Last Sunday - The Rack And Rope Go For A Walk

The moon, just to the right of Castle Ridge

Last Sunday the weather was forecast to be excellent so we made tracks for Ben Nevis, hoping to find a suitable frozen mixed climb for Lena and myself. The Ben was more breathtaking than normal as the moon passed behind Castle Ridge and the sun rose behind the Ben.

Sunrise behind NE Buttress

Right-Hand Chimney (IV,4**) on Moonlight Gully Buttress

Plan A was to check out Right-Hand Chimney on Moonlight Gully Buttress. It did look a little choked with snow, so that would mean a lot of clearing, but we were up for it. Lena racked up and set off. She soon discovered that the turf was pulling and was a long way from frozen. The loose rocks in the chimney, that  I guess would be helpful if frozen in place, were still loose. So our desire to get up the route was thwarted by the lack of freeze - again. We'd used a lot of time here so we needed a quick plan B, to still enjoy the day, so we decided to swim (climb) up Moonlight Gully.

Lena starting to wrestle with the unfrozen turf and the loose snow

Moonlight gully was filled with 'swimming snow', so at least it gave us a good full body workout. The normal little steps in the gully, that make it grade II, were pretty awkward - as close to empathising to a salmon swimming up a waterfall as I've ever got! One step up and 3 feet down. At the top of the Gully, as it breaks into Number 5, we decided to avoid doing battle with the No.5 gully loose snow fields - and we ab'ed out of Moonlight, to fight again another day. It did feel like we took the rack and ropes out for a walk, but that's the way it is sometimes.

Lena in Moonlight Gully