Ledge Route In The Sun

Moving well up Ledge Route

Today I was working for the WHC and Ben and I took the second year group up Ledge route to look at their decision making, judgement and leadership skills on steep ground. It was one of those days on Ben Nevis that dreams are made of - the weather was perfect and the views were sensational.

A climber in Tower Gap, crossing to the other side

I think it was Mike Pescod that we saw quickly jumping across the Tower Gap high on Tower Ridge.

The climbers has crossed Tower Gap and are moving up towards the top of Tower Ridge

A minute or so later, Mike was standing at the top with his client, about to have their lunch with a perfect view of the highlands.

The new cairn at the top of Number 4 Gully

We met the builder of the new Cairn at the top of Number 4 Gully. He told us the secrets of how he built the cairn, especially how he got that enormous rock onto the top - by himself!!!

The snowy top of the Ben today

There is a little snow on the summit of the Ben at the moment. Tower Ridge was clear of snow from what I could see. It was a brilliant day. It was the first day on the North Face of the Ben for most of the group, and the first time on the top for at least one of the group - a winning day for all of us.

Aonach Eagach In The Mist

Andrew and Anna Martindale enjoying the ridge

Working for - Abacus Mountaineering, Coaching and Guiding

When I met Andrew and Anna this morning in the rain, in Glencoe, they told me about their last 3 days in great sunny weather climbing munros - today the weather had changed - rain, cloud, no sun! They were up for the adventure of the Aoanch Eagach ridge, taking in the munros along the way so we set off, into more rain. Eventually I had to give up and put my waterproofs on - oh well, I hadn't worn them for a while. We'd started early, so initially we had the ridge to ourselves, but half way through we saw what I took to be a coach load of people on the top of Am Bodach. Eventually, most of them turned back the way they had come. I think in the end there were about 2 teams after us. We didn't get the sun, but we did get atmosphere, by the bucket. The ridge has inspired Andrew and Anna to take on more scrambling adventures. Next year I think they'll head to Skye for the munros and the ridge.

At last a little of the ridge reveals itself

As the morning goes on the rain stops and some visibility comes and goes

After the rain the rock starts to dry a little

Andrew and Anna opt for all the little scrambling bits and pieces - Anna gets pretty slick at downclimbing

A Walk Up The Ben

Today I was working for Abacus Mountaineering and I was walking with 4 Belgians up Ben Nevis. They had just completed most of the West Highland way, and wanted to finish this stage of their holiday with a trip up the Ben. They had exceptional weather for their week of walking, but unfortunately on Thursday, the day started with rain - and carried on like that! The views were poor to non existant - these few shots were taken in the few glimpses that came our way.


We managed to get to the top after 5 hours, after starting at about 9am.


After a continental style picnic at the top, at 2.30pm we set off down again - reaching the car park at about 6.30pm. Everybody was happy, and a little tired by now. They set off to have a meal in town and prep for their jounrney home on Friday.


I packed a few bags and set off to Aberdeen in the evening to meet Alison for the next week of work. On the way past I took this photo of the Ben - with more visibility than I had seen all day....

Ledge Route

Rob high on Ledge Route ***, on Carn Dearg Buttress

Today I ws working for Abacus Mountaineering with Rob on Ledge Route. He said it was a life time ambition to do the route. It was his last hard scramble to do, and the last big tick on his list. He's already done all the peaks in the Lakes and over half of the Munros. We had a great day for it - not too hot, no rain, and I only saw a few midges (and they were in Fort William!). Rob's mountaineering hobby contrasts with his other passion, which is chess - he's been the British Chess Champion twice.

Rob clearly loving the climb, even though the views stayed obscured

The hardest part of my day was cutting all those steps in the snow at the beginning of Number 5 gully (I did wish we had crampons on!). The snow was too hard to kick steps into - even with my old evos. The best bit of my day was seeing how happy Rob was to have done Ledge Route.

2 climbers who must have started fairly early on Torro

I got a little sidetracked watching the team on Torro.

Raeburn's Route - In The Wind

Raeburn's Route from NC

 Abacus Mountain Guides - Winter Climbing

This morning I met up with Dale and Lewis and we made a plan to go climbing - what else! They've just got to Scotland for a few days of climbing and they wanted to start it with a refresher on about III/IV. They like the full on Scottish experience so they are also camping - last night they slept in their down jackets! We went to the SCNL car park which was full - so we may not make our plan A climb - Twisting Gully. Eventually we got up to T Gully and found 3 teams on it - 1 climbing and 2 waiting! So we moved onto SC Gully - here 1 team had just started and 1 waiting (and 1 arriving behind us), so we moved on. We found Raeburn's from the NC start free of people - brilliant. There were 2 teams on Central Grooves, making good progress. However it was a bit windy, but the route was in amazing condition - the neve was hero and the rime ice was everywhere - what else can you ask for... More days of the same.

Lewis

Lewis and Dale

Lewis finishing the crux pitch

Dale getting rime in his face

Dale climbing on the final pitch of Raeburn's Route from Max Hunter on Vimeo.

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 !

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

Lost Valley, Mountaineering Day 1

Dani testing out the bucket seat

Paul trying more traditional abseiling

Paul teaching Dani to abseil


Posing for the camera

I met Paul and Dani, who have booked on a Mountaineering course for the week with Abacus Mountaineering. We headed for the Lost Valley in Glencoe for a great venue for learning the basics. We covered safe travel with and without crampons, use of axe, self belay, step cutting, moving over steep ground, dynamic belaying, bucket seats, buried axes, snow bollards, abseiling, short roping, short pitching, up and down - all set up for a week of adventure...