Crag. It was also unusual for possessing multiple cruxes. Half a century on, although with better equipment and a modern approach it may have lost some of its fearsome reputation, it remains a route that cannot be taken lightly. As the official SMC climbers’ guidebook states: “[The Citadel] is a traditional Cairngorms classic – with all that that implies”.
The climb starts by aiming for a striking chimney which bounds the right-hand side of the sweeping central granite slabs of the cliff. Two pitches of crack climbing lead up to a ledge system. From here the chimney itself is gained – it is a major feature requiring a full three pitches of climbing to surmount before e reaching an ominous dead-end of overhanging granite.
From here, the climber is forced left to outflank the impasse and reach ledges. The pitch that follows is the first of a series of crux pitches, involving as it does delicate padding across exposed granite slabs before a traverse back rightwards towards a corner with a crack on its right wall can be reached. The corner must be ascended, cracks and all, before more slabs are encountered above which are tip-toed across to a belay ledge at last.
A further traverse right starts the next pitch which eventually the climber into an open corner. This is climbed to a ridge which is followed to a belay position next to a huge flake of rock. At this point, another crux pitch occurs with which to test the reserves of energy and resolve of the leader. The climbers need to quickly and strenuously ‘hand traverse’ to the left (move sideways with few footholds to help them) in order to reach a crack and chimney which must then be climbed. Thankfully, a good belay ledge lies above as a reward for all this precarious climbing.
A further crack above must then be climbed before an traverse right and an unusual step downwards allows the climber to gain ledges. Above, the end is almost in sight, gained by climbing a right-slanting fault line in the rock before a final short chimney leads to the plateau.
