Stob Ban - Mamores

WHC - UHI, Fort William, Winter Walking and navigation workshop

Today Andy Spink, Jamie Bankhead and I met a group of Degree Students from WHC for the beginning of their Winter Walking workshop. We decided to make our way up the North Ridge of Stob Ban in the Mamores. The group were initially working on summer navigation techniques as we were below the snow line, but as we gained height their challenge increased as the visibility reduced and the ground got more complex to manage. Carn Dearg on the other side of Glen Nevis initially looked like Kilimanjaro with the cloud below. We got glimpses of visibility through the clouds every now and then and at one point we were treated to a brocken spectre.

Kilimanjaro 5985m? No, Carn Dearg 1020m

Ed managing the group up the North Ridge

Group management

Aonach Mor

This week, working for Jagged Globe it's another 'Intro to Winter Mountaineering' for 9 new clients. We were blessed with amazing weather, but had to make a quick pitstop to town to do a little shopping to replace forgotten gear! We then headed off to the gondola to get high making up for lost time.

We headed up the Aonach an Nid on our way to the summit.

The Ben looked awesome - hopefully we'll make it there later this week.

Fun On The Ben

A really busy Point 5 Gully on the RHS and Orion and Minus Faces

I got up a little late, a great start, and even worse - I turned the computer on! So by the time I got away from that, it was 10am when I left my van in the North Face Car Park. I had a plan to do Tower Ridge, knowing that it would be in great condition. By the time I could see Orion Face and the Minus face I couldn't believe how busy it was - many many dots slowly moving their way up the face, probably half of them wearing belay jackets. I met Craig and Anna, who were heading up Observatory Gully looking for ice. He told me a few of the details of the fatality on the Ben the day before - my condolences to all family and friends.

Teams on Minus One Gully (pitch 1) and Astronomy (2 belayed on buttress)

You can see the teams on Minus One, Astronomy and the Orion Face

I got to the Douglas Boulder Gap and found the Chimney in great condition, and much more icy than I had expected, I was expecting to be hooking on rock, not ice! 10 mins later I passed a couple having fun on the route. They were atop the little tower, which was again climbed using icy hooks rather than rock - and so was the theme for the climb, ice and more ice. I've never found the route to be so iced up, at this point I wondered how the later cruxes would go.

Trident Buttresses. I looked at the routes to decide what to do later. I used this photo to help navigate myself through the terrain of Central Gully on South Trident Buttress

The icy Douglas Gap Chimney

The Eastern Traverse - a thin path has developed, which has a downclimb half way along, to the second half, which again is a narrow path

Zac Poulton taking photos. Here you can see the downclimb on the Eastern Traverse

Me on the Eastern Traverse - Thank you to Zac Poulton for the photo (www.mountainzblog.blogspot.co.uk)

I met Zac at the start of the Eastern Traverse with Jude. The traverse was stepped, narrow and exciting - brilliant. The tunnel round the corner was full and so I climbed up and over to the final steep pitch to get to the top of the Great Tower. This steep pitch was the crux of my day. The normal rock hooks were iced up, so it was a matter of finding a few good ice hooks you could trust - a few pulls and it was done. I caught up with the French team at the gap. I don't know what they were shouting, but it sounded quite exciting! Once they had passed through, it was my turn. I knew how I was expecting to climb the gap, but the iced rock and verglas in places changed my ideas. The normal rock hooks were chocked with neve, which made them feel even better, then I found the iced corner on the RHS with ice hooks all the way up - so I climbed the gap on the RHS for the first time - brilliant.

Craig McDonald and Anna high in Observatory Gully heading for Tower Gully

French team of 3 crossing the gap from Max Hunter on Vimeo.

Looking down Tower Gap - can't quite see the team of 3 on Glover's Chimney

The Gap from Max Hunter on Vimeo.

Lookin back at the Great Tower waiting for Zac to pop up

Zac Poulton running to the top of the Great Tower from Max Hunter on Vimeo.

Zac and Jude having lunch on the Great Tower before the Tower Gap crossing. Here is the team high on Glover's Chimney, the leader now making his way up to the peg belay.

I decided to go down a very easy Number 4 to the Trident Buttresses and look for Central Gully. I was my first time on this route, so I had to find it etc, but it seemed pretty straight forward. I got to the ice column which was incomplete, so I by-passed it on the left to find the belay (ab station) in the photo. The next slabs looked interesting, but the cruddy neve was deep enough over the slabs to feel secure - and so to the top.A great route.

The in-situ belay half way up Central Gully

Looking up at the route from the in-situ belay. The slabs look thinly iced

After a brilliant day - I was able to walk down a well stepped Ledge Route. Do days on the Ben get better than this? Discuss on UKC.

Ledge route is stepped so made for an easy walk down

A sunny day at Ballater

Pierre (a student from last summer) was back for more action yesterday with three of his friends (Raffa, Ana and Simina).  We were fortunate to get a good forecast giving us sunshine for most of the day with only a couple of very light and short showers.

Super psyched!

All four were looking to get some experience outside of their current abilities as 'Sport' climbers by learning the basics of 'Trad' climbing.

Pierre fighting through Stinker E1 5b*.

Simina cruising Razor's Crack VS 4c*.

Ana following up Lucky Strike VS 4c***.

The morning was spent getting the mileage in on the Western section turning to focus on anchor placement and top roping.  By the afternoon everyone got a lead climb in and were making it all look way to easy!

Rafa finding the holds.

 

A happy leader!

 

An abseil to finish in style.

To finish off we abseiled down off the crag to introduce retreating off a climb or top of a crag.  What a great start to the season on the rock.  I'm looking forward to getting out again soon!

Winter Mountain Leader course

Last week I was away participating on a Winter Mountain Leader Training course run by Pete Hill from the Saturday to Thursday.

We had many battles on our hands for the week including wild weather and the hoards of tourists up for the holidays.  The course covered much of the Mountain Leader Training award for taking groups into the hills in winter.  Topics included; safe travel in a winter environment, rescue and safety principles, emergency shelters and navigation to name but a few.

Here's some pics from the week (when the weather was more camera friendly).

Cornice safety.

Walking into Coire an t' Sneachda.

Testing the anchor.

Snow bollard abseil.

Building our snow holes.

That iconic pose from Mr Hill!