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

On Thin Ice: North Gully, Ben Nevis

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After two big days, and with tiring legs, I persuaded Gareth, Mike and Matt to venture back up to Coire na Ciste on Ben Nevis to climb North Gully. Fortunately, it didn’t take much persuasion, as enthusiasm managed to prevail.

First pitch, North Gully, Ben Nevis

It was much quieter on Ben Nevis today, but still plenty of folk were making the most of the good weather and rather lean conditions, however, no one else had decided to go for North Gully, which made for a relaxed and enjoyable outing. In these current conditions, the first pitch gave a rather delicate pitch of thin ice, but with a bit of care and a gentle approach, we climbed the first pitch in good style, before the lads took over and lead themselves up the upper snow field and onto the plateau, where we were greeted by clear but windy conditions.  Another great route in the bag, and a good route for the lads to lead in it’s entirety in better conditions.

Top of pitch 1, North Gully, Ben Nevis

Belaying pitch 2, North Gully

Pitch 2, North Gully, Ben Nevis

Plenty of folk heading up and down Nos. 3 & 4 Gullies, Steve and Dave made a quick solo of No. 2 Gully (thanks for the sweets) and Mick Tighe set off with Hesperides Ledge in mind.

Ben Nevis plateau

Icy in No. 2 Gully, Ben Nevis

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I was back out with Gareth, Mike and Matt, and for day two, we thought that we should make the most of the great weather and go high on Ben Nevis. Unfortunately, with the current conditions, this didn’t give us many options, so on arriving into Coire na Ciste, we decided to go for No. 2 Gully.  The snow on the approach had morphed into firm névé, giving the lads a great opportunity to really put their footwork to the test up to the gully.

With a number of teams in the area, I guided the lads up the gully, but en-route, we were able to look at a variety of belays, made somewhat slightly limited with the amount of ice in the cracks. The trio enjoyed the climbing, which in current conditions was more involved than normal, but found the continual front-pointing hard work on their calves.  So a great intro to ice climbing then!

No. 2 Gully, Ben Nevis

Icy in No. 2 Gully

 

Ben Nevis plateau

Clear on the plateau

 

Walking over towards No. 4 Gully

Walking over towards No. 4 Gully

We topped out into the sunshine, before making our way over to No. 4 Gully and descending that, which again, is a lot less forgiving then it was a couple of days ago.  Other teams making the most of the weather by making ascents of Gargoyle Wall, which looked a bit black lower down, North Gully (delicate first pitch), No. 3 Gully and I bumped into Jamie and Mo as we were walking out, who had climbed NE Buttress, and reported ok conditions throughout, so good going on their part to stick their noses in it and succeed. Sometimes, that’s exactly what it takes!

The north face of Ben Nevis

The north face of Ben Nevis

The mid-range synoptic charts are showing a bunching of the isobars over the UK and cool conditions as the middle of the month approaches, which will hopefully give us the stormy weather and heavy snow that we’re needing right now… Fingers crossed!

NC (Not Complete) Gully, Stob Coire Nan Lochan

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First things first, Happy New Year to you all! I hope that you all enjoyed yourselves whatever you did. Fortunately not working on the 1st meant a nice night out with friends to see the New Year in.

No. 3 Gully Buttress, Ben Nevis

No. 3 Gully Buttress was climbed by a few teams.

I was back to work yesterday, and out with Darren and Jackie, who were looking to develop their winter mountaineering skills with a trip up Mont Blanc on the cards for later in the year. With a favourable forecast, we decided to head up to Coire na Ciste on Ben Nevis, where we focused on movement skills, before making an ascent of No. 3 Gully, which was in very friendly condition, with no cornice at the top. We then made our way over the plateau and down No. 4 Gully, which again lacked a cornice.

In No. 3 Gully, Ben Nevis

In No. 3 Gully

Good conditions in No. 3 Gully

Good conditions in No. 3 Gully

No. 3 Gully, Ben Nevis

At the top of No. 3 Gully

Steve was also out working for West Coast Mountain Guides. He was out with Kieran and Richard, they had a productive day on the other side of Tower Ridge, in Tower Gully.

Many folk out yesterday, but unfortunately it’s rather slim pickings at the moment with the lack of snow and ice. Teams on Tower Gully, Tower Ridge, Gardyloo Gully (reported to be about grade IV and requires ice screws at the moment), No. 2 Gully, No. 3 Gully Buttress, one team backed off a very lean Thompson’s Route, Hobgoblin and multiple teams in No 3 Gully.

Gardylook Gully, Ben Nevis

Gardyloo Gully looking sporting, and certainly NOT grade II (thanks to Andy Wyatt for the photo)

Today, I was out with Gareth, Mike and Matt for the start of their Winter Mountaineering Course. With a slightly less than ideal forecast, but with another thaw due for later in the week, we decided to go for something in Glencoe, as nothing there (apart from Board Gully) is likely to survive another thaw.  It turns out that we may already have been one or two days late, but after recapping on movement skills, and bringing some these movement drills and skills to their conscientiousness, rather than doing things without realising, we made for NC Gully, where the effects of the thaw are making themselves known. The lads led where suitable, but I took over for the more exposed rocky steps.  We finished off by descending Broad Gully, which is complete. Some more unsettled weather next week, which fingers crossed, brings with it some well needed snow.

Glencoe Conditions

A rather black Stob Coire nan Lochan

Ptarmigan

White ptarmigan looking rather out of place.

NC Gully, Glencoe

Matt nearer the top of NC Gully

NC Gully, Glencoe

Mike and Gareth near the top of NC Gully

Scott was out with Darren and Jackie, they enjoyed a productive day covering further winter mountaineering skills around the Nid area of Aonach Mor. Good luck with Mont Blanc you two!

Fairly good in NC Gully, Glencoe

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Well, first thing is first, I hope that you all enjoyed a good Christmas and that Santa was kind to you. I was down south for a wee while, but back home yesterday to get stuck into some winter work today. I was out with Tom, Amelia, Adam and Francis from the University of London Mountaineering Club, who are up along with others for their annual winter getaway. The four budding mountaineers I was out with were after a bit of technical training, but their main aim was to climb an enjoyable winter route.

Winter Conditions NC Gully Stob Coire nan Lochan

Plenty of snow on Stob Coire nan Lochan

With current conditions (a bit lean and a bit mild), we decided to head high to the snow-sure venue of Stob Coire nan Lochan in Glencoe, with an open mind as to what to climb, and in the end decided that NC Gully would fit our needs perfectly. After spending some time retuning into using an axe and crampons, we had a look a reinforced bucket seat belays before setting up the gully. The team took it in turns leading, whilst I coached them through the process along the way. As all of the team had climbed quite a bit in summer and a bit in the Alps, today was about Scottish winterising their skill-sets. We then walked around the rim of the crag and descended a very snowy Broad Gully. Got to practise going down steep ground as well as going up!

Pitch 1 NC Gully

Looking down P1 of NC Gully

Pitch 2 NC Gully

Adam leading the second pitch

Final pitch NC Gully

Francis leading the final pitch

The route was in reasonably condition, with (softening) snow throughout, although narrow by the chock stone. Boomerang Gully, Broad Gully, both variants of Forked Gully, North Gully and Pinnacle Gully were all complete and climbable today. Bit milder and wetter later this week before things start to cool back down over the New Year.

 

Where the snow gone? Ledge Route, Ben Nevis

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On walking up to the north face of Ben Nevis this cold, crisp morning, I was quite amazed at how much snow had disappeared over the past few days, but then again, we’ve had a stable high pressure system, which has meant clear nights and frosty conditions in the glens, but quite warm temperatures on the summits (above freezing continuously since Thursday night) .  This has led to much of the unconsolidated snow being lost through sublimation.

Coire na Ciste, Ben Nevis

Coire na Ciste, Ben Nevis

Black on the North Face of Ben Nevis

Black, black, black

The Curtain, Ben Nevis

At least The Curtain is forming!

I went up there with Tony and Kristy, to climb Ben Nevis via the brilliant Ledge Route.  For Kristy, it was her first time in crampons, which were needed certainly to get up the first few meters of No. 5 Gully, and were useful in gaining the ledge above the Curtain and for ascending the leftward trending gully above.  Once on Ledge Route proper though, it was mostly dry, bare rock all the way, so we ditched our crampons, and scrambled our way up.  They both did very well, but in particular Kristy, from whom this was the first taste of mountaineering.  We topped out in glorious sunshine, but to a very dry plateau, almost devoid of all snow.

Guide Ledge Route

Tony and Kristy just about to start Ledge Route

Happy couple top of Ledge Route

Happy couple on Carn Dearg

The temperature on the summits has just dropped below freezing, which is good news, as we are due some snow later in the week as we enter a slightly less settled week, with some gentle thaw/freeze cycles and a picking up on the winds.  It’s early days yet, and if Netweather.TV is anything to go by, early to mid December sounds quite promising, with another high pressure system in the pipeline for the middle chunk of the month. Fingers crossed!

Stunning day in the Highlands

Clear day over Loch Eil

Brilliant day on The Overseer Direct, Cairngorms

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With the forecast for the weekend not looking quite as favourable as the past week or so, Steve, Dave and I decided to make the most of the current cold and calm weather, and headed over to Coire an Lochain in the Northern Coires of the Cairngorms with an open mind.

on our way to climb the Overseer Direct, Cairngorms

A fine morning in the Cairngorms

The Overseer Diret and surrounding routes

A wintry Coire an Lochain

 

Conditions on the west have been good, but with more snow, patches of less frozen turf and bonded rocks, we thought that a change of scenery would be worthwhile, so made our way into Coire an Lochain, home to a number of steep (and less steep) mixed routes.  It was clear on the approach to the coire that no one had been in for a couple of days, and with that, many of the routes clearly hadn’t been cleared of rime and ice, so we picked The Overseer Direct, which looked less chocked up with ice and so more amenable than Deep Throat and some of the other surrounding routes for arranging protection.

Steve on pitch one of the Overseer Direct

Steve on pitch one of the Overseer Direct

The route takes in a couple of steep corners, which Steve cruised up (clearly the indoor dry tooling has paid off), before I jumped on the sharp end and climbed a slabby groove, before tackling an awkward pull onto a good ledge and a steep corner with good hooks to finish with.  Great fun!

Me on pitch two of the Overseer Direct

Me on pitch two of the Overseer Direct

Steve topping out of The Overseer Direct

Steve topping out of The Overseer Direct

Dave just after the steep final corner of The Overseer Direct

Dave just after the steep final corner

It was another stunning day in the Highlands, with views as far as the eye could see, I could get used to this.  Plenty of other folk out making the most of the conditions, with teams on a number on routes in Coire an t’Sneachda including Fiacaill Ridge, Invernookie, Fiaciall Buttress, Stirling Bomber, Finger’s Ridge, Fluted Buttress Direct, Broken Gully and The Haston Line.  Plenty of other folk out skiing, snowshoeing and generally enjoying these brilliant winter conditions.

Stunning afternoon views

Stunning afternoon views

We have a couple of thaw/freeze cycles coming up in the next week, with it cooling down again considerably towards the back end of next week, so it’s looking very promising for this early in the season.

A great day out!

A great day out!

More snow covered rock: SW Ridge of the Douglas Boulder

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Chris and I decided to continue the theme of climbing snow covered rock by making an ascent of the SW Ridge of the Douglas Boulder on Ben Nevis today.  After yesterday’s ploughing up to No. 3 Gully Buttress, our legs appreciated the shorter approach and the tracks of the team in front of us.  We gained the route at the entrance to West Gully, by traversing across an awkward ledge which is easier later in the season when the floor of West Gully is a bit higher.

The route was as expected, snow covered rocks, some of which were frozen in place, some of which weren’t, but overall, the climb was in great early season condition, which in this case means covered in lots of soft snow.  Chris took well to the steeper and slightly more  sustained climbing found on the ridge compared with No. 3 Gully Buttress yesterday.

 

From the summit of the Douglas Boulder, we abseiled into a soft snow filled East Gully, and waded our way down it.  It’s all very safe in the gully at the moment, and where deep enough, enjoyable and easy on the knees.

Despite a favourable forecast, the north face was relatively quiet, with a couple of teams up by No. 3 Gully Buttress area, one team on Route I and a team ahead of us.  Interestingly, the freezing level did rise quite a bit this afternoon, and was accompanied by moderate precipitation, which I don’t think many forecasts had predicted, however, I doubt that it will change anything above 600m.  It’s still looking very promising for this coming week, with a continuation of cold and calm conditions.

Hannah was also out today with Emily, Chris’ partner.  They enjoyed a winter hill day on Buachaille Etive Beag in Glencoe and even managed to find a patch of firmer snow on which to practise using crampons.

New website & Winter 2016/17 is underway!

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We are pleased to announce that we’ve got a new website, which we’ve been working on over the past couple of weeks, and we’re really pleased with, but please have a look and let us know what you think.

Now, back to the mountains.  We’ve had quite a warm spell over last weekend, which ended rather abruptly, with quite a bit of fresh snow on Wednesday and Thursday.  Today was cold and calm, a pattern which looks to stay with us for the next 6 days or so, which for this time of year, is hugely promising.

I was back to work today, and was able to enjoy these cold and calm conditions with Chris, who arrived with plenty of rock climbing under his belt, but had yet to climb a winter route, so today was about rectifying that! Conditions are quite typical of this time of year, with plenty of soft snow, sitting on rocks, with little consolidation, so, inspired by Simon Richardson’s new book, Chasing the Ephemeral, we decided to go for the classic grade III on Ben Nevis, No. 3 Gully Buttress, which is recommended as an early season climb.  Having only climbed it later in the season, I was interested to see how it would be with next to no ice, and it turned out to be great fun, if a little trickier than the grade suggests.

Getting to the route was the toughest part of the day, as we waded through the soft snow and yet to be buried boulders, but we made it in reasonable time, and there’s now a track up that way for the weekend!

It was great to back out winter climbing again, and although a bit of consolidation wouldn’t go amiss, neither of us could complain with such stunning weather, views and enjoyable climbing.  Chris relished the challenges of awkward rocky steps, steep snow slopes, thrutching up chimneys and journeying through some pretty impressive scenery.  Not a bad first Scottish winter route!

Needless to say, very few other folk out today.  We met one team heading up towards Carn Mor Dearg, Scott was out working on Ledge Route and the CMD Arete (he owes me a beer for the track we put in), and numerous folk from the Forces, based in Ballachulish, were making a mass ascent of Castle Ridge.

With these wintry conditions set to continue for the next wee while, other routes worth considering at the moment include North Buttress on Buachaille Etive Mor and other snowed up rocky routes and mountaineering ridges (Aonach Eagach, Sron na Larig, Curved Ridge, Ledge Route).  Harder routes high on Ben Nevis, such as Slab Climb and those on No. 3 Gully Buttress may also be good sport. The turf is frozen in places and there are dribbles of ice about, but care is still required, as all this snow has insulated what’s underneath.

What a great start to winter 2016/17!

Guiding The Greater Cuillin Ridge Traverse, Skye

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Earlier this month, Ian Craigie, whilst working for West Coast Mountain Guides, achieved a possible first, by guiding, non-stop, The Greater Cuillin Ridge Traverse on the Isle of Skye.  This mammoth undertaking takes in the standard traverse of the Black Cuillin (from Gars-bheinn to Sgurr nan Gillean), before continuing over Sgurr Beag and Sgurr na h-Uamha, and dropping down into Glen Sligachan.  From here, the greater traverse reascends nearly 750m to reach the summit of Garbh-Bheinn, and finishes by tackling the brilliant Clach Glas – Bla bheinn traverse.  To say this is a big day out is somewhat of an understatement, as in total, it takes in 12 Munros, 20 miles of distance and approximately 4000m of ascent.  Initially, the plan was for a slightly more leisurely (but challenging and admirable none the less) 3 day Greater Traverse of the Cuillin, but it didn’t take long for a seed of a non-stop outing to germinate. Ian takes up the story…

Originally planning for a 3 day Greater Traverse of the Cuillin, I met Stu and Tommy, both keen fell runners, in the Sligachan bar on the Sunday evening to discuss plans for the coming week. The Greater Traverse, as far as I was aware, had not been guided in its entirety before, and with it being a fairly substantial undertaking, a good game plan would be key to its success.  As the plans developed, I mentioned how amazing, or if at all possible it would be to attempt it in one day, to which Stu and Tommy both raised their eyebrows and said “well, we had been thinking the same thing”…

A new plan was hatched. After a training day on Monday we met at the Sligachan Hotel at 0715 on Tuesday morning and drove round to Elgol to catch the 0900 speed boat into Loch Coruisk, which in my opinion is the finest way to start a traverse, greater or otherwise. Whilst whipping over Loch Scavaig, we could admire out entire objective, laid out in front of us in the most magnificent panorama. The boat dropped us off on a natural rock pier close to which seals were basking in the sunshine. Off we leapt, the boat instantly shot away. This is where the fun starts.

Setting off from Elgol to embark on a Greater Traverse of the Cuillin Ridge

Setting off from Elgol to embark on a Greater Traverse of the Cuillin Ridge

The planned itinerary and timings were reasonably vague, to maintain flexibility, but basically we hoped to complete the main ridge, summit to summit in 12 hours, thus arriving at Sgurr nan Gillian at around 11pm. This would then have us completing the easier and less complex section down to Glen Sligachan, through An Fraoch-choire and up to Garbh-bheinn in the darkness and hopefully then by the time the sun came up we would be arriving at the beginning of the magnificent Clach Glas traverse which leads on to the final peak, Bla Bheinn.

We made good progress up to the first peak on the ridge, Gars-bheinn, arriving at its summit at 1130. From here the view opened out and the ridge really showed its fangs; twelve unrelenting, awesome kilometres of jagged peaks and arêtes snaking through to the horizon.

Kept cool by the cloud cover

Kept cool by the cloud cover

We moved quickly but surely through the initial easier section of the ridge and arrived at the first Munro, Sgurr nan Eag just after midday. A quick drink and snack and we were away again. For us to achieve this in a day we had to move efficiently and look after our energy levels to avoid crashing out later on. So, lots of snacks, little and often, lots of water and moving at a good rhythm and pace that we would be able to sustain throughout the expedition was essential.

Heading over towards the infamous and notorious TD Gap we felt rain. As it grew heavier our hearts began to sink. Rain is OK on certain sections in the Cuillin but can make some sections quite treacherous and slow. Particularly bad are the slabs of Sgurr Thearlaich and the steep, polished, basalt rock climb known as the TD Gap which can be virtually unclimbable in wet conditions. So based on this turn of events we sneaked down into Coir’ a’ Ghrunnda to bypass the Gap and ascended Sgurr Alastair directly to reach its summit and the highest point on the Isle of Skye. To our relief the sun came out again and quickly dried everything off.  We were cool and refreshed, feeling good and excited to be moving more comfortably on the dry rock again. Steadily and surely we ticked off the peaks and summits and made good progress along the ridge.

On the Inn Pinn, Cuillin Ridge, Skye

On the Inn Pinn, Cuillin Ridge, Skye

 

Abseiling off the Inn Pinn

Abseiling off the Inn Pinn

 

Four Munros down, eight to go on the Greater Traverse.

Four Munros down, eight to go on the Greater Traverse.

 

Skipping across dry rock on the Cuillin Ridge

Skipping across dry rock on the Cuillin Ridge

We aimed to take in all the notable summits and Munros along the main ridge, but due to the complex and difficult nature of the terrain, although we weren’t moving at a great speed, there were times when it felt very physically and mentally draining. We had taken 3 full litres of water with us but as that started to run out and with no water on the ridge our mouths ran dry and we had to slow the pace down to avoid further dehydration. The end of the ridge still looked a long way off.

Making our way down off the fourth and final peak of Sgurr a’ Mhadaidh the most wonderful sight befell us. A tiny patch of snow, only about one square meter in surface area, but it was enough! Wonderful, dense, crystallised snow melted quickly in the water remaining in our bottles. We drank greedily and then re-filled, taking what we felt was required to complete the last section of the main ridge before we would descend into the valley and would be able to refill.

It was 1900 and we had already had a long day. We had been moving for 9 hours, but the fresh water had invigorated us and we were feeling good as we tackled one of the finest but also one of the most complex and involved summits; Bidein Druim nan Ramh.
So after some amazingly exposed climbing to reach the summit and two abseils later we were back on more amenable ground.

From here we still had the three northern Munros on the main Cuillin Ridge to go. The setting sun spurred us on and we made good time over An Caisteal and up to the summit of Bruach na Frithe. It seemed rude not to watch the sun setting, so we dropped our packs and rested our legs for the first time since we had set out. Sandwiches were eaten and remarks at the beauty of it all were made. The softness of the light spilling over the greener northern end of the island was a powerful and refreshing contrast to the ground we had been on and our bodies and minds began to feel a little refreshed. As the warm orange glow turned grey, the wind grew cold and we knew it was time to move again.

The only trig point on the main Cuillin Ridge, Bruach na Frithe

The only trig point on the main Cuillin Ridge, Bruach na Frithe

Greater Traverse Cuillin Ridge 05.06.2016 09

Just after Am Bastier

Just after Am Bastier

After a quick detour to Am Basteir we began up Sgurr nan Gillean, excited to be approaching the end of the main ridge in good time, and well on schedule. We made the summit as the light disappeared, swiftly attached head torches and pressed on.

The window of Sgurr nan Gillean

The window of Sgurr nan Gillean

 

Completion of the main Cuillin Ridge Traverse

Completion of the main Cuillin Ridge Traverse

Before the descent into Glen Sligachan, there sits the lonely peak of Sgurr na h-Uamha that marks the geological finish of this section of our journey so we made an eerie scramble up through the darkness before descending back into the valley. Tommy’s feet had taken an absolute hammering by this point and he was fighting through a lot of pain so he decided that it wouldn’t be sensible for him to carry on to Bla Bhienn. So after a spooky walk through the misty moorland we arrived at the path and waved Tommy off as he made his way back to the campsite and a well-deserved bed. We kept going, relishing the soft ground, and the kilometres were eaten up as we were able to stride out for the first time in hours.

Before we knew it the sun started to rise again and we took our torches off at the top of Garbh-Bhienn. It was 0400 and we had been on the move, non-stop, for 18 hours.

Staring across towards Clach Glas, the steep sided and gnarled ridge that guards passage to our final peak, we began to realise that we were actually going to make it! The rope went on for the final time and the excitement of what we were about to accomplish drove our legs on and we moved swiftly and smoothly across the ridge, up to Clach Glas’ table top summit, down the other side and up the final crux chimney to reach easier ground and an eager jog to the trig point, cairn and our finish point… It was done. We had just completed the most magnificent and majestic mountaineering expedition in the UK. Our feet hurt and our legs ached and our minds were exhausted but we had made it. We sat for a while and looked across at the pinnacled skyline feeling relaxed, proud and very pleased with ourselves… And then we remembered we still had to walk down.

(19 hours summit to summit, sub 24 hours start to finish).

The Imposter on Clach Glas

The Imposter on Clach Glas

 

The end is in sight, starting up Bla Bheinn

The end is in sight, starting up Bla Bheinn

 

The final chimney of the Clach Glas - Bla Bheinn Traverse

The final chimney of the Clach Glas – Bla Bheinn Traverse

 

Stu on the summit of Bla Bheinn, having competed a non-stop traverse of the Greater Cuillin Ridge Traverse!

Stu on the summit of Bla Bheinn, having competed a non-stop traverse of the Greater Cuillin Ridge Traverse!

Successes on the Skye Munros Course & Cuillin Traverse

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The second half of May has been busy period, mostly in conjunction with some amazing weather in The Scottish Highlands.

Firstly, Guy and I ran another Skye Munros Course, with a team of four each, on behalf of Steve Fallon.  The aim of these courses is to complete all 11 of the Munros that lie on the main Cuillin Ridge over four days, as well as to arm the participants with core mountaineering skills that they can then transfer to their own adventures.

The weather forecast for the week was for mixed conditions, very different to the sunshine and dry weather of the previous week, but with a bit of juggling of days and the teams being thrown into the deep end by tackling the Inn Pinn on the first day, which they all coped brilliantly with, we enjoyed a hugely successful four days, and summited all eleven Munros.  Well done to the teams for braving the elements, particularly on the final day!  Hopefully they will be back to enjoy the Skye Cuillin, in the sunshine, which does happen, in the future.

Back in Lochaber, Kenny was out with Joe, who is in training for a trip to the Alps.  They had a successful day on North East Buttress on Ben Nevis.  North East Buttress is a fantastic route in summer conditions, as well as being one of the finest climbs of its grade in winter, and perfect preparation for bigger objectives in the Alps.

David & David had a day out with Scott, on the Aonach Eagach, in Glencoe, and a day out with Ian on Sgurr Mhic Choinnich and the Inn Pinn on Skye.  They enjoyed two productive days, in great conditions, on two of the UK’s finest single day mountaineering routes.

Ian also guided Steve, Jack and Jeremy on Skye that week.  It was their first time on the Cuillin Ridge, so a great opportunity to sample a number of Munros in the best mountaineering playground in the UK, as well as pick up some essential mountaineering skills along the way. A complete Cuillin Ridge Traverse next time chaps?

Speaking of complete Cuillin Ridge Traverses, Scott successfully guided brothers Bob & Peter along the ridge.  Bob and Peter had tried a traverse in the past, but had been thwarted for a number of reasons, however, this time, things were different, and everything fell nicely into place, allowing Bob and Peter to successfully complete the traverse, with perfect weather from end to end.

Success on the Cuillin Ridge Traverse!

Success on the Cuillin Ridge Traverse!

Finally, Tom enjoyed an adventurous day out in Knoydart, an area not often visited when working.  He was out with Humphrey, who in the past, has completed all of the Munros, and is now working his way through the Corbetts.  Humphrey had chartered a boat which left at 8am from Mallaig, and so the pair were dropped off at the head of Loch Nevis, to tackle the remote Corbett, Ben Aden.  This mountain extremely rock and steep on all sides, and one of the hardest summits to reach in the whole of the UK, so the pair did well to reach the summit in good time, and made it down in plenty of time, for a boat pick-up at 5pm.

So, fingers crossed that there’s more good weather over the next month, which predications are suggesting will happen: Monthly weather forecast for the UK – Net Weather.