Mountain Diary and Conditions

Welcome to the West Coast Mountain Guides diary and conditions page, which we will update regularly throughout the year.  During the winter, there will be plenty of up-to-date information and reports regarding the latest mixed and ice climbing and mountaineering conditions in the Scottish Highlands, and in particular, on Ben Nevis, Aonach Mor and in Glencoe.  We’ll also be posting accounts of our latest trips, both work and play. 

If you have any up-to-date conditions reports and photos that we can include in our blog, please drop us an email:
info@77.104.174.8

Snowy on Castle Ridge, Ben Nevis

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Snowy on Castle Ridge, Ben Nevis

Ken: Back to the office today, this time with Dave and Jay who have come up from Essex to squeeze in a bit of post Christmas winter climbing.

With a lot of unconsolidated snow in the corries and gullies, and with the winds due to strengthen at around midday, we decided that Castle Ridge on Ben Nevis would fit the bill and offer a bit of shelter. The winds did seem to shift about a bit, but were more than manageable.

There’s a lot of snow on the ridge right now, a stark contrast to conditions this time last year. The snow was starting to consolidate lower down, but still remains fairly soft higher up. All in all, it’s great to see how wintry things are in the hills right now, and the good news is that it’s here to stay.

New Year, New Goals

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Happy New Year from all of us at West Coast Mountain Guides! We hope that the new year brings you all incredible adventures in the mountains.

The run up to Christmas was quite a busy period for us, with good early season conditions settled over the Highlands many teams were keen to make the most of it and get their climbing kick started with some guidance and instruction. Ken was out instructing Sebastian for Peak Mountaineering, they managed to get some great routes climbed including Pink Rib on Beinn a’Chrulaiste, Zig-Zags on Gearr Aonach, Dinnertime Buttress on the West Face of Aonach Dubh, Central South West Buttress on Meall an T’Suidhe before having a slightly more relaxed day in Glen Nevis. Following this Ken was joined by Mike and Duncan who wanted to improve their confidence in leading winter routes themselves. They climbed some classics including Dorsal Arete and School House Ridge in Glencoe then East Ridge North Top Stob Ban in the Mamores before learning about snow anchors on the North Face of Ben Nevis. Steve was later joined by Donald and David for some guiding up Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis and then Curved Ridge on Buachaille Etive Mor, then just after Christmas Steve led father and son team William and Ryan up Ledge Route before making the summit of Ben Nevis on a rather windy and unforgiving day. Hannah enjoyed working on a winter skills course for Richard Bentley. They were Instructing a group from Bristol University who over two days spent time on the North Face of Ben Nevis and Beinn A Chaorainn where they gained it’s south summit.

In-between all of this some personal climbing was sought out. Hannah had a great day with Lena and Adele who went to climb Cirus on Beinn a Dodaith which unfortunately was not in condition so instead they climbed an icy West Buttress (III). Steve teamed up with Duncan and Hannah for a few days and climbed Auricle (VI,7) in the Cairngorms, made the second ascent of Tried and Tested (VII,7) on Stob Coire nan Lochain before adding their own stamp by making the first winter ascent of the Orphan (VII,8) on Buachaielle Etive Mor.

Lots of wet heavy snow is currently falling over the West Highlands. This is fantastic news as we were lacking any decent buildup in the easier gullies often making for a very awkward approach and some rattly blocks on steeper lines. Along with a forecast drop in temperature and some high winds, conditions will continue to improve into the first half of January. Our winter courses delivered over two and five days are beginning to fill up with keen and eager participants. Signing upto one of our winter skills, mountaineering or intro climbing / advance climbing  courses is a great opportunity for the solo adventurer to join other like minded people who want to learn and enjoy the winter mountains just like you do. Guides and Instructors often meet there best climbing partners on instructional courses as you are dropped into a world of super motivated peers, who often aspire to the same mountain adventures that you do.

If this sounds appealing to you, get in touch and we will help you achieve your goals for 2018! info@51.38.64.114

Father and son team on Ledge Route

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Father and son team on Ledge Route

William, Ryan and I (Steve) endured a blustery approach to Ledge Route on Friday. Much of the fresh snow that fell yesterday has been obliterated or deposited in sheltered aspects. We took the approach over the top of Moonlight Gully Buttress crossing some firm old snow before getting established on the crest itself. It was a much calmer walk over to the summit and spectacular on the way down.


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Latest conditions on Ben Nevis

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Latest conditions on Ben Nevis

We hope that you all had a great Christmas! Hannah was out on Ben Nevis yesterday and with the skies being so clear, was able to get a good look at the crags. There’s plenty of rime about, however the snow is unconsolidated, and so getting around the mountain is still quite awkward.

People are sticking to the ridges and buttresses for the time being, with teams on North East Buttress, SW Ridge, Tower Ridge and a number of steeper mixed lines either side of No.3 Gully.

Alan Kimber went for a look at the East Face of Aonach Mor, but reported pretty lean conditions.  At least the turf up there will be freezing well.

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Latest conditions on Ben Nevis.

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We hope that you all had a great Christmas! Hannah was out on Ben Nevis yesterday and with the skies being so clear, was able to get a good look at the crags. There’s plenty of rime about, however the snow is unconsolidated, and so getting around the mountain is still quite awkward.

People are sticking to the ridges and buttresses for the time being, with teams on North East Buttress, SW Ridge, Tower Ridge and a number of steeper mixed lines either side of No.3 Gully.

Alan Kimber went for a look at the East Face of Aonach Mor, but reported pretty lean conditions.  At least the turf up there will be freezing well!

Latest conditions on Ben Nevis.

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We hope that you all had a great Christmas! Hannah was out on Ben Nevis yesterday and with the skies being so clear, was able to get a good look at the crags. There’s plenty of rime about, however the snow is unconsolidated, and so getting around the mountain is still quite awkward.

People are sticking to the ridges and buttresses for the time being, with teams on North East Buttress, SW Ridge, Tower Ridge and a number of steeper mixed lines either side of No.3 Gully.

Alan Kimber went for a look at the East Face of Aonach Mor, but reported pretty lean conditions. http://alankimber-mountaineering.co.uk/2017/12/poor-climbing-conditions-on-aonach-mor/ At least the turf up there will be freezing well!

Latest conditions on Ben Nevis.

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We hope that you all had a great Christmas! Hannah was out on Ben Nevis yesterday and with the skies being so clear, was able to get a good look at the crags. There’s plenty of rime about, however the snow is unconsolidated, and so getting around the mountain is still quite awkward.

People are sticking to the ridges and buttresses for the time being, with teams on North East Buttress, SW Ridge, Tower Ridge and a number of steeper mixed lines either side of No.3 Gully.

Alan Kimber went for a look at the East Face of Aonach Mor, but reported pretty lean conditions. http://alankimber-mountaineering.co.uk/2017/12/poor-climbing-conditions-on-aonach-mor/ At least the turf up there will be freezing well!

Centrepoint & Slab Rib Variation

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We are currently in the middle of quite a prolonged spell of cold weather, and certainly, for the time of year, winter climbing conditions are excellent. That’s not to say that the approaches are easy, as there is quite a bit of unconsolidated snow lying on top of scree and boulders. The good news is that the snow is beginning to firm up in places, and overall, it all feels very promising at the minute. We’re due a thaw on Friday evening and through the weekend, which should do the snow wonders and help bed things down a bit. Colder weather returning soon after.

Both Steve and I were back out again yesterday, taking advantage of these great early season conditions. Steve teamed up with Andy, Guy and Lou, and made the long approach into the remote quartzite crags of Stob Coire an Laoigh, in the heart of the Grey Corries. Steve and Andy made an ascent of Centrepoint, which takes a line up the front face of the main buttress. Steve reported good gear, amazing hooks and a peach of a 2nd pitch! Meanwhile, Guy and Lou were getting stuck into Some Like it Hot.

On the approach to Centrepoint, Stob Coire an Laoigh

Steep climbing on Centrepoint, Stob Coire an Laoigh

Slightly closer to home, I was out with good friend Harry, who was making the most of a day off from working at Needlesports in Keswick. We decided to have a look at Slab Rib Variation on Ben Nevis, which lies on the far left hand side of the Minus Face, just right of Slingsby’s Chimney. I had heard that it was a worthwhile mixed route when there was plenty of unconsolidated snow about, which it was, although don’t expect too much in the way of gear. The climb felt like a smaller version of Observatory Ridge, with similar slabby and compact rock, scope for variation and style of climbing. It’s a great route, with plenty of interesting and sustained climbing, but a bit trickier than the guidebooks suggest. We descended Slingsby’s Chimney in two abseils, but it’s worth noting that Slingsby’s Chimney is nowhere near close to being climbable at grade II at the moment! We only saw one other team, who climbed the South West Ridge of the Douglas Boulder.

With the cold weather set to resume after the weekend, and the mountains being so quiet, it’s a great time to bag your first winter routes of the season. Why not treat yourself to an early Christmas present, and book some Private Guiding to kick-start your winter climbing season?

Heading up to Slab Rub Variation on Ben Nevis
Slingsby's Chimney and Slab Rib Variation, Ben Nevis
Harry on pitch 3 of Slab Rib Variation, Ben Nevis

Slab Climb, Ben Nevis

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With the recent cold weather and sprinkle of snow, Andy, Steve and I went up Ben Nevis for a poke about. We’ve had a little less snow than other regions of the Highlands over the past 24 hours, but there was certainly enough on Ben Nevis today for it to feel quite wintry, and to give an awkward layer of soft snow lying over the scree and rocks in Coire na Ciste.  We decided to have a look at Slab Climb, which none of us had climbed before and found conditions to be quite good (it doesn’t take much more than a dusting of snow and cold conditions to freeze the turf and chockstones in place).

The entry pitch can be tackled in a number of ways, depending on conditions, but as the ice fall which can sometimes form was nowhere close, Andy picked his way up stepped yet compact rock to the right, followed by a leftwards traverse to the base of the main slab. Here, Steve jumped on the sharp end, and made steady progress up the vertical crack, which splits the slab. Whilst never hard, the pitch is quite sustained, but fortunately sports reasonable gear and hooks, if a bit rattly in places. I then led the final pitch, a continuation up the slab, which wasn’t quite as steep as the previous pitch, until the short sharp chinmey, which whilst not blessed with gear, is the perfect width for wedging your shoulders into, and felt quite secure. A couple of short steps saw me at the top in-situ belay, and after bringing the other two up, we all abseiled off, back down to our packs.

Plenty of snow fell throughout the day, down to sea level, so it’s looking very snowy up there now. Progress around the mountain will be a bit awkward for a while, but we shouldn’t complain, it’s definitely winter up there, and looks to be with us for the foreseeable future!

If anyone is looking for some early season private guiding, please get in touch. Conditions are looking great from now and into early December!

Andy on Slab Climb, Ben Nevis

Steve on Slab Climb, Ben Nevis

Steve on Slab Climb, Ben Nevis

Me on Slab Climb, Ben Nevis

Andy on Slab Climb, Ben Nevis

New Season, New Route: Optimist’s Arête, Ben Nevis

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This past weekend brought with it the first notable spell of worthwhile winter climbing conditions, however, working out how worthwhile beforehand proved to be a bit tricky. In the end, Steve and I decided that the only way to find out was to go and have a look. Things were looking promising on the approach to the CIC Hut, but the clouds did their best to obscure views of the high crags in Coire na Ciste. We continued up into Observatory Gully, which given the lack of snow, felt somewhat purgatory. The lean conditions gave some entertaining steps of grade III climbing, on what would normally be a steep but straight forward snow slopes.

Winter Climbing Ben Nevis

Looking into Coire na Ciste

Winter Climbing Ben Nevis

North East Buttress to Tower Ridge

Winter Climbing Ben Nevis

Entertaining climbing in Observatory Gully

We drew level with the foot of Tower Gully, with plan A being to climb Grand Central, a route put up by Simon Richardson and Robin Clothier last year, however, the numerous rocky slabs were completely devoid of snow, and guaranteed some insecure climbing. We continued walking along the wide shelf towards Tower Gap, and spotted a potentially unclimbed series of ledges and short walls on a blunt arête immediately to the left of what forms later in the season to give Upper Tower Cascades Right.

Optimist's Arête, Ben Nevis

Steve on pitch 1, Optimist’s Arête, Ben Nevis

Winter Climbing Ben Nevis

Team approaching Tower Gap, Tower Ridge

Winter Climbing Ben Nevis

Start of pitch 2, Optimist’s Arête, Ben Nevis

The climb turned out to be a bit steeper and more exposed than first appearances suggested, and gave two entertaining and absorbing 30m pitches of V,6, before two further pitches of easier (but by no means easy) climbing brought us onto the plateau right by the top of Tower Ridge. We settled on Optimist’s Arête V,6. Despite the settled and cold conditions, it was still fairly quiet, with a couple of teams on Tower Ridge, and teams on Hobgoblin, Sioux Wall and Babylon.

On Sunday, the cold and settle conditions continued. Hannah and Lena made the most of this and climbed the brilliant Sron na Lairig in Glencoe.  After a further dusting of snow overnight, down to 500m, the route was quite wintry in appearance, although the snow was still quite soft lower down. From about halfway up, they encountered much firmer snow which made for more enjoyable climbing.
Plenty of folk out on Buachaille Etive Beag, but only one other chap on their route.

Winter conditions Glencoe

Approaching Sron na Lairig, Glencoe

Winter Climbing Conditions, Glencoe

Lena leading the way on Sron na Lairig

Winter Climbing Conditions, Glencoe

On the descent

It’s been a great start to the new winter climbing season, and whilst it’s warmed up a bit since then, the mid term forecasts are looking very promising, with low temperatures and snow on the cards over the next week.

If you would like to kick-start your winter climbing or mountaineering season, we have early season availability for private mountain guiding with myself or Steve, so get in touch.