Number 2 Gully Buttress

Black buttresses - a high freezing level - it's on the melt again

The freezing level was supposed to be at about 800m today, so Foxy (Vicky) and I made a plan to go up the Ben and do something. I had a bunch of ideas for plan a, but as soon as the black buttresses came into view, the plans needed to be re-thought, and most of them thrown away. The freezing level was not 800m as I hoped, but more like summit level! Everything was melting.

The Cascade looking very thin and melting. Number 2 gully buttress on the RHS

The plan had to involve some sort of gully line, which still held some ice. Matt, Emma and Ben started their day by doing a quick ascent of The Comb, followed by a descent of Number 3, and then a quick ascent of Thompson's Route. We opted for the remaining ice on Number 2 Gully Buttress (III***).

The bottom of Glover's Chimney

Foxy on Number 2 Gully Buttress - at the peg belay, at the end of pitch 2

I placed 2 screws on the route (both at belays). The ice (what there was) was fairly good (if a little thin), but the snow was soft, or crusty.

The cornices on Number 3 Gully

Winter Chimney has no ice in it

Gargoyle Wall is almost completely black - with a hanging red snap gate from a recent attempt

Thompson's Route - lost a lot of ice from 2 days ago

We had a great time on our climb, and came down Number 3 Gully. Thank you to the person that made the snow bollard.