Aonach Mor

Sue and Alex Ekins

Jagged Globe - Intro to Winter Mountaineering

Will

Today we took the Intro to Winter Mountaineering course to Aonach Mor. The Gondola wasn't running - not a surprise really, it was predicted to be a windy day - so we started our day with a walk. There were also some climbers heading up to the East Face for a climb too. At the end of the day, the climbers said they got down Easy Gully, but didn't climb anything due to poor snow quality. We headed up to Aonach an Nid and found lots of snow. It was snowing with a strong westerly wind, so there was a great deal of snow being transported about. There were patches of slab building, but initially these were easy to spot and avoid. We started the day with building a couple of emergency snow shelters, including a shovel up.

Moving on steeper ground

Mark on steep ground

Sue about to get over the edge

We got onto a little steeper ground, still avoiding the slab patches. When we topped out onto the ridge, we were still able to avoid the scarp slope slab, and new slab on most of the lip.

Climbing over the edge on Aonach Mor from Max Hunter on Vimeo.

The wind picked up and made life exciting for the team - most people reached for their goggles. At the end of a great week, I think people have found new hobbies in indoor climbing, outdoor winter climbing and winter mountaineering.

Other teams were climbing on the Ben, Ed Chard climbed North Gully and Andy Owen climbed Green Gully. There's still a great deal of winter up there to go at.

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

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.

Pinnacle Arete

The light after dawn on the Ben

I met up with Andy Stotesbury again for another headtorch start on the Ben. We decided to go and have a look at the Trident Buttresses. There was a slight dusting of new snow on the black crags, and there was verglas on many rocks.

Looking up Number 5 Gully, showing Carn Dearg Buttress

The mountain was quiet initially, but we saw several teams on Tower Ridge, at least 2 teams in Green Gully, and several teams on Number 3 Gully Buttress.

Andy Stotesbury looking at our route. Creag Coire na Ciste behind.

Douglas Boulder, and the dusted buttresses

Green gully and Number 3 Gully Buttress

Andy starting off on pitch 1 of Pinnacle Arete (IV,4*), at the far right end of the middle terrace, overlooking the steep north wall of the buttress. This turned out to be the crux, at what we estimated to be tech 5/6 and poorly protected.

We did choose Pinnacle arete, even though the book says 'the grade assumes some consolidated snow'. What snow there was, was mostly good neve, the turf was frozen and there was some ice which was good. I used 2 screws on the route, and I was very glad of the bulldog. Going right round the corner and then up to the end of the first pitch turned out to be the, hard at the grade, crux. The rocks were all verglassed, and often the feet were on icy smears. The hooks were good enough, and there was even a jug that you could hold and look at the exposure beneath your feet - to the snow apron below the north face.

Near the end of pitch 1. Looking down the steep north wall of South Trident Buttress. The southern pond of Coire na Ciste, is in the top left corner.

Part of pitch 2

Andy off on pitch 3

From the top of the route looking over to Number 4 Gully, with a couple standing next to the Number 4 gully post.

Another great route on the Ben, and I'd probably give it 2 stars. It was a great chance to hang out at the belays and check out the action in the rest of Coire na Ciste.

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.