Tag Archive for: Guided Winter Walking

Stunning on The Ben: Tower Ridge & CMD

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Nick had climbed Tower Ridge before, but last time he climbed it, views were in short supply, and he felt it would be great for Andy to experience one of Ben Nevis’ finest climbs, so that’s exactly what we did.  I knew that it would be busy, so we had an early (ish) start, which worked well, as we had a clear run most of the way, with no one snapping at our heels.

Conditions generally were nothing short of amazing, with very little wind, clear skies, and perfect conditions on the ridge all the way.  We slowed down a bit at the Eastern Traverse, but still topped out in good time, and so decided to continue round along the Carn Mor Dearg Arete to get the full Ben Nevis experience today, and with such good views, it proved to be well worthwhile!

I was expecting a few more teams out climbing today, but there definitely were some honey pots today: Orion Direct, Point 5 Gully, The Curtain and Ledge Route were all busy.  Other teams on North East Buttress, Hadrian’s Wall Direct, Mega Route X, Gemini and Waterfall Gully.

Lucy was out working for West Coast Mountain Guides too, and out with Clark and Jianwen.  They also were able to enjoy Ben Nevis in all it’s glory, and made an ascent of the Mountain Track, which they all thoroughly enjoyed.

Andy was out with Steve and Steve in Glencoe.  They climbed the brilliant Sron na Laraig, which he reported to be in fantastic conditions.

It’s cooling down – Scottish winter courses

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It’s been a busy summer, both on the Isle of Skye and in the Alps and it’s been great to meet new and also catch up with familiar faces. The late Indian summer we’ve had has been very much appreciated and t-shirt climbing in October and November has been great! We are however also pleased to say it’s now cooling down, and with winter not far away, it’s a good time to start laying down plans for the upcoming winter season.

Our first Scottish winter courses this year start in mid December and we also have some running over the New Year period. This coming winter, we will be offering a greater range of courses than previously, with the inclusion of a Winter Skills & Summits course, aimed at hill walkers looking to take their first winter steps in the Scottish mountains and who wish to tackle snow covered Munros.

Should you wish to tackle something steeper, such as a snow filled gully, iced up buttress or classic icefall, then our range of Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Courses may be just what you’re after!  We’re lucky to be surrounded by some of the finest winter venues, from Ben Nevis to Aonach Mor on our doorstep, to the impressive peaks and crags of Glencoe just to the south.

We will, of course, be running our flagship CIC Hut Weeks too.  The week is spent in the UK’s only alpine hut, at the foot of the North Face of Ben Nevis, which means minimal walk-ins, maximum climbing time!

Don’t forget, we also take Private Guiding bookings too so if you can’t quite find what you’re after when it comes to climbing, winter skills, or walking make sure you get in touch whether your an individual or a group so we can talk through what you’d like to achieve and we’ll come up with a tailor made itinerary for you.

The West Coast Mountain Guides blog will also be kept up-to-date throughout the winter season and please feel free to email us with your own conditions updates and pictures that we can then include on our blog

Oh, and if you haven’t yet, don’t forget to ‘like’ us on facebook and we look forward to seeing you soon!