Wednesday 24th Feb, West Gully, Beinn Udlaidh

Steve in a bucket seat with a buried axe, belaying Andy up pitch 1 of West Gully

There were 3 teams ahead of us in the gully. Here is Mark Hendry working for Jagged Globe with his 2 clients

Mark then sets off into the strong wind and driving snow (and falling ice chunks)


Seconds later the snow flurry passes. Quiet before the storm. Mark heading for the ice

Steve in Red on the left and Andy in Green on the right

This is Marks' second client climbing the last ice pitch

Andy and Steve wanted to learn to lead today, and start to put all the pieces together and get their 'Hands On'. We went to Beinn Udlaidh. The drive down the last few km was a bit worrying with no winter tyres. We got to the car park and found lots of other people with the Beinn Udlaidh idea. Approaching West Gully we found 3 other instructional teams with the same idea, including Mark from Jagged Globe.

Twisting Gully, Stob Coire Nan Lochan

Trying to take a photo of the crux on pitch 2, I found it to be well protected

Andy coming out of the crux onto the easy crest

Steve and Andy on belay before the final 4th pitch

Another stunning day and view, looking down to Glencoe and Ballachulish

Day 2 with Andy and Steve on their climbing week. We headed into Stob Coire Nan Lochan and jumped onto Twisting Gully, another **** route. We were looking at winter belays, equalising multi point belays, double rope technique, parallel climbing, managing 2 ropes and saving our calves!

It's a great climb, and we had terrific weather and snow conditions to enjoy it (and there was a hole in the cornice which is always handy!)

Curved Ridge, Buachaille Etive Mor

This photo is out of order! But hey, this is us (myself and Andy and Steve) just short of the summit - thanks to Gaz for the photo

Amazing surface hoar crystals at the moment, due to sustained cold temperatures over the last 7 days or so.

On the ridge, Gaz and his team - stunning view behind him

Gazs' team on the normal left line. I took the alternate line to the right with my team - steep and exciting.

Can you see Ballachulish Bridge in the distance - Glencoe in front of the bridge.

Leaving the summit of Stob Dearg, 1022m (Buachaille Etive Mor), in glorious sunshine

I started a 5 day climbing course today with Andy and Steve. They are fit and the conditons are good at the moment so we should have a good week of climbing. I decided to start on something reasonable, so we headed for Curved Ridge. At the first pitch I found I was the 4th instructional team on the route, but luckily I knew Sam and Gaz and everybody was happy to work around each other.

Andy and Steve were enjoying the difficulties, so we took some great variations, as we headed to the bottleneck normal crux.

We summited, took our photos and got back to the car after a fun glissade on hard neve.

West Gully, Beinn Udlaidh

The top pitch in West Gully has a huge amount of ice at the moment. Here is the team ahead of me (Alan leading) starting the last pitch, heading left.

Here is Alan on the last pitch continuing to head left. I started on the line up the middle.

Above me is the stunning chandelier. The ice was very cold and therefore brittle, dinnerplating all the time and breaking off

Here is Fabio on the penultimate pitch, nearing the steep final ice

Today working for Jagged Globe we had to deliver a quality ice climb before the 5 clients could get to Glasgow for their 6.30pm flight. Fabio's brother is at work tomorrow - in Rome, and the others at work in London. Scottish ice climbing is a world away from both London or Rome.

This weekend has been very busy on the West Coast of Scotland. It's the end of the half term week, so lots of people have been here searching for quality climbing, car parks have been full and venues busy. Beinn Udlaidh was busy but we managed to get ahead of some slower teams and get high into the West Gully to enjoy the crux. We got to the top at about 1pm, so bang on schedule for the team to get their flights.

Back in Fort William, my window looks out on Loch Linnhe and the car park where the Helicopters land with injured climbers, helped by Mountain Rescue, on their way to the Belford Hospital - they've been busy both days this weekend. Take care and stay safe...

Beinn a Chaorainn, East Ridge

On the approach to the East Ridge

Chris climbing - his clients look on - they know they've got to follow !

Myself with Nial and Shaun

We followed the knife edged ridge as much as we could

Chris at the front checking out the route - check out the shades!

Wish every day was like this. We all have sunburn now !

On the way down

Working with Zac and Chris again. We decided to finish our mountaineering course with an ascent of the East Ridge of Beinn a Chaorainn. We all had our shades packed. But nobody had suncream - error ! I think I've got panda eyes..

How long can this weather carry on for - I don't want to jinx it. Fingers crossed.

Zig Zags on Gearr Aonach, Glencoe

Our morning started by driving past the Aonach Eagach ridge - in stunning morning condition and sun. The car park at the base of the Eastern start was full.

Chris belaying his team up a section of the Zig Zags climb

Summiting Gearr Aonach

Maddy abseiling off a snow bollard

Zac with Am Bodach as an amazing backdrop

The team (missing 2 - due to sickness, or need of a rest) on it's way down after our day 4 adventure

Day 4 of our mountaineering course. Working with Zac and Chris. We headed into Glencoe to climb the Zig Zags. It turned out to be busy with 2 of Alan Kimbers teams here too. The weather was amazing, and we were all quickly wearing our sunglasses. We learnt a couple of days ago that we needed sunglasses in this weather. However we could see a sheet of cloud coming in from the West. Soon the sun was hidden from us, but still we were climbing in just a jacket over our base layer - normally we're wearing 3/4 layers in mid Feb. An amazing season we're having.

We got up onto Gearr Aonach and started on using our abseil skills we learnt yesterday. The team performed a multi bollard abseil down to flatter ground and our route out.

Aonach An Nid, Skills

Ian waist belaying in a bucket seat - who knows what'll happen next...

Watch out Ian, he's fallen

Picking up Speed

A happy ending. Ian stopped him.

Everybody is proud of their Igloo - good effort

Working with Zac and Chris on day 3 of the mountaineering course. We woke up to thick and heavy snow on a light wind in Fort William. There was about 10cm of fresh snow on the car in the morning, all the roads were white and the snow flakes were as big as tea bags (round tetley ones !). Unbelievable - although maybe it is given the winter we've had so far. We had to think of somewhere to go, that would be possible to drive to, safe - considering the high avalanche hazard, and a venue where we can cover the new mountaineering hard skills. We made our way to Aonach Mor.

We found at least 1ft of fresh snow at 650m.

We covered bucket seats, waist belaying, buried axes, snow bollards, abseiling, snow holes, shovel ups and igloo construction. We made the best igloo I've seen all season.

Tomorrow we'll find a safe venue for a simple climb..

My camera broke yeaterday, so yesterday's and today's photos have been on my emergency camera - my phone.. Got to get camera fixed. Got to use my new shovel today. My last one is stuck as a belay at the top of White Shark - Will I ever get it back? lol

Mamores, Na Gruagaichean

Loch Linnhe, early morning

Buachaille Etive Mor and beyond from the Mamores

Glencoe

The Buachaille

Winter navigation after leaving the summit Sgor Eilde Beag

Loch Leven

Again working with Zac and Chris, today was day 2 of the Mountaineering Course. We headed for the Mamores and planned a day to put into practice the skills we covered yesterday. We did a clockwise circuit covering Sgor Eilde Beag and Na Gruagaichean.

The weather has been stunning this season and today was no exception. The views were breathtaking. .

Winter Mountaineering Day 1, Aonach Mor

Learning how to ice axe arrest

Moving efficiently with axe and crampons

Learning how to build (dig) an emergency shelter

Nearly finished with the emergency shelter

Day 1 of the Winter Mountaineering week, working with Zac and Chris. We used the Aonach an Nid area, to learn all the basic tools for safe movement on winter ground. This included ice axes, sliding, arresting, crampons, sliding, avalanche hazard avoidance, sliding, emergency shelters, self belays and sliding - and glissading ! Great fun in the soft fresh snow. Tomorrow we'll put it into practice on a long journey..

Left Twin, Roaring Forties, Morwind

Keith and Angus


Keith finishing the main Left Twin pitch

Angus on his way down

Angus topping out


Keith topping out

Working again on the Climbing workshops for the Fort William Festival - through Abacus Mountaineering. Today I met Angus and Keith at the Nevis Range. The weather was very different to yesterday, and it had been snowing over night with westerly winds, so the cornices on the east had fresh snow on top and the slopes were loaded. The Avalanche risk category was Considerable.

I decided not to abseil down easy gully. So instead we abseiled down to climb the top 2 pitches of Left Twin, followed by abseiling down to climb the top 2 pitches of Roaring Forties, followed by abseiling down to climb the top 3 pitches of Morwind. Awesome.

There were parties on Left Twin and Tunnel Vision, but the exit of Tunnel Vision looked dicey with all the fresh snow.