Swimming Against Spindrift

Hannah Evans on the approach to Green Gully
After downclimbing the first pitch, we abseiled off

Hannah leading on the gulch ice above CIC

Ian Hey leading round the corner on the gulch ice

Thank you to Ed Chard and Dave Hanna from Jagged Globe. They gave us a lift up to the top car park (Ed) and later back down again (Dave) - saving us a lot of extra walking from the bottom car park. Today I was out with Hannah Evans from Outward Bound - Loch Eil. We had our eyes on one of the routes on Number Three Gully Buttress, or Creag Coire na Ciste. We decided on Green Gully, a popular classic. After a couple of pitches to get to the first ice pitch things were going swimmingly. I was half way up the pitch, when it started - the heavy spindrift, lasting for about a minute at a time, making it impossible to see my axes in my hands, or my hands! After about 4 of these, I was unable to make upward progress, so climbed down :( . We then abseiled off, to fight another day. A team that started earlier than us did manage to avoid this particular volley of falls, and made it to the top of Green Gully. The ice I did was of great climbing quality. A climbing team of 2 set off for No. 2 Gully - hopefully a good outcome for them. Ed Chard climbed North Gully.

We set off for the Gulch above the CIC hut. Hannah led a pitch. We met Ian Hey with his clients. And then met Alan Kimber with his 2 clients - they were successful on Point 5 Gully, reporting gaps in the ice in some places, but a strong lead led to the top.

The weather was as forecast with near whiteout conditions at times. The wind transported a great deal of new snow, and a lot of deep slab has built up. Make your choices tomorrow carefully - SAIS Lochaber, Glencoe.