Thompson's Route And Watching A Grade X Acsent !

Mark Hendry, Andy Stotesbury and I headed on a fantastic day into the Ben, to 'have a look'! First day for us to climb together, and Mark is in full prep mode for his MIC assess, so what would we go for... In the end we plumped for Thompson's Route (IV,4***) on Number Three Gully Buttress. Here Mark is finishing the steep section of pitch 1. Today Andy was sporting his brand new Quarks - very impressive!

Greg Boswell on The Banshee (V,5*). Look at his Blog . So this was on our left and on our right, a german team were in full attack mode on Greg Boswell's new X - to the left of the secret, round the corner.. A lot to distract us from our route. Especially when we heard a scream and the german leader fell off the X - dropping an axe in the process. They calmly lowered to the belay... - and set off again...

Mark finishing one of the steep sections of pitch two.

Mark is finishing the steepest section of pitch 2. He's managed to do it without bridging out to his right. I was all over the bridge.

At last Mark's turn to lead on pitch 3.

Here is the German team after they both got to the top of the X (don't know it's name - only 4 weeks old?). The route takes the wall (overhanging?) in the sun below and slightly left of the team. Their photographer got all the action - we'll have to wait 'till the magazines to see if he got the fall...

The route starts a little below the shadow on the left wall.

Mark and Andy stride off towards No.4 for an easy descent.

Mark and Andy watching people crossing the gap on Tower ridge.

Andy and Mark. It was a great day... So we'll go out tom (Friday) somewhere too...

Smith's Route

Smith's Route (V,5****) in the centre of the photo

I met Andy Stotesbury for another day on the Ben, and we went off to check out Smith's Route. The mountain was much quieter than the busy weekend. We saw several teams on Tower Ridge, Tower Scoop, Gardyloo Gully, another team on Smith's after us (sorry for the ice on your heads!), Green Gully and White Line. We got to the climb, and the ice looked terrific, and the neve was solid all over the mountain. I was first up, and led up to the cave. There was almost a path of hooks on the way up. The ice was solid and thick - taking long screws. When I got to the cave - it was dry with no dripping - a day for the softshell!

The ice cave belay at the end of the first pitch.

Andy on the first pitch

Andy arriving at the belay

Andy starting off on the second pitch out of the cave - The Icicle Variation

Andy set off on the second pitch and again there were some brilliant hero hooks. The icicle on the left was solid, and again took long screws. I had time in the cave to watch 2 teams making good progress up Tower Ridge and a team top out on Tower Scoop. Eventually I had to leave the cave and do some climbing - which turned out to be a brilliant pitch.

A team topped out on Tower Ridge

As I topped out I met Scott Kirkhope who was working.

Rock hard neve everywhere

Andy off to the summit

On our way down to Number 4 gully

Glover's Chimney across to Green Gully, Cascade in the middle

We came down Number 4 gully, which is a very easy angle at the moment, and saw climbers on White Line and Green Gully.

Panorama of Ben Nevis summit after Smith's Route from Max Hunter on Vimeo.

Good Friday Climb

Incomplete Point 5 Gully, Observatory Buttress, Smith's Route, Tower Scoop

I teamed up with Andy Stotesbury to have a look at the Ben today. After a headtorch start we nearly made it first into Observatory Gully, but were beaten to it by Rocio and Ben. They took a look at Smith's Route but decided it was a little thin with water running behind - so they left it, as did we - off to plan b. However, Kenny, Guy and John went up Smith's on the Icicle variation.

Orion Faces, Observatory Ridge, Point 5 Gully

Point 5 is still not there - or Zero, and the lower section of Observatory ridge looks like it almost has zero snow, as does the lower section of NE Buttress.

Smith's Route

Andy Stotesbury with Tower Gap behind

We opted for Good Friday Climb, to give us something from the day, as neither of us had done it before. We found another team on it, who told us about their successful string of climbs over the last week.

The traverse of Good Friday Climb (III***). Andy about to start across the traverse - just unclipping from the in-situ nut.

The second pitch of Good Friday Climb

The whole climb had some great neve, but also a great deal of ice crusted sugar snow. The traverse in particular had that booming hollow sound for the feet, below the ice crust, and the ice was not always good for screws. The main ice after the traverse, however was on the most part good and thick in places.

The summit

Little Brenva Face in Coire Leis

We came down via the abseil posts into Coire Leis to check out the Little Brenva Face.

People were climbing Tower Scoop, Good Friday Climb, a team gearing up below Indicator Wall (climbed?), Smith's Route(?), Tower Gully, Tower Ridge.