Birthday On The Ben

Lucy having fun on the Eastern Traverse

Today the Robinwood (Robinwood Activity Centres) staff headed off to a number of venues, including swimming and shopping. Tony Halliwell headed off to the Aonach Eagach traverse with a bunch of staff, whilst I went off to The Ben, with 9 staff, all mad keen on getting up Tower Ridge.

Chockstone Pitch

There was thick cloud over Ben Nevis for most of the day, so we had poor visibilty for most of the climb. The rock was wet and slimey for the start of the day, but a couple of hours later it was soon dry. We started to get fleeting glimpses of the scenery around us, and as the cameras came out the window in the mist closed, and the view was gone.

Civvy and Stan

Lucy walking across a dry catwalk to the Tower Gap

Ben walking to the gap

A busy Tower Gap with Robinwood staff

Yet another amazing day on Tower Ridge. The team, especially Ben Westwood worked hard all day, and it turned out to be a long day for the 10 of us, getting back to the van at 7pm. Thank you to the Robinwood Staff Tower Ridge Team for making my Birthday memorable - Cheers...

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

Good Friday Climb

Incomplete Point 5 Gully, Observatory Buttress, Smith's Route, Tower Scoop

I teamed up with Andy Stotesbury to have a look at the Ben today. After a headtorch start we nearly made it first into Observatory Gully, but were beaten to it by Rocio and Ben. They took a look at Smith's Route but decided it was a little thin with water running behind - so they left it, as did we - off to plan b. However, Kenny, Guy and John went up Smith's on the Icicle variation.

Orion Faces, Observatory Ridge, Point 5 Gully

Point 5 is still not there - or Zero, and the lower section of Observatory ridge looks like it almost has zero snow, as does the lower section of NE Buttress.

Smith's Route

Andy Stotesbury with Tower Gap behind

We opted for Good Friday Climb, to give us something from the day, as neither of us had done it before. We found another team on it, who told us about their successful string of climbs over the last week.

The traverse of Good Friday Climb (III***). Andy about to start across the traverse - just unclipping from the in-situ nut.

The second pitch of Good Friday Climb

The whole climb had some great neve, but also a great deal of ice crusted sugar snow. The traverse in particular had that booming hollow sound for the feet, below the ice crust, and the ice was not always good for screws. The main ice after the traverse, however was on the most part good and thick in places.

The summit

Little Brenva Face in Coire Leis

We came down via the abseil posts into Coire Leis to check out the Little Brenva Face.

People were climbing Tower Scoop, Good Friday Climb, a team gearing up below Indicator Wall (climbed?), Smith's Route(?), Tower Gully, Tower Ridge.