Number 4 Gully

The team heading up to the snow

The Jagged Globe Mountaineering team had their last day on Friday and it was their first day on the North Side of the Ben. We headed for a grade 1 gully - Number 4. This would be a good test for the team - they only put crampons on for the first time on Monday.

Getting geared up in Coire na Ciste

Again we were lucky to have the great weather, and so we spent the day enjoying the views. There were a lot of other teams about, but mostly high on the ice.

Dave, Freya and Sharon on their way up

The team looked a lot more relaxed on the steeper slopes, compared to their first steep slope on Monday. It didn't take long for them to improve.

Number 4 Gully in the distance

Some big cornice cracks at the top of Number 4 gully

Dave

Dave was loving it as he battled through the calf pain on the way to the top. His knee held out well this week, and he managed a quick walk back to the van.

Freya

Freya is now ready for the intermediate course next year - Winter Mountaineering - where she can get into the grade II's and III's.

Sharon

After 2 weeks, Sharon is finding it a breeze and she intends to walk up the tourist path on Saturday to make best use of the fine weather - not even a day off after 2 weeks.

The end of a great week

Thank you to the team for a great week, and a good way to finish the season. However there is still lots to do on the Ben, so what'll it be for me next week - rock shoes or winter boots?

Curved Ridge

Chris

Working for Jagged Globe today, I took Chris and Stefan on their last day of their course to Curved Ridge, unfortunately in the rain. The rain was initially heavy but it was forecast to ease off as the day moved on, so we'd be fine. Unfortunately there isn't any snow on the ridge any more, so it was a 'summer' ascent. There were a few other teams on the climb including Zac, who got up and off early.

Chris with Stefan behind

Chris found Number 2 Gully 'exciting' the other day, so he was definitely exhilarated by todays climb. Stefan was relaxed and composed as ever. Before this week Chris was backcountry skiing in Asia, and it'll be France next week, followed by Greenland in a few weeks, hopefully this weeks fun will last in his memory for a while. This was Stefan's first taste of Scottish mountaineering, and I hope he'll be back for more.


There was no need for our crampoons today.

Pose for the photos

The remaining snow in Coire na Tulaich

We did use our axes in the upper bowl at the end of Curved Ridge, before Crowberry Gap, but the team after us avoided this snow by heading over to the next ridge. On the way down we deliberately went onto the remaining snow in Coire na Tulaich, to show that Chris's and Stefan's abilities and confidence had grown over the week.

Winter Mountaineering - Day 1

The team moving towards steep ground

This week I'm working for Jagged Globe on a Winter Mountaineering week. We went to Nevis Range and the Aonach an Nid ridge - as did several others mountaineering teams and a team of Ski Mountaineers. We soon got onto some ground a little steeper, but always in the mist. At the top we got the ropes out and started looking at anchors and use of the rope.

The snow at the edge of the Aonach an Nid ridge

There was a little rain and then drizzle today, but not much to mention. The mist was persistant but added to the atmosphere today. It was good to have a day of very little wind or rain for a change (but unfortunately high temperatures!).

Best wishes to everybody on assessment this week...

Ben Nevis, Or Maybe Not

The Ben on Friday at about 11.30am

Jagged Globe - Winter Mountaineering

So on Friday we decided to go climb on Ben Nevis, on one of the lower climbs - the wind was due to be strong. As I was driving to work I could feel the strength of the wind, and then battling with the minibus over the bridge made my eyes open a little, so it wasn't too much of a surprise when people were being blown over on the path up to the CIC. In a bit of a huddle (reminiscent of rugby) we decided to go down. We eventually found sanctuary in a cafe and then the Ice Factor for some final box ticking of ropework and movement coaching before the course wound up at the end of the week.

Thank you to Dan, Peter, Ruth, Dan, John and Barry for good company and a great week. Best wishes to Peter on Tough Mudder.

Winter Mountaineering On The Nid

John and Barry

Jagged Globe - Winter Mountaineering

On Monday I met Barry, John, Ruth, Dan, Dan and Peter for the start of their Winter Mountaineering week. We made our way up the Gondola and over to the Aonach an Nid. We found that the snow had frozen hard again over night, and was way too hard for any ice axe arrest practice, or even self belaying, so the crampons went on early and we started to work on movement. We looked at rock, ice and neve steep ground, eventually topping out on the ridge. We tied into some ropes and belayed each other over the steep edges for a bit of practice. This was a good start to the week, and we hope to soon get the team on some graded ground. The snow stayed hard all day above the Gondola station (650m).

John on something a little steeper

Ruth laughing too much to climb over the top

Peter - first time to Scotland

Barry about to do battle with a mini steep finish

Dan making sure the axes go in

Intro To Winter Mountaineering, Day 2 - Sunday

Tim on his way up the Twin Ribs

Glenmore Lodge - Introduction to Winter Mountaineering

On the second day (Sunday) of the winter mountaineering course Tim, Chris, Gareth,  Elliot and I headed off to the Twin Ribs in Coire an t-Sneachda. This was a close venue to help Gareth make a quick exit at lunchtime to catch his flight home. We looked at some simple ropework, different types of anchor and belay techniques, before we did what Chris was looking forward to - a small abseil.

For the second day in a row the thaw was making the snow soft, but still Aladdin's Mirror Direct was climbed as well as most of the usual suspect mixed climbs.

Chris climbing up to the belay

Gareth making his way off to catch a flight

Mess of Pottage

Aladdin's and Fluted Buttresses

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!

Glencoe in the rain

This week I'm working for Jagged Globe on a Intro to Winter Mountaineering Course. After a good introduction to the course we headed for Glencoe and Buachaille Etive Beag. The forecast this morning said the rain would be incessant, and the forecast was right! There were also powerful gusts of wind, which nearly picked up some of the team. In the end we decided to change plans, and have a lower level navigation training day - which turned out to be a great plan for the team. We introduced some of the basic navigational tools they'll be using later in the week.

We're looking forward to tomorrow with reduced wind speeds and rain which will be 'drizzle' rather than 'incessant'.

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