When rocks can't take the pressure - Razors Edge, Pass of Ballater

Rock is heavy stuff- with a density around 2.5-3.5 tons per cubic metre. That is fine when the weight of the rock is supported over a large area, but in granular materials all the load is concentrated at the contact between the grains. This climb follows some very large stacked blocks (grains) and the one at the bottom is supporting all the others on a very small area of its corner, resulting in a fracture propagating from the point of maximum stress concentration into the lower block. It isn't clear what will happen when the fracture finally reaches the edge of the block - mabye the blocks will just settle a bit and the "growing crevasse" mentioned in the guidebook will grow alittle more, but I know I wouldn't want to be on the climb when it does!

[@TokyoNightGirlLofi]

Nice👍💜

[@lineinthesand663]

Visualising stress as flow/flux lines is useful. Fortunately, stress did not become strain the one minute you were there.
All the best.

[@OneMinuteGeology]

You didn't see me climbing!

[@lineinthesand663]

@@OneMinuteGeology If that lot fell, you would be oozing, not climbing. It looks just like a deadfall trap.

[@mikelong9638]

Be careful Doc!