25th June 2009 With an early finish required Radek and I had a leisurely breakfast followed by a leisurely climb of the Arete des Cosmiques. This very popular ridge startes next to the hut and is a brilliant route directly to the Aiguille du Midi telepherique station. A great way to finish a very successful trip to start the alpine summer season.
24th June 2009 With the good weather holding Radek and I went over to the Torino Hut for an easier day after our climb on Aiguille du Chardonnet. We did a short route on the N Face of Aiguille du Toule which gave a few pitches of moderate snow and ice and a great view from the top. Starting at 4am from the Torino Hut we got to the Tour Ronde N Face very quickly and climbed the Decorps Perroux (North) Couloir. This is slightly harder (D+) than the classic north face and has several pitches up great ice in an open and mixed couloir. The upper slopes next to the N Face were very soft by the time we got there as it was far warmer than a couple of days ago. We stayed on the rocks and enjoyed the complete ridge over the top of the N Face, soaking up every bit of the immense exposure! The quick descent from the Coll Freshfield was well covered in snow and we plodded back up to the Cosmiques Hut for our last night.
22nd June 2009 A 2am start from the Albert 1re Hut got us across the Tour Glacier and the foot of the N Buttress of Aiguille du Chardonnet in three hours. The climb was in excellent condition with great neve all the way. We didn't touch rock once apart from when we wanted to belay! It was a bit misty all the way up but we caught glimpses of the view from the summit. The descent was quite straight forward but there were one or two pillows of windslab in the gully.
21st June 2009 We've had a good dry spell with just occasional wet days for the last couple of weeks. A frontal system brought some rain to the west coast over the last couple of days which arrived in Chamonix at the same time as Radek and I got there! It cleared through very quickly though and we had a good walk through to the Cabane du Trient for our first night in the huts. We climbed the Aiguille du Tour for a warm up, going up to the N summit from the Fenetre du Pissoir. This is a really nice wee route with a couple if pitches in a great position with nobody else around. The crowds tend to stick with the S summit. We had a fantastic view of our next objective, the N Buttress (Migot) of Aiguille du Chardonnet.
7th June 2009 With the sun already risen by 5am we had a good breakfast and set off again. Straight into the scrambling and short pitches of grade Difficult climbing on Sgurr a Mhadaidh we made great progress again and got to Am Basteir before anyone had walked up from the glen. Naismith's Route was perfectly dry and sensationally exposed. The west ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean is always a great finish to the full traverse and we enjoyed some warm sunshine on the last summit before heading down to the Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle. Another excellent traverse, the fourth for me this spring and the last for a while. We have free slots over the summer so do get in touch if you'd like to have a go at Britain's greatest mountaineering challenge!
6th June 2009 Mercifully it was far cooler on the Cuillin Ridge than during the week. The cold airstream from Siberia took hold and produced quite a cold wind but it stayed dry this far out to the west. Angus, Mark and I made excellent progress in the good conditions and made it to An Dorus via the TD Gap, Kings Chimney and Inaccessible Pinnacle with no hold-ups and needing only 2ltrs of water each. There was a little drizzle at the bivi site and it was quite a cold night but there certainly weren't any midges!
4th June 2009 The temperature has dropped a little but it is still very warm in the sun and completely dry on the west coast. Alasdair, Stuart and I had a warm down day on the Aonach Eagach after our adventures on Skye. It was interesting doing this straight after the Cuillin Ridge so we could gauge one against the other. We decided the Aonach Eagach is just as exposed as most of the Cuillin ridge but is certainly a step down in difficulty. We raced along in five hours from car to car and descended straight towards the road junction from the last Munro. This route is now cairned at the top and is very worn so it is very easy to find and follow. It is probably the best way down if you are heading back up Glencoe to get your car but carrying on towards the Pap of Glencoe is better if you are going to the Clachaig to finish!
3rd June 2009 Yet another hot and sunny day on Skye with a slightly cooler breeze taking the worst of the heat away. After two big days on a full traverse Alasdair, Stuart and I relaxed with a trip up the Cioch in Coire Laggan. This fantastic piece of rock sculpture is climbed by a circuitous route up Collie's Route on the edge of the Cioch Slab. A dyke is then descended back down to the narrow neck which joins the Cioch to the rest of the mountain. Some serious a cheval techniques then get you onto the best picnic spot in Scotland!
2nd June 2009 We made an early (6am) start to make the most of the cooler conditions and got along to Bruach na Frithe very quickly. The stunning views over clouds rolling around in the glens beneath us spurred us on. In fact we were on Sgurr nan Gillean just after 1pm and had descended to the Sligachan by 4pm, a very quick time indeed!
1st June 2009 The hot and sunny theme was certainly with us for a traverse of the Cuillin Ridge with Alasdair and Stuart. It was hard work in the heat and staying sufficiently hydrated was the key to managing it at all. We went from south to north and avoided the TD Gap by traversing around to the bad step on Sgurr Alasdair after taking more water from Coire an Grunda. My regular water source from the W side of Sgurr an Greadaidh from our camp at the col to its south was full of water (if you know where to look) and we had a very warm and still night with the midges!
30th May 2009 The outdoor capital was at its best today with unbroken hot sunshine all day. Many people headed for the beautiful white sand beaches near Arisaig which are very easy to get to now with the opening of the two lane road. Looking out to the islands of Rum (in the picture), Eigg and Skye, these beaches offer just one more way to experience the outdoors. There is great walking and scrambling on Rum which can be accessed by ferry from Arisaig or Mallaig. It's also great rock climbing weather just now with a breeze to keep the midges off. There are one or two snow patches on top of Ben Nevis but only on easier angles if you are on the Mountain Track or going around the Carn Mor Dearg Arete. Under the North Face there are still large areas of snow and getting to some of the buttresses and ridges will require an ice axe still. I'm off to Skye again next week and we're promised sunny weather to start and really not bad but much cooler from Wednesday onwards.
27th May 2009 What a great way to bag a couple more Munros! John-Paul and I climbed Agag's Groove on Buachaille Etive Mor before walking out to the far munro, Stob na Broige. It was a bit wet and windy to start but being sheltered from a westerly, Rannoch Wall is a good place to be. Also the rock there is very clean and positive with excellent edges and ledges. John-Paul and I both climbed Agag's Groove in big boots and got on fine despite the damp conditions because of the excellent rock which also has very good protection. Work is being done on the paths on top of Buachaille Etive Mor and through the Lairig Eilde. Thanks should go to National Trust for Scotland for their great work in Glencoe.
22nd May 2009 This morning stayed mostly dry and the clouds cleared as the day went on with more and more sunshine coming through. It was a great end to the ML Training Course with a walk over Garbh Bheinn from our camp not far below it. We met one other walker who said we were the first people she had met in a whole week of hill walking! Garbh Bheinn is a fantastic hill to walk on - the ground is very rough and craggy with continuous little rocky steps to play on. The views down to the islands in Loch Linnhe are great and there is barely a path anywhere!
21st May 2009 A very nice morning gave way to a wet afternoon and evening for the first day of our expedition on the ML Training Course. We went to Garbh Bheinn of Ardgour which always feels like an adventure with the ferry ride to start. We walked over Sgorr Mhic Eacharna and Beinn Bheag before setting up or wild camp near Loch na Dearcag. After a few hours rest for dinner we set off again for two hours of navigation in the dark and the rain!
20th May 2009 More showery weather today but with long bright spells in between. On the ML Training Course at Lochaber College we looked at managing accidents and incidents, mountain rescue, route planning, water hazards and stream crossings. There is a reasonable amount of water in the burns at the moment and the ground is quite wet. The mountain crags will be quite wet from the usual weeps due to the regular showersbut there are many climbs on the valley crags that dry out very quickly. Even on showery days you can get a good day of climbing at Polldubh because some the climbs dry out in ten minutes after the rain has stopped.
19th May 2009 Another couple of showers this morning gave way to a bright and sunny afternoon. On the ML Training Course we covered emergency ropework including lowering people down steep mixed ground and abseiling. We went to Glenachulish and the superb granite beneath Sgurr Dhonuill. The showery theme will be with us for another couple of days as the depression to the NW tries to make up its mind which way to go next.
18th May 2009 The showers did arrive as forecast today but we had a relatively dry morning for the second day of the ML Training Course. Leadership and group management were the focus especially in steep and difficult terrain. We went to the SW Rib of Meall an t'Suidhe which has some lovely scrambling on granite in a fantastic setting. We went over the top and down another gully back to Achintee to finish. This is an excellent option for a short day as the walk in is only half an hour and it is a very quick descent straight back to the car.
17th May 2009 Despite the forecast, it stayed dry for the first day of the Summer ML Training course I am running at Lochaber College. The showers and rain this afternoon didn't appear, instead we had a dry day with a blustery E wind for our introduction to navigation on Beinn na Gucaig above Lundavra Farm. You get fantastic views from here onto the south side of Ben Nevis and down Loch Linnhe to Mull in the opposite direction. Spike and Grace were on Ben Nevis enjoying the view as well. There are still considerable snow patches on the Mountain Track at the top of the zig zags and on the summit which will freeze hard on frosty mornings. Looks like the showery theme is due to stay with us this week.
15th May 2009
Our nice high pressure system has slipped away to the north and cloudy, showery weather has returned. It was more dry then wet today but might be the other way around over the weekend with snow falling on the tops.
13th May 2009 The wind was a bit blustery over night but at sunrise it was a steady, cool breeze. The sun was up before anyone got away and Bill, Kenny and I were straight into the climbing again with the four tops of Sgurr a'Mhadaidh. We made excellent progress again and climbed Naismith's Route on Am Basteir before finishing with Sgurr nan Gillean. We descended via Bheallach na Lice to the Fairy Pools in Glen Brittle, a handy way down if you need to get your car back from the camp site. Even with a celebratory ice cream at Sligachan we were back home in Fort William by 5pm! Bill and Kenny are exceptional scramblers and very fit so this was always going to be a quick traverse. If you are not used to the Cuillins you should count on two twelve hour days for the complete traverse. But when the weather is this good you wouldn't want to rush anyway!
12th May 2009 Sunshine and a cool easterly breeze made for perfect conditions for a traverse of the Cuillin Ridge. With the advantage of being local, Bill, Kenny and I waited for the best weather for our attempt. We left Fort William at 5am this morning and started the walk from Glen Brittle camp site at 7.30am. By 5.30pm we were at An Dorus having a cup of tea in the warm sunshine having visited the southern seven munros and climbed the TD Gap. There were a few teams out on the ridge enjoying the great conditions including a couple of single day traverses. We were more than happy to spend the night out as it was such a nice evening and guaranteed dry. The midges have reappeared for the summer but even they couldn't spoil the sunset!
10th May 2009 At long last, after nine days of strong winds and snow on the hills, the sun has come out. It won't take long to burn away the fresh snow even though there was quite a lot of it. The sun is very warm but summit temperatures still won't be too high with strong easterly winds over the next few days. In the shade the snow could linger for a while. Down in the valleys though it will be full-on shorts and t-shirt rock climbing weather for the start of next week!
8th May 2009
The wild and windy weather has persisted all week with the snow line slowly coming down the hillside. This morning the fresh snow was down to 600m and gale force, blustery winds were blasting in from the west. The sun is trying to push through this afternoon and when it does there is some warmth in it to dry out the rocks quickly. We should see an improvement in the weather over the weekend and into next week. So far we've had weather more like we get in December so next week will be a welcome return to warm and dry May weather.
4th May 2009
Unfortunately the gale force winds and persistent rain returned and we decided not to go back onto the ridge!
3rd May 2009 Rain for several hours on Saturday night fell as snow don to 800m with sub-zero conditions on the tops confirmed our decision not to camp out on the ridge. Anthony and I made it up to Sgurr Dearg and climbed the Inaccessible Pinacle in almost winter conditions! The day warmed up though and the snow melted away as we carried on over Sgurr banachdicht, Sgurr a Greadaidh and Sgurr a Mhadaidh. We descended buy An Dorus in very pleasant weather hopeful for another reasonable day to complete the last three munros on the main ridge tomorrow.
2nd May 2009 The lambing storms arrived perfectly in time for the bank holiday weekend! Snow was dusting the tops of Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor as I left Fort William for Skye on Friday afternoon and fierce winds and heavy rain were only just clearing. Saturday started out quite nice though so Anthony, Philip and I started out to Coire na Grunda. We'd already decided not to try the full traverse of the Cuillin Ridge but we did manage to go over Sgurr nan Eag, Sgurr Dubh Mor, Sgurr Alasdair and Sgur Mhicoinich. The last two were in wet and windy weather that made everything a bit harder with the rock being slick and greasy. We made it to the An Stac Screes in reasonable time though and descended Coire Laggan.
