31st March 2010
Slightly less wind today with less snowfall as well made for a more successful day of climbing. Mark and I went to Buachaille Etive Mor and climbed N Buttress. There is less snow here than on Ben Nevis but Buachaille Etive Mor is very exposed to a northerly wind and much of the snow was blasted away I guess. Curved Ridge has virtually no snow on it and N Buttress was very dry at the bottom. However there is a good coating of rime at the top and the ground is very well frozen. The winds has scoured most of the soft snow out of Coire na Tullach leaving behind some very nice sastrugi. The crags of Stob Coire nan Lochan and Bidean nam Bian are well rimed and all the old snow is very hard frozen. Slightly better conditions tomorrow and over the weekend.
30th March 2010
After a brilliant day yesterday the storm hit us last night. Steady snowfall and strong northerly winds have put down lots of snow to 100m above sea level. Walking in to the CIC Hut today I was still hopeful of getting something done however as we got near the hut the drifts were already thigh deep in places and the wind was worsening. So, after a quick cup of tea, we walked down again! It snowed fairly steadily all day and will do again tomorrow and into Thursday. After that the winds and snowfall will ease off. This winter will be going on for many more weeks I'm happy to say!
27th March 2010
Fresh snow down to 800m this morning indicated colder temperatures but it was cloudy and windy on Ben Nevis today. Chris, Adam and I climbed Ledge Route to have a go at the kind of climbing that is involved in climbing Mont Blanc. We wore crampons all the way from the bottom of Coire na Ciste to the summit and half way down the Red Burn, a great way to get efficient with crampons on a variety of ground. The route is very snowy with ice at the end of the first ledge but straightforward otherwise. Meanwhile Donald, Alistair and Simon were working their way up Observatory Ridge. The Orion Face was very busy along with many other ice climbs but nobody was on the ridge. It took quite a while as the snow was not very helpful but they made it up in eight pitches and about 240m of moving together. At least the long bum slide down the red Burn made for a speedy desent. Temperatures rose during the day and we had thick mist and drizzle on the summit this afternoon. However it has cooled down already this evening and it will be colder tomorrow and into next week.
25th March 2010
As Mike and I walked in to Coire na Ciste today a blizzard blew up and we changed our plans of climbing Green Gully to staying lower down on Italian Climb. The wind was far stronger than forecast and we had some snowfall and light drizzle in the cloud. We're right in the middle of a depression so getting the forecast right is tricky just now. Italian Climb Right Hand is in fine and quite easy condition. It is quite stepped with traffic and has plenty of ice. Mike and I carried on up to Tower Ridge before abseiling down The Great Chimney just for fun! Kenny and Alex climbed Good Friday Climb saying it was great and they heard voices in the mist above them on something near Riders on the Storm. Donald and his team climbed Dorsal Arete which is also in great condition and they had the whole coire to themselves.
24th March 2010
Wet, warm and windy today on Ben Nevis. All the snow is wet and ready to refreeze next week into perfect ice climbing. It was certainly mushy today though and, after a bit of swithering, John and I went for Diana on Number Three Gully Buttress. We missed out the lower chimney by going up Tramp for a pitch but the upper thin face section was fantastic. The ice is hanging in very well in Coire na Ciste. This was only my second trip there this winter since I've spending so much time in Observatory Gully. Vanishing Gully is looking patchy but Italian Climb and its Right Hand are both complete, The Cascade is getting fatter and most of the grade III and IV ice routes in the coire are complete. Kenny and Alex climbed Green Gully in super quick time today as well.
23rd March 2010
It was dry today and cold enough for last night's snow to fall down to 700m. There wasn't much but there were some impressive spin drift avalanches coming down many gullys on Ben Nevis, especially Point Five Gully. The Orion Face was much better though so Kenny and Andy climbed Orion Direct and John and I climbed the direct start to Orion Direct before setting off for a trip up the Astral Highway. Both routes were in great condition although there was a bit of cruddy snow low down and some hollow sounding ice at the thinner bits. A team climbed Hadrian's Wall Direct and another was gearing up under Observatory Buttress but it seemed very quiet generally. Warmer tomorrow but it might stay mostly dry.
22nd March 2010
A rough start to the day soon gave way to blustery showers with sunshine in between. Mike and I had Aonach Mor East Face to ourselves so we abseiled in and climbed Morwind. It was not at all cold when we went down and the patches of ice on the route were all detached and falling off under our feet. However the turf is well frozen and the larger patches of snow and ice were great. By the time we got back to the summit the temperature had dropped and it was definitely below freezing. The next few days look more reasonable than originally forecast.
21st March 2010
A 3am start for me this morning was required for Radek and me to climb Point Five Gully and get down for a bus at 12.15pm! It was a star filled sky when I walked in and a beautiful sunrise as we started climbing just after 6am. By the time we were on top at 8.30am it had clouded over already so we had made use of the best part of the day. The freeze last night did wonders for the snow which was solid just about everywhere. Yesterday some teams retreated from Point Five Gully because of soft snow. Today it was all great apart from The Rogue Pitch which was a bit soft and quite steep, definitely the crux today. We moved together to the top and completed the climb in two and a quarter hours! There has been some build up of snow and ice in the top bits of Ben Nevis and I wonder if Indicator Wall will provide some good climbing sometime soon. Thaw freeze cycles are forecast this week with some fresh snowfall on the tops.
20th March 2010
The thaw last week didn't take away all the ice, far from it! Many teams were on the Orion Face today climbing routes such as Astral Highway, Orion Direct and Directissima, Slav Route, Zero Gully plus others on Hadrian's Wall Direct and Point Five Gully. Radek and I enjoyed Slav Route, eight pitches of excellent and sustained ice1 climbing. It was only freezing at about 1200m but the ice was good to climb if a little drippy at the bottom. A frost tomorrow morning will sort out that for tomorrow.
19th March 2010
Very wild today with showers of rain. Onich Gorge was a popular choice for a spot of dry tooling and rope tricks. Radek and I did some climbing coaching (it's all about balance and faith in your front points) and some jumaring. This gorge has much more potential for development. The rock is hard and compact quartzite with good small ledges on slabs up to about 50m high. Some cleaning would be required and it might make a good venue for bolts since it's never going to be a classic climbing venue and there is very little natural protection.
18th March 2010
It stayed dry today ... in the Cairngorms! Radek and I made a rare trip east to the windy 'gorms where we plodded our way in to climb Fluted Buttress Direct in Coire an t'Sneachda. The climbing was very good and it's a great route but the walk in on soft snow with a very strong wind was hard work and the walk out even worse! I'm looking forward to a refreeze. It started raining in Fort William at noon and was very heavy all afternoon. This sudden heavy rain has loosened the snowpack so if you are daft enough to go out in this weather be cautious with any steep snow and cornices!
17th March 2010
Heavy rain fell last night but it was dry today. Radek and I climbed Vanishing Gully which was living up to its name. Most of the axe placements were OK but there was quite a lot of mush as well and plenty of water falling down the route. The cave made a welcome belay half way up, totally out of the running water! We abseiled down 1934 Route and decided we had done well to climb anything at all. The ice is still hanging in on many routes but it is hard to say what will be left at he weekend when drier easterly winds arrive. However, with another month at least of the winter season still to go I'm sure we'll have another chance at the big ice routes.
16th March 2010
A drizzly start gave way to a fine, dry day today. The ice at Creag Meagaidh is suffering in the thaw even though it still looks very fat. Donald and Radek climbed the first pitch of Last Post before making a hasty retreat. What looks like ice is actually mush! Ritchies Gully was climbed and seems to be the best choice in the corrie. On Ben Nevis Kenny and Luke climbed Comb Gully and saw a team making their way up Orion Direct. Also, Thompson's Route was said to be very good today. The ice is hanging in very well however after a reasonably dry day tomorrow it looks like Thursday and Friday will be exceptionally warm and wet. We'll have to wait and see what's left for the weekend when it cools down again. I think there will be plenty left to do although it does look like more of a thaw than we needed really.
15th March 2010
For the last three days we've had the first thaw of the winter. Not bad since it's half way through March already! Summit temperatures have been around zero to plus 2 celcius with wet snow falling on and off. It has been relatively dry though and the snow and ice high up is slow to melt away. Last Friday Owain, Tim and Mark had a big adventure on the Orion Face climbing Orion Directissima into the basin and then Journey In To Space to the top. Owain said it was the best link up he'd done and certainly shows that ice has slowly been building on the face. Dave took Mike and Piotr up the Watershed East Ridge of Carn Mor Dearg on Saturday and Ledge Route yesterday in preparation for their attempt on Mont Blanc. Last night it was raining to the summits but it is forecast to dry up today and cool down slightly again tomorrow.
11th March 2010
The walk in to Stob Coire nan Lochan was dry this morning and it only started to snow as we geared up to climb SC Gully. Elved lead the crux pitches which were in chewy snow with great axe placements and steps for the feet. It was a bit windy and much warmer than it has been so rime was falling off the crags and a couple of spin drift sluffs came down. We made good time though and we went back down for a rapid ascent of Twisting Gully which is also in great shape. It was raining on the top the second time we were there so when it refreezes tomorrow these climbs will be brilliant. The steep buttresses are black just now but the north wind, cloud and freezing temperatures might rime them up again tomorrow. Over the last four days Elved and I have climbed six Cold Climbs Classics, all in pretty good condition. Not a bad week really.
10th March 2010
The sunshine this morning looked great on Buachaille Etive Mor as Elved and I tried to work out what Crowberry Gully was like. It looked full of snow so we headed up that way. The lower chockstones are not well filled in but there is good ice to get around them. Higher up there is lots of snow but it is all soft and there is little ice. We had to go around one pitch on thin ice to get to The Junction but the Junction Pitch itself is fine. The Cave Pitch was quite thin as well. So, as ever, Crowberry Gully is a great adventure and perfectly climbable but not for those of a nervous disposition! Max, Paul and Dani climbed Tower Ridge and Andy and Andrew went along the Aonach Eagach, all in brilliant condition. As well as the routes that were climbed yesterday on Ben Nevis there was a team on Smith's Route today. A wee thaw tomorrow and refreeze on Friday will set things up again for the weekend however it looks like we'll have more mixed weather next week and possibly some more thaw freeze cycles.
9th March 2010
What a wonderful day on Ben Nevis and everywhere else in The Outdoor capital of the UK. Elved and I climbed Tower Ridge in the best conditions I've seen on the ridge. Loads of hard but not icy snow filling in the rocks and the odd bit of dry rock where you need it. Many teams were enjoying the classic ice climbs including Kenny and Guy who climbed Minus One Gully, descended NE Buttress quickly then climbed Minus Two Gully for good measure! Astral Highway, Orion Direct, Slav Route, Hadrian's Wall Direct, Point Five Gully all saw ascents as well. Observatory Buttress also has a trail going up it from the last few days and Smith's Route looks well iced although I couldn't comment on the quality of the ice. Far less action in Coire na Ciste but Vanishing Gully and Glover's Chimney were both climbed to day. Donald and Malcolm followed our example of yesterday on Number Six Gully and Deep Cut Chimney and Dave, Paul and Dani climbed NC Gully. Another nice day tomorrow before a slightly wet and warmer day on Thursday followed by a refreeze on Friday.
8th March 2010
Blue sky and sunshine again today and hard snow everywhere apart from where it softened in the sunshine! Elved and I went to Coire nam Beith to climb the classic combination of Number Six Gully and Deep Cut Chimney. This is a great way to spend a day on grade IV ice in very impressive suroundings. There is lots of ice on Aonach Dubh West Face although less this afternoon since Elliot's Downfall fell off during the day! Deep Cut Chimney is thin but great fun up to the snow bay where we exited right into NW Gully. The debris from the avalanche last Sunday that swept over the west face on Aonach Dubh is very impressive. The crown wall runs from above Number Four Gully to Broad Gully on Stob Coire nan Lochan, about 800m. At its deepest it is about 2m and the debris has filled the gorge leading up to Coire nam Beith, it cut a trail 2m deep under Number Six Gully and swept over the two waterfalls. Very impressive indeed. After the thaw and refreeze of this weekend though all the snow is very stable now.
7th March 2010
After a very long day yesterday, Gareth, Pat and Jonny wanted a shorter day for which Curved Ridge was perfect. One team had made it round in the deep snow so there was a bit of a trail and once on the ridge the going was very good. The exit snow slopes are fine and the descent into Coire na Tullach was good today as well. Disapointingly it was cloudy today but the coming week should be back to sunny weather with blue skies and morning frosts. Back to the usual then! As a result of the thaw over the last few days and a return to colder temperatures the avalanche hazard has reduced markedly.
6th March 2010
A cloudy start gave way to a sunny afternoon today with very little wind. Gareth, Patrick and Jonny went to climb Minus Three Gully but changed to Slingsby's Chimney and NE Buttress on Ben Nevis when they saw the number of people in the Minus Gullies. NE Buttress also had lots of folk on it and the going was a little slow so the sunset was enjoyed from near the top of Ben Nevis! I had my first visit to the E Face of Aonach Mor today when I skied Easy Gully and carried on down great snow to the lochain. The skiing is superb at Nevis Range with no queues and a great cover of snow. There was just a couple of centimetres of fresh snow on the old stuff which was soft at the very top and getting wet at the bottom of the slopes.
5th March 2010
It was cloudy and damp this morning so Donald and I took Alistair, Simon and Paul to Ben Udlaidh. It was warmer today as well so the ice was wet and dripping a bit however as it is cascade ice here the ice was less brittle and the climbing was very good. Alistair and I climbed The Smirk, a steep but well featured route on the right of the crags. You can hook your way nearly all the way to the top making the climbing relatively friendly for such a steep line. Simon, Paul and Donald climbed the right hand side of The Organ Pipes which was good as well. There is plenty of ice here which will easily last this wee thaw. The left side of the crags has a large cornice hanging over the routes especially Quartz Vein Scoop. In the warmer conditions these are likely to sag and may fall off possibly triggering avalanches in the slope underneath. Gareth was also here with Patrick and Jonny who all climbed Doctors Choice saying it was great too.
4th March 2010
Yet another great day on Ben Nevis. Donald, Aidan and Alastair climbed Point Five Gully while I climbed Minus Two Gully with Alistair and Simon. Both are very nice but could do with a little more snow and some freeze thaw to build on the ice. Orion Direct, Zero Gully and Minus Three Gully were all climbed today as well. Some cloud came over in the afternoon and the temperature at the CIC Hut was 2.5 celcius on the way down so it is warming up as forecast.
3rd March 2010
Another calm day on Ben Nevis with hazy sunshine all day. Simon, Alistair, Bob and I found the steepest and fattest ice on Ben Nevis to climb. The left hand cascade under Carn Dearg Buttress feels like VI,6 if taken straight up the right hand side and the cascade section of Compression Cracks is as steep as ever but metres thick with blue ice! The Castle Coire is mostly scoured or eroded but there are still weak layers under some slabs and the Castle Gullies are full of soft snow. Castle Ridge had a couple of teams on it as did Orion Direct and Minus One Gully. Donald, Alastair and Aidan climbed Sgurr Finnisg-aig Cascade finishing at the top gondola station at Nevis Range. This had lots and lots of ice on it and lots and lots of people climbing it! The air temperature rose today and it is forecast to carry on doing so over the weekend. This could cause these weak layers in the snow to collapse and trigger avalanches so take care.
2nd March 2010
Raised footprints can be very helpful. After following the deep trail in the snow into Ben Nevis Alistair, Bob and I saw raised footprints on the slope under the Minus and Orion Faces. There are several of them and they could only be raised footprints from a week ago indicating that the slope had been scoured by the wind. Sure enough, the approach slopes to these faces and to Point Five Gully are not threatened by avalanche at all although there is an area of windslab under Hadrian's Wall. We climbed Orion Direct which is in the best conditions I've climbed it. Although I've only been up three times previously there is far more ice on the crux traverse from the second slab rib and the whole route is very good fun. Another team climbed Point Five Gully saying the chimney is a bit hacked out, Donald, Alastair and Aidan climbed the Little Brenva Fave on a variety of routes at grade IV,5 and Max took Christian to Buachaille Etive Mor. Unfortunately they did not make it round to Curved Ridge due to the depth of the snow on the approach as you can see in the picture taken at Lagangarbh. They made a hasty retreat to Steall Falls. So not only is the weather fantastic but we have brilliant ice climbing from the lowest (Steall Falls) to the highest (Orion Direct) all in condition!
1st March 2010
Some big avalanches have gone off over the last few days and there are deep accumulations of windslab on a weak layer in many places. To find some good climbing away from this avalanche hazard Donald and I took our teams to the East Face of Sgorr Dearg above Ballachulish. Donald did the first ascent of a some ice lines here a couple of years ago and called one of them Hide and Seek. Alistair, Bob and I climbed the steep entry pitch of ice to access the main gully where there was one patch of soft snow. Above, the right hand ice line leads to a bay where the ice runs out. We went up and traversed right to find a left facing corner (crux) all on quite loose rock. Then a horizontal traverse left took us back to the ridge and easy ground. We went back down for the left hand ice line which was on really nice ice and was probably IV,5. Needless to say, nobody else was around and we had brilliant views all day. Nigel took his team to Aonach Mor where the east coires are reasonably well scoured of soft snow to look at mountaineering ropework, snow anchors and belaying. High pressure is building and we'll have great weather for another few days.
