Snow And Ice Course - Raeburn's (Got The Hex Out!)

Jagged Globe - Snow and Ice Climbing Course

Today was the start of the 5 day Jagged Globe Snow and Ice Climbing course for Alistair, Ian and Catherine. Gaz took Alistair out to SCNL and got onto Twisting Gully Right Fork and Moonshadow. I got onto Raeburn's Route, partly because it was the right route for Ian and Catherine today and partly because I wanted my yellow hex back that was left on the route on Saturday (Ian got it - thank you). It was less windy than Saturday but the wind was much colder than the weekend. The routes are truly in amazing condition and everything feels easy for the grade - as long as you go the right way! At the end of the day I saw a team starting up SC Gully and the leader got to the end of the cul-de-sac and missed the right traverse to the ramp, and went straight up instead. We watched as he made it to the end of the rocky section to get back on route - phew, apparently a team did this on Saturday too - is this common?

Ian at the end of the main pitch

Catherine

Ian at the top

Catherine - mini celebration

Oddly light winds at the top

An interesting belay in SC gully

Looking into SC from near the top of Raeburn's

The lead climber in SC is off route (he missed the step right after the tat belay) and is moving really slowly over the rocky ground. Raeburn's on the right hand side. A team finishing Dorsal Arete on the left hand side.

There is a large amount of rime at the moment (although not quite as much as Saturday)

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.

Stob Coire nan Lochan

Stob Coire nan Lochan

Jagged Globe - Intro to Winter Mountaineering

Today the team headed for Stob Coire nan Lochan. The rain wasn't quite so bad today, and the wind was significantly less than yesterday. We got to the Coire and focused on movement skills. We saw the debris from recent avalanches out of some of the gullies.

John, Danny and Dora

SC Gully - bits of ice were falling out of it as I was looking at it

Raeburn's Route (Ordinary Route - central buttress)

This was the first day in crampons for John and he picked it up really fast - moving efficiently and confidently. We had a great sliding session with ice axe arresting, and for a couple of hours I forgot it was raining!

Through The Pearly Gates

Julia and Phil on pitch 1 of Pearly Gates

Jagged Globe - Winter Mountaineering

Today I met Julia and Phil on day 2 of their course. They had never climbed with 2 axes before but were up for adventure. We got up to the basin of the SCNL coire and we could just about choose any climb we fancied. People were heading up towards Boomerang Gully, Dorsal Arete, Langsam, NC Gully, Twisting Gully, SC Gully etc - so we went for Pearly Gates (II**) on the summit buttress, slightly up from Langsam. I started pitch 1 just to the left of the true Pearly Gates start because the ice looked good for an ice belay, and it would make the climb a little longer. The 2 screw belay was good, and I headed off to find the 'gates'. We made it to the top in 4 pitches. As I topped out into the sun, I suddenly overheated - the priorities were to make the belay fast, then get the 2 jackets, hat and gloves off - phew! Well done to Julia and Phil for their first winter climb - it was a pretty special day - good company, amazing neve, ice, a new climb for me and the weather !!!

Ice belay - end of pitch 1

Belay at the entrance to the gates

Andy and 2 clients on Dorsal Arete

The start of the last pitch

Phil topping out on the SCNL summit ridge with Ben Nevis behind

Of course we had to go to the summit and get all the normal photos - Buachaille Etive Mor behind

Vicky makes it to the summit and joins the party

SUN !!!!

Pearly Gates in the centre of the photo, on the flank of SCNL

A second climbing up SC Gully on the last pitch

SC Gully

SC Gully (III***) today

The Jagged Globe Snow and Ice Climbing Course today headed for Stob Coire Nan Lochan in Glencoe. Ed Chard did Twisting Gully and I wanted to do Raeburn's Route. There was a team on the route, moving slow, so I headed for a thin looking SC Gully. There was a team on it, but high up. I did bring screws, on the off chance, so I thought I'd take a look.

Some snow and ice from the higher team - a little hit Tariq on the nose

Pitch 1 was too thin for screws unfortunately, but there were a couple of hooks in the ice which were nice. Even though it didn't take screws it felt more secure than past ascents.

Tariq on the first pitch

Fred

Fred relaxing - but his calves working hard

Pitch 2 was a little rocky, but when there was neve it was usually solid.

Looking down after the rocky crux

The crux was rocky and not the standard grade III, but there was a clear hook, clear footholds, and eventually solid neve leading to the final ice line - but yet again, not deep enough for screws.

Tariq finishes it off

The exit was friendly on the left hand side. So, now Tariq and Fred have had 2 days of ice, and 2 days on mixed - what'll they choose for tomorrow?

SC Gully

Ben on his way up pitch 1

Ben abseiling down to the start of the route

I met Ben at the Jagged Globe Scottish base, and he wanted to climb something about grade 3, but also learn about rope management, the technical side of climbing, and if possible how to retreat off a climb - so off to Stob Coire Nan Lochan we went. We found SC Gully in reasonable condition, and not too busy, so we jumped on it and spent the day playing with ropes, belays, and finally multiple stacked abseils. A great day considering the weather forecast wasn't too inspiring.

SC Gully

SC Gully is the steep, deep gully in the cliff slightly right of centre. You can see a climber climbing up towards it. They got there before us (they walked in with headtorches)

Looking up pitch 1 on SC Gully from the first belay. The pitch takes the ice fall left of centre


Lena arriving at the belay after the first ice fall. Another team climbs in below to start the gully


Lena belaying as I start the thrid pitch


Looking down pitch 3. Lena pulls over the pitch 3 ice fall.


Looking down from the final run to the top

Today was forecast to have stunning weather. I woke early to see the clear sky and a full set of stars. I hoped the sky would stay clear to give a cloudless day. The clouds that developed stayed high over Glencoe and the visibility was stunning.

We parked and saw a team with headtorches high above us on the path (but no car in the car park?). We walked quickly and by the time we arrived in the basin the team had set up below SC Gully. But they were 40 mins ahead of us - so we continued on our plan to climb the gully. The route was in awesome condition. The ice was a bit chopped out by so many previous ascents, but still deep enough for screws.

The cornice at the top had a gap well developed, so the exit was easy. A terrific climb and well worth it's 3 stars.

We had a couple of hours left before Lena had to get to work, not enough time to do Twisting Gully, but time for something quick...