Fun On The Ben

A really busy Point 5 Gully on the RHS and Orion and Minus Faces

I got up a little late, a great start, and even worse - I turned the computer on! So by the time I got away from that, it was 10am when I left my van in the North Face Car Park. I had a plan to do Tower Ridge, knowing that it would be in great condition. By the time I could see Orion Face and the Minus face I couldn't believe how busy it was - many many dots slowly moving their way up the face, probably half of them wearing belay jackets. I met Craig and Anna, who were heading up Observatory Gully looking for ice. He told me a few of the details of the fatality on the Ben the day before - my condolences to all family and friends.

Teams on Minus One Gully (pitch 1) and Astronomy (2 belayed on buttress)

You can see the teams on Minus One, Astronomy and the Orion Face

I got to the Douglas Boulder Gap and found the Chimney in great condition, and much more icy than I had expected, I was expecting to be hooking on rock, not ice! 10 mins later I passed a couple having fun on the route. They were atop the little tower, which was again climbed using icy hooks rather than rock - and so was the theme for the climb, ice and more ice. I've never found the route to be so iced up, at this point I wondered how the later cruxes would go.

Trident Buttresses. I looked at the routes to decide what to do later. I used this photo to help navigate myself through the terrain of Central Gully on South Trident Buttress

The icy Douglas Gap Chimney

The Eastern Traverse - a thin path has developed, which has a downclimb half way along, to the second half, which again is a narrow path

Zac Poulton taking photos. Here you can see the downclimb on the Eastern Traverse

Me on the Eastern Traverse - Thank you to Zac Poulton for the photo (www.mountainzblog.blogspot.co.uk)

I met Zac at the start of the Eastern Traverse with Jude. The traverse was stepped, narrow and exciting - brilliant. The tunnel round the corner was full and so I climbed up and over to the final steep pitch to get to the top of the Great Tower. This steep pitch was the crux of my day. The normal rock hooks were iced up, so it was a matter of finding a few good ice hooks you could trust - a few pulls and it was done. I caught up with the French team at the gap. I don't know what they were shouting, but it sounded quite exciting! Once they had passed through, it was my turn. I knew how I was expecting to climb the gap, but the iced rock and verglas in places changed my ideas. The normal rock hooks were chocked with neve, which made them feel even better, then I found the iced corner on the RHS with ice hooks all the way up - so I climbed the gap on the RHS for the first time - brilliant.

Craig McDonald and Anna high in Observatory Gully heading for Tower Gully

French team of 3 crossing the gap from Max Hunter on Vimeo.

Looking down Tower Gap - can't quite see the team of 3 on Glover's Chimney

The Gap from Max Hunter on Vimeo.

Lookin back at the Great Tower waiting for Zac to pop up

Zac Poulton running to the top of the Great Tower from Max Hunter on Vimeo.

Zac and Jude having lunch on the Great Tower before the Tower Gap crossing. Here is the team high on Glover's Chimney, the leader now making his way up to the peg belay.

I decided to go down a very easy Number 4 to the Trident Buttresses and look for Central Gully. I was my first time on this route, so I had to find it etc, but it seemed pretty straight forward. I got to the ice column which was incomplete, so I by-passed it on the left to find the belay (ab station) in the photo. The next slabs looked interesting, but the cruddy neve was deep enough over the slabs to feel secure - and so to the top.A great route.

The in-situ belay half way up Central Gully

Looking up at the route from the in-situ belay. The slabs look thinly iced

After a brilliant day - I was able to walk down a well stepped Ledge Route. Do days on the Ben get better than this? Discuss on UKC.

Ledge route is stepped so made for an easy walk down

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.

A Day On The Ben

Eastern Traverse on Tower Ridge

That was it - Eastern Traverse in May

Stunning scenery at the top

Looking down Glover's Chimney from Tower Gap - can you spot the climbing team low on the route?

Loch Linnhe and Loch Eil in the distance

The North face was very quiet. I had the route to myself and then summiting to find a croud at the top

The initial ice pitch on North Gully

Number 3 Gully

The weather looked like it was going to be amazing today, light winds, sunny, freezing levels below the summits, so I obviously had to go on the Ben to do as much as possibe. So somehow I had a late start and didn't get out of the car in the North Face Car Park until 10am ! But conditions were great. As I walked in I saw a team starting on the Comb, and Glovers Chimney. Alan Kimber and Spike were eyeing up Smiths Route, but settled for Point 5, which looked awesome.
I liked the look of Tower Ridge, so made a start. I had the whole ridge to myself, and it was in fine form. There was a layer of fresh snow from yesterday, but still the neve underneath was awesome. I enjoyed every minute, but bizarrely found myself thinking about paddling at one point! I got to the summit at 2pm, so I had time to do North Gully and Number 3 Gully, because, why not !! On my third time down Number 4 I wondered if I had the energy to do another. No ! Back to the car by 6pm. Awesome.