Winter Archives - Page 43 of 50 -

Pleasant day on Curved Ridge, Glencoe

January 7, 2017/0 Comments/in News, Scotland, Winter

For Gareth, Mike and Matt’s final day, having exhausted the supply of winter climbs currently in good condition (which will change on Monday thankfully), we decided to take a different, but still completely relevant tact, and climbed a non-wintry Curved Ridge on Buachaille Etive Mor instead.

Buachaille Etive Mor poking out above the cloud inversion

The day started with a cloud inversion, and it wasn’t long after leaving the car that we popped out of the clouds and were treated to brilliant views of the surrounding peaks.

Stunning views above the clouds

Looking up at the NE Face of Buachaille Etive Mor

Clear views to the north

The trio led themselves up the route, moving together for much of it and making use of quick, yet effective belays. As rock climbers, they adapted quickly to the smoother and more efficient style of moving, but were fully aware of the limitations and safety considerations of this style of climbing.

Mike and Gareth enjoying the ridge

Matt in the lead

With plenty of time in hand, we took the exposed yet well protected traversing path above Rannoch Wall, and continued up on to Crowberry Tower, which clearly doesn’t see as much traffic as Curved Ridge, despite being similar in difficulty and style. One short descent and ascent later saw the team on the summit of Stob Dearg, just as the clouds closed in.

On the summit of Crowberry Tower

Better than expected: Aonach Mor

January 6, 2017/0 Comments/in News, Scotland, Winter

If the Met Office’s forecast had been anything to go by today, we would have been in for a wet one, and whilst it wasn’t exactly brilliant today, it was still much drier than expected.

With a rise in the temperature and extensive cloud cover, Gareth, Mike, Matt and I decided to head round to the eastern flanks of the Nid Ridge on Aonach Mor to have a more skills and techniques based day, which worked well, as we were sheltered from the westerly winds for much of the day, and probably stayed drier as a result. We kicked the day off by focusing on some movement, before finding a good blob of ice to look at placing ice screws, ice screw belays and building abalakov threads.

Stomper Belay

After a bite to eat, we then looked at a number of snow belays and anchors before heading down. We didn’t see another soul up there all day, but then again, we couldn’t really see much.

Descending off the Nid Ridge

On Thin Ice: North Gully, Ben Nevis

January 5, 2017/0 Comments/in News, Scotland, Winter

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.

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.

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.

Icy in No. 2 Gully, Ben Nevis

January 4, 2017/0 Comments/in News, Scotland, Winter

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!

Icy in No. 2 Gully

Clear on the plateau

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 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

January 3, 2017/0 Comments/in News, Scotland, Winter

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 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

Good conditions in No. 3 Gully

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.

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.

A rather black Stob Coire nan Lochan

White ptarmigan looking rather out of place.

Matt nearer the top of NC Gully

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

December 28, 2016/0 Comments/in News, Scotland, Winter

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!

Looking down P1 of NC Gully

Adam leading the second pitch

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

November 27, 2016/0 Comments/in News, Scotland, Winter

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

Black, black, black

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.

Tony and Kristy just about to start 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!

Clear day over Loch Eil

Brilliant day on The Overseer Direct, Cairngorms

November 24, 2016/0 Comments/in News, Scotland, Winter

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

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

Steve topping out 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

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!

More snow covered rock: SW Ridge of the Douglas Boulder

November 19, 2016/2 Comments/in News, Scotland, Winter

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.

: Another fine day on Ben Nevis

: Pitch 1, SW Ridge of the Douglas Boulder

: Pitch 2, SW Ridge of the Douglas Boulder

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.

: Emily on her first winter hill day

: So far, so good!

New website & Winter 2016/17 is underway!

November 18, 2016/2 Comments/in News, Scotland, Winter

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!