It was nice to be back on Ben Nevis today. I was out with Dan, Michelle and their sons; Ben (13 years old) and George (11 years old) on Ben Nevis. The weather was far better than the forecasts suggested, so we enjoyed our ascent of a dry Ledge Route, with quite a bit of it spent in the sunshine.

The cloud was lingering on the plateau as we made our way over to the summit. After a bite to eat, we continued our exploration of Ben Nevis, by descending into Coire Leis and heading out along the Allt A’Mhuilinn. A huge well did to the whole family, but in particular to Ben and George! It’s not everyday that 11 and 13 year olds tackle the UK’s highest mountain via its north face.

 

 

Last Friday saw my Adventure Peaks team and I successfully reach the summit of Europe’s highest point; Mount Elbrus (5642m) in the North Caucasus, Russia. Our team did fantastically well, setting off at 3 am from the Gara-Bashi Barrels, and reaching the summit at 11 am. Everyone was back down by 3 pm. Conditions couldn’t have been more perfect, with a light breeze and sunshine.

Yesterday, I was out in Glencoe with the Leuchars family, who were visiting from the USA. They were keen to sample a quintessential Highland hike, and so we reached the summit of Stob Coire nan Lochan via its East Ridge, before heading over to Bidean nam Bian and Stob Coire Sgreamach, before making our descent through the magnificent Lost Valley.

Today, I was back on the Isle of Skye with Anne and Jean, who I had been out with earlier this summer. Despite a rather poor forecast, we took in the In Pinn and Sgurr Mhic Choinnich, before making our way out via Coire Lagan. The weather was far better (although not great) than the forecasts suggested, with no real sign of the 50 mph gusts. The rain was no where near as bad as what we expected either.

We still have plenty of availability throughout September and into the autumn, so get in touch to see whether we can help you reach your summits!

Well, after weeks of good weather in the Highlands, I suppose we were due a change, but that didn’t stop Cher and I from tackling the Aonach Eagach in Glencoe today.

We managed to reach the summit of Am Bodach before donning waterproofs, but from there on in, the rain and wind, whilst not severe, was fairly persistent.

Cher coped fantastically well with her first Scottish scramble, and more so given the prevailing conditions. She remained enthusiastic throughout, and we reached the summit of Sgorr nam Fiannaidh in good time.

Well done to Cher for smiling and remaining determined all day!

We still have spaces for our guided Aonach Eagach day on the 8th September, the cost is £99 per person. The weather is unlikely to be as bad as it was today!

http://51.38.64.114/courses/aonach-eagach-guide/

Today I had the pleasure of being joined by Dawn and Stephen on one of our Aonach Eagach days. The traverse of the Aonach Eagach is one of the finest mountaineering journeys on the mainland, and links the two Munros of Meall Dearg and Sgorr nam Fiannaidh. It’s lofty crest dominates the north wall of Glencoe, and has continual interest from start to finish.

Dawn and Stephen proved themselves to be competent scramblers, so the rope stayed in my pack today. The weather behaved, and we were treated to great views of the surrounding hills, as well as atmospheric clouds bubbling away on the north side of the ridge.

A great tick for Dawn and Stephen, and hopefully the first of many great scrambles throughout the Highlands.

We still have spaces on our remaining two Aonach Eagach days, on the 5th August and 8th September, so if you fancy a crack at this brilliant ridge, please get in touch! http://51.38.64.114/courses/aonach-eagach-guide/

I woke up this morning to a heavy shower, so wasn’t quite sure how the day was going to pan out, but the rain soon eased, and by the time I met Neil, the roads were almost dry.

By the time we got to Polldubh in Glen Nevis, the crags, particularly the slabbier faces, were completely dry. We kicked off the day by climbing Heatwave on Calvary Crack Buttress. 4 pitches of excellent climbing, interspersed by one wet section in the middle, brought us to the top of the buttress. We then jumped onto Promises on Dundee Buttress, which Neil had to work a bit harder for. A shower then passed through, so we took the opportunity to grab a bite to eat before heading back out to Pinnacle Ridge, which was already dry by the time we got there.

We finished our day of climbing by popping across to Repton Buttress, where we climbed Three Pines in a couple of pitches, giving us a total of 9 pitches of classic Polldubh climbing for the day. The winds helped keep the midges at bay, which was most welcome!

Due to having spent the past few summers out in the Spanish Pyrenees, I had forgotten how good the climbing at Polldubh is, and also how much can be done, all within a very short distance from the road.