Plan A Works

So the plan was to go into the Ben for a look - and possibly do the Douglas Boulder traverse... The wind and snow is forecast to hit later in the day, so we need to be down before mid afternoon - so let's get going.... The route to the base of the West Gully was safe and so the game was on. Here's Ryan at the base of the route.

Conditions are still good, the snow is firm, all is well...

I saw Mike Pescod walking in with his 2 clients, and here they are in the photo at the top of the lower snow slope. I watched Mike for a while 'wading' though the deep snow...

Ryan's chillin...

We're near the top now - and still the weather is kind to us...

I checked over the top of the gap, and got severely slapped in the face by the 'playful wind! So I sent Ryan up to get the same treatment - awesome... He loved it. This was his first winter lead on day 4. Okay, so the decision was made to back down the same way, using lowers, abseils and down climbing... So here we go, a perfect time to teach Ryan what abseiling is...
The wind was really picking up now and it was a clear message to GET OUT..... A good time to get Ryan to do his first buried axe..

Finally after some quick moving, missing lunch, deciding that actually we really DO need our goggles on we managed to get - somewhere - who knows - we could see 10m ! The wind was building stronger and stronger. Not a time to chill for lunch yet. After the CIC - the wind decided to slap us about, and push us around - occasionally picking us up.... The wind was gusting about 80mph now. We came across the Jagged Globe Winter Mountaineering team having an awesome time, led by Sam Leary and Mark Hendry...We joined them in a game called - let the wind pick you up or pin you to the ground.. It's difficult to recognise anybody when everybody is looking through snow clouded goggles - and everybody is wrapped up in their battle gear.. Back to the car by 3 - lunch time :) - another day at the office - DONE...
Tomorrow the wind is only 110mph so off we go again !