No. 4

Here we go.... Day 5 of the first Jagged Globe 'Intro to Mountaineering' Scottish winter course of 2011. In the morning only 2 clients wanted the challenge of tackling Number 4 gully on the Ben, so I took them in my van and made a dash for Lochaber... We were joined by Dave Percy, MIC trainee, who is prepping for his assessment in a few weeks. My clients, Rob and Dan had fitness to spare. I found out today that Dan is an Australian Rowing Olympian - so he definitely had fitness to spare!

Here we are - 20m from the top of Number 4 Gully on the Ben - it's only a grade I gully, but today was capped by a tricky cornice!!! Yesterday (Thursay) Stu from PYB cut this narrow slot into the cornice to help everybody get down (including a skier - who then carved excellent turns straight down the gully). I guess I could have made an effort to make the slot bigger to get up - but that would obviously reduce the challenge for Rob and Dan - so it stayed narrow and Rob and Dan had an 'adventure' getting up!!!

Here Rob is discovering the fun of battling with a cornice. At one point the feet had a choice of air or soft powder snow - eventually after 5 minutes of hysterical laughing we got Rob up - with Tim Blackmore's WML team watching from above!

Tim's team of WML trainees prep to classic abseil down over the cornice.

Dave Percy had fun on the cornice as we all did, and will be fine on his MIC assessment :)

North Gully

First pitch of North Gully (II**)

This week I'm working for Jagged Globe. Check out their blog here. I'm working on a winter mountaineering course. I started today, but this is day 3 of their course. Tony Halliwell is directing the course. I was teamed up with Rob and Dan. We headed to the Ben with a few plans, but when we got there we decided upon North Gully, and Tony's team went for Moonlight Gully (II*).

Rob and Dan

There is a little new snow, with a few accumulations in places, but this could easily be spotted and avoided. The neve is again rock hard, and lots of ice still exists. North Gully was in great condition.

Rob in red, Dan in Green

The cornice is large and the exit is very steep - lots of people have tackled it with ice screws

I got to the cornice and tried the direct cornice exit. There are lots of screw holes, where the escape is a 2-3m vertical wall. I didn't fancy it, so went for the 30m R traverse to where the cornice stops.

I went for the traverse to the RHS where the cornice stops

Topping out

Number 4 gully is in easy condition

We quickly nipped down number 4 gully, and so ended a great day. As we were leaving the weather seemed to be on the turn, the winds seemed to be picking up, and more snow was on it's way down.... How will it look by the end of tomorrow? Tony had a great time on Moonlight Gully and came down Number 5 Gully.

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.

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.