Honeypot

Mess of Pottage

So last night, despite the forecast of winds gusting to 85mph Dave Buckett and I planned to meet and go to Coire an t-Sneachda - it was supposed to ease a little in the afternoon. We arrived at the Cairngorm Mountain bottom gate to find that it was closed and all snow sports were cancelled for the day! There was a lot of black ice of the road to the top car park apparently and it would take an hour or more to clear... What to do, we waited.... At about 9.40am the gate opened and we were allowed up - today waiting paid off. Today there were only a few teams of climbers setting off (less than 10 teams), and there was nobody heading for the Honeypot (IV,6**) on the Mess of Pottage. Dave had unfinished business with the crux of this climb form last year, so he wanted a rematch. The wind had other ideas, and there was a ferocious wind on our backs as we walked in, and the gusts accelerated through the coire and spectacularly shifting snow up the faces. We decided to go for it.

Aladdin's Buttress today

Dave coming up to the end of pitch 2 (a stance below the capped roof pitch)

I had the climb up to the crux. I read the guidebook - 'the start of the climb is V,6 with no build-up' - brilliant, let's go. ... It probably wasn't that hard at the start though! So, in 2 pitches, I got us to the stance just below the capped roof, and it was over to Dave.

Dave setting off on pitch 3

The wind was still awful, and as I watched Dave I thought, is it wise to be standing directly beneath him, when stuff flies down at me - but on this occasion everything was rushing up the face in the wind - fast. Whenever Dave released some snow or ice, it shot up and out of sight.

Dave about to start the crux sequence

Finding a good hook

Find more hooks

The awkward crux moves

Dave dispatched the crux and disappeared from sight. I climbed up to the crux and seemed to feel a lack of gravity, the wind seemed to be actually helping me - until I tried to look around and got punished for not wearing goggles - so I placed axes and feet with eyes open, and pulled with them closed to protect my eyes form the blasts of snow and ice - great. I got to Dave who was sat in the full force of the wind, I stepped past him and the wind threw me to the ground. Okay, goggles on and let's got out of here. We stood shoulder to shoulder trying to talk, but had to shout and still I didn't know what he was saying.

A great day, a great climb.