John Biggar making the first ascent of Adder Country (VS)
(The Crag of the Hind - NX 498 698) 450m W facing, SMC Lowland Outcrops 2004 page 197


CRAIGNELDER (NX 505 698) is the northern outlier of Cairnsmore of Fleet. It exhibits lots of excellent granite but unfortunately close inspection reveals that little of it is joined together in any way meaningful to the rock climber. The slabby crag overlooking the A712 New Galloway to Newton Stewart road and facing Murray's Monument is called BIG GAIRY (NX 492 702) while the much better CRAIG-AN-EILTE (NX 498 698) lies higher, and further to the south but is hidden from view. Both crags require some effort to reach. Keep an eye out for snakes!

Craig an Eilte. Eilte Tower is the clean tower of rock left of centre of the picture.
More routes lie in Eilte Gully, hidden behind the hanging arete of Gloom Super Direct.
Weeping Wall is the big pink wall in the centre of the picture.
Gloom Super Direct E2 5c* Kerb Crawler S 4b*
Original Route HS 4b** Y Geifr HVS 5a*
The Flesh Market HVS 4c In the Hall of the Mountain King VS 4b*
Eilte Pinnacle Rib D Diagonal Route VS 4c*
Adder Country VS Coel Fain E2 5c*
Further south and up hill from Big Gairy is a hidden area of further vegetated slabs. However, high on the left-hand side is an impressive looking prominent clean tower with a number of routes. This is Craig an Eilte. Further climbs lie above this tower and to its right. The best routes are Gloom Super Direct (E2 5c*), The Original Route (Hard Severe 4b **), The Flesh Market (HVS 4c), Eilte Pinnacle Rib (Difficult*) and Gwry Y Gogledd (E2 5b*). Although these climbs are short, the magnificence of the remote surroundings, the absence of bird restrictions, and the west-facing aspect of the crag make it a fine venue. The crag’s alternative name, the "Flesh Market", derives from the number of sheep that fell over it to their doom in the days when there were sheep on these hills rather than trees.

Photo Right: Chris Bonington on the crux of the classic Original Route (HS**).

Photo Below Left: Walter Phipps on The Flesh Market (HVS 4c).

Photo Below Right: Adrian Moore & John Campbell making the second ascent of Gwr Y Gogledd (Men of the North) (E2 5b*). The upper sections of Gloom and Gloom Direct can be seen on the right edge of the picture.
   



HISTORY

Andew Fraser (who else?!) was the first visitor to the crag to record a climb: the appropriately named Original Route (HS) is the classic of the crag, and was climbed in April 1978 with Michael Burgess and Willie Todd.

In the early '80s, Kenny and Ian Livingston climbed Eilte Pinnacle Rib (D), but, as usual, did not record it at the time. Fraser returned in 1984 with David Walker and added Pale Face (VS) to Big Gairy, and Gloom (S) to Craig-an-Eilte. The Livingstons added Rock Lobster in 1990, a route on the rather broken wall left of Eilte Gully somewhere (they can't remember where exactly!), and in 1991 John and Linda Biggar breached Weeping Wall with Kerb Crawler (S).

  Photo: Michael Burgess seconding the first ascent of Original Route in 1978 (Andrew Fraser coll.)


In 1992 the crag was blitzed by Stephen Reid, and John Campbell who added The Flesh Market (HVS), Guledig (S), Grwy Y Goggledd (E2), and No Hawkers or Campbells (HVS).

Adrian Moore joined the team to lead the fine bold line of Gloom Super Direct (E2) - this was on the same day that they made the first summer ascent of the Spout of the Clints. However they dismissed Weeping Wall as being to wet to be worth bothering with, and Reid was only alerted to its potential when Michael Harvey and Andrew Faulk visited the crag in April 1997 and climbed Diagonal Route (VS). They also added a Direct Start to Kerb Crawler, thinking it was new.

   Photo: Kenny Livingston on the first ascent of Eilte Pinnacle Rib in the early '80s (Ian Livingston)


Reid soon returned for a second blitz and climbed the remaining routes on Weeping Wall with variously John Biggar, Chris Bonington, Walter Phipps, Mick Nunwick, and with Chris King in the lead to straighten out the line of Coel Fain to give a good lower grade E2. Reid and King's final route on this wall,

In the Hall of the Mountain King (VS) provided an exciting moment or two. Firstly it was wet when they arrived, but a good breeze dried it out right at the end of the day, secondly Reid fell 15 feet from the final move when a foothold snapped, and finally King pulled a fridge-sized block off when seconding, fortunately without injury, though it created some spectactular sparks as it bounded down the hillside in the encroaching dusk.

   Photo: Adrian Moore making the first ascent of Gloom Super Direct (E2, 5c*).
Eilte Gully and the upper wall containing Guledig (S), Gwry Y Gogledd (E2 5b*) & No Hawkers or Campbells (HVS 5a*) can be seen just below and behind the climber. Original Route (HS**) takes the obvious line to the right.

 

Photo Left: Stephen Reid making the first ascent of Coel Fain (E2 5c*) (Stones of Omen) - (Stephen Reid Collection, ©Mick Nunwick).

Photo Right: Alan Hinkes making the first ascent of Hinkes's Downfall (III) in 2003.

The crag has had one successful winter assault when the Fraser-Magill team and Reid, accompanied by Biggar, Alan Hinkes, Steve Prior, and Alan Swann all ended up there on the same day: the best routes resulting being Hinke's Downfall by Hinkes and Reid, and Fraser and Magill's Flowers of the Forest (III 4*), but a very early start is needed to catch the ice before the sun does, and to get a really good build up would require a prolonged freeze of at least a week.

 

 

 

Photo Right: Iain Magill on the second pitch of Flowers of the Forest (III) during the first ascent in 2003 (Andrew Fraser).

 

 

Photo Left: The Eilte Cross can be seen on a boulder in the coire below the crag.

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