Skills Around The Boulder

Orion Face, Ob Ridge, Point area

Abacus Mountaineering - Winter Climbing

On Guy's second day of his weekend he wanted to learn some of the basics, so we headed up to the Douglas Boulder and Observatory Ridge snow slopes. We had a long session on slipping, sliding, stopping a slip, and stopping a slide before we moved on to the East Ridge up to the Douglas gap. There we went through the nuts and bolts of abseiling. We moved on to Observatory Gully to look at snow anchors and some of the theory of how to stay safe in and around snow.

At this altitude (up to 900m) the snow was heavy with rain, soft and sticky. This made trail breaking difficult, but the snow was good for solid snow anchors. Moving up the East Gully was secure but a little heavy going. A team had climbed the West Gully. There were many climbing teams bailing left, right and centre today, but Mike Pescod climbed one of the CIC ice falls with Waterfall Gully, and Richard and Tony and Mark climbed a new VI,5 near Green Gully.

Guy learning the ropes - or actually arresting, with a great backdrop

Guy on his way out of East Gully

Guy getting to grips with body belaying

Guy trying various abseil techniques off a bollard