Start Of Term

Rich busy doing his nav. A technique I'm not familiar with!

Last Thusday I was back to work after holiday. I was at the WHC with the first year students on the Adventure Tourism Management degree course. This was to be their first day outside at the beginning of term - starting their hill walking module.

I was with group D, and there was quite a bit of experience within the group, so we got stuck in to navigation, personal organisation, equipment and a little personal movement and group management. The forecast was for strong winds and rain, but the wind gave us a break for the day, and even my gore-tex didn't have to work too hard - a great fun day to start term.

On the Friday I worked for West Coast Mountain Guides, and went up the Ben with 91 participants raising money for Marie Curie Cancer Care as part of the Ben Nevis Mountain Challenge. Congratulations for everybody that was successful on a bit of a blowy, chilly day.

Marie Curie Cancer Care Fundraiser and Paul Ellis

Paul Ellis and his support team (Sarah, Paige and ?)

On Saturday I was working for Alan Kimber Mountaineering, and we were marshalls for the Marie Curie Cancer Care fundraiser charity walk up Ben Nevis. At the beginning of the day all the fundraisers happily set off into beautiful morning. I happened to take this photo (above) of Paul Ellis and his support team. I later learnt the names of Sarah and Paige in his team. Read about Paul on his website (amputeepaul.co.uk). He has an amazing inspirational back story, and I was glad to have had the opportunity to have met him on Saturday and witness his success, up and down safety, and independently off the mountain. During my own walk up the mountain, as I walked over the rough ground I was thinking about how Paul would find every step harder than I did. I chatted with him at the top about pain in particular. I started by simply saying something like 'Are you in any pain?, and he started his long answer by saying 'Oh yes ...'.

He got up in a mere 5hr 45mins, and his round trip (after a good break at the top) was only 11hr. He wasn't the last fundraiser off the hill, there were several behind him. Congratulations Paul.

Glen Nevis in the early morning

Thick mist at the top for much of the day

One of the tourists I met (this was Kirsten), at Gardyloo Gully

Paul at the top, with the observatory behind. Paul made it to the top in 5hr 45min. Inspiring effort - congratulations

Flip Flops On The Ben

On Thursday I was working for West Coast Mountain Guides. I was working alongside Seoras Lindsay and we were on our way up the Tourist Track on Ben Nevis with the 2011 Smithers Fund raising team from Poole.

Seoras, the team of 14 and I got on our way at about 8.30am . As usual the track was busy all the way up and the way down. At an early stage Lisa's boots started to deteriorate and the sole was falling off in chunks!

Just before the soles completely wore through to her feet, Lisa came up with the genius idea of strapping a pair of flip flops (that she happened to have with her in her bag!) to the base of her shoes - kept in place by a spare pair of socks and her original socks pulled down - original and it worked!!

For the first half of the climb we were below the gathering clouds and the views were terrific.

The cloud had descended and by the time we had reached the snow we were fully enveloped.

All 14 successfully reached the summit and normal celebrations commenced...

Celebrations with beer and chocolate!!

A summer view of the very steep slabby face of Indicator Wall on the side of Gardyloo Gully. Gardyloo gully was originally called Tin Can Gully and used as a rubbish chute for the old Observatory. The summit and the shelter can be seen behind.

The view from the top of Tower Gully looking towards the summit. Gardyloo Buttress visible in the foreground.

The full team of 14 reached the bottom of the mountain and so started the second celebration. Flip flops were still intact but some knees and hips were very sore. Congratulations to the entire team and well done to Laura for all the effort organising it (starting about 6 months ago!). What challenge for fund raising next year?

Swimming Against Spindrift

Hannah Evans on the approach to Green Gully
After downclimbing the first pitch, we abseiled off

Hannah leading on the gulch ice above CIC

Ian Hey leading round the corner on the gulch ice

Thank you to Ed Chard and Dave Hanna from Jagged Globe. They gave us a lift up to the top car park (Ed) and later back down again (Dave) - saving us a lot of extra walking from the bottom car park. Today I was out with Hannah Evans from Outward Bound - Loch Eil. We had our eyes on one of the routes on Number Three Gully Buttress, or Creag Coire na Ciste. We decided on Green Gully, a popular classic. After a couple of pitches to get to the first ice pitch things were going swimmingly. I was half way up the pitch, when it started - the heavy spindrift, lasting for about a minute at a time, making it impossible to see my axes in my hands, or my hands! After about 4 of these, I was unable to make upward progress, so climbed down :( . We then abseiled off, to fight another day. A team that started earlier than us did manage to avoid this particular volley of falls, and made it to the top of Green Gully. The ice I did was of great climbing quality. A climbing team of 2 set off for No. 2 Gully - hopefully a good outcome for them. Ed Chard climbed North Gully.

We set off for the Gulch above the CIC hut. Hannah led a pitch. We met Ian Hey with his clients. And then met Alan Kimber with his 2 clients - they were successful on Point 5 Gully, reporting gaps in the ice in some places, but a strong lead led to the top.

The weather was as forecast with near whiteout conditions at times. The wind transported a great deal of new snow, and a lot of deep slab has built up. Make your choices tomorrow carefully - SAIS Lochaber, Glencoe.