by Aidan Roe,
Photos by Dermot Shiels
(Climbers Aidan Roe, David Madden, Niall Hedderman and Dermot Shiels)
Senja, Norway is an extraordinary winter ice, and alpine, climbing destinatin within the Arctic Circle. Here is an account of a recent successful summit bid by a party of Irish climbers.
We pulled in below Store Hesten (984m) the evening before to look at the following day’s objective, Cave Couloir (AI3/WI3 650m). I admit with hindsight, that I thought it looked like it would go easily. Myself, Niall, Dave and Dermot agreed that an 8am departure from the car should leave us adequate time to complete the route and descend in reasonable time.
We were on Senja Island, Norway and had spent the last few days getting used to the conditions. Conditions were a mixed bag. On one hand it was very cold and settled but it hadn’t snowed in weeks. This meant there was minimal avalanche hazard but the continuous low temperatures had made ice rock hard and very brittle. Unlike the popular area in the Alps or Scotland there was little or no trace of activity, so the climbing was on virgin ice; and no helpful hooks or steps to ease our ascent.
We stepped from the car the following morning. it was minus 12 degrees Celsius. I don’t think it ever got any warmer. The approach to the couloir was a stiff hour and a half’s walk; the last half hour on easy, steep ground. Luckily it was perfect neve. A slip would have involved a long slide, so I kept a firm grip on my axe.
While we’d been gearing up it became clear that we’d only one set of nuts between the two teams. The other was sitting, uselessly, back in our lodgings. Dave and Dermot agreed to let us use their belays. Not ideal but it saved the day for us. Niall and I briefly talked about binning the route but it came to nothing. The four of us belayed at the first step of what turned out to be one of the cruddiest pitches of the day.
In leaner conditions, it would be a good ice step but, this far into the season, it was banked out with huge amounts of soft snow. Dave set off leading. He eventually managed to pull through over the top of the step. This involved spreading himself wide and distributing his weight over the whole width of the gully. A slip here would have been nasty. He made it to better ground above and I let out sigh of relief. Dermot followed David. Niall hot on his heels got over the lip and I followed up what was left at the rear. Another step established us in the gully properly.
Dave leading the first pitch
From the road it had been hard to get a measure of what lay ahead. Now that we were in you got a sense of scale. It was huge. I’ve climbed quite a few Scottish gullies but this was like one on steroids. After the initial ‘cave’ pitch, we ran out a couple of easy pitches. It was at the 3rd or 4th belay that the cold really started to get hold of me. The wind was hitting the mountain and blowing down the couloir carrying spindrift with it. It was the coldest I ever remember feeling.
Dermot leading the second pitch
At the fourth pitch, I arrived at the belay. Niall had tied off a sling to two buried Nomics. It was not ideal but there was no gear to be had especially if you have no gear! There was a long wait here and we were pummelled from above by snow and ice as Dave continued up and looked to build a belay. When Dave was ready Dermot and Niall moved on too. Niall had to wait for Dave to lead off on the following pitch before he could clip into the belay and bring me up. Keeping warm and waiting was tough. Every so often one of the lads sent down a present to keep me on my toes. The views out behind us were opening up all the time. It really was impressive.
The next belay I clearly remember was built around a peg Dave had put in below a short icy step. It was very narrow here so everything was funneled down onto us. I was happy to get moving again. Leaving the peg behind I moved up over a step and then followed the rope out of the couloir over a steeper section up above to Niall. It steepened to 80 degrees for a few meters and I asked Niall up above to take the rope in tighter. His reply from above was ‘don’t f**** ng fall here’. I arrived at the belay he’d manufactured from two buried axes (again) and a short screw. We were out on the side of the mountain now. The exposure was breathtaking. The mountain dropped away below us down to a fjord. A huge frozen lake had come into view on a plateau out to our right. It was starting to glow faintly pink.
It was amazing. Niall moved off after the lads leaving me with instructions to keep him on but not to hang on the belay. I felt alone. The climbing in Senja is really serious. If something goes wrong you’re a long way from help. I pondered this and more as I fed the rope out.
Niall and Dermot sharing one of the many belays
A rope length later we could see the top of the couloir. At the next belay I could see Dermot top out on the ridge. He turned around arms in the air. It would take two pitches of easy but sketchy climbing after this to reach the summit. By now, the views around were unreal. The sun was low in the sky and all about us off to every horizon were mountains, sea and sky. Apart from the lights from one or two small villages we were completely alone.
Aidan Roe on steep ground
Niall and I started off up to follow the other two to the summit. We packed away the rope and moved out onto an ice slope and kept heading up. The light was fading fast and as we moved I looked back down below. A slip here would be fatal. The ground dropped away in a uniform slope over an obvious precipice. We both moved back into the crest and took the rope back out. We did a couple more pitches before reaching the top. I found the last couple of moves onto the summit excruciatingly hard. But our timing was perfect. The sun had just dipped below the horizon.
Niall on the summit ridgeDermot and Dave on the summit
Standing on top with 3 lads was one of those special moments you only get on the hill. This was really something. In every direction for miles all I could see was peak after peak. The still dark waters of the Norwegian Sea below broken only by the wake behind the little trawlers heading back to harbour. The half moon rising shone on the snow. The biting wind tore at us. The array of colours cast by the setting sun was otherworldly. It took my breath away. I reflected on the past few years, on the darkness I’ve felt and at this moment the pure joy I felt inside was hard to contain. I felt so alive. A perfect moment. But like all such moments fleeting.
Sunset on the Summit Ridge
The previous night we had confirmed the descent route and we were delighted to see that it looked very straight forward from the summit.
The lads were already on there way down and we were losing light fast. It was still a good step down the mountain back to the car. We descended down the other side of mountain to a plateau with the large frozen lake we had seen earlier, Lille Hestvatnet. From here we had to skirt the lake for a while to a col and then drop down the other side back to the car. I caught up with Dave on the way down. He had stopped and seemed to be adjusting his crampons. I didn’t pay a huge amount of attention to be honest. I was running on fumes at this stage.
My own leg was still in recovery mode. Trying to keep digging in I was in a world of my own. At the col Dermot and Niall were waiting. It was full dark now and the 3 lads stopped again. It took between 30 and 40 minutes to reach the road from here. Continuing down once again I found myself at the back making my way through a forest of avalanche trees (that bend when avalanches pass through). I could see by light of the others headtorches they had reached the road. Dermot waited for me as I stepped out of the trees. It was 7pm. We’d been on the go for 11 hours. Niall and I had shared a bar of chocolate during the day. Now, I was wiped.
Dermot told me Dave had stopped further up the mountain cause he’d torn his leg with his crampon. The two others had given him first aid on the hill so he could get down without causing any more harm to himself. He must have said it to me on the hill but I had missed it completely; so focused had I been on getting down.
To make amends I drove him to a medical centre that night to get a few stitches. He didn’t want to let a local guide who’d had a few, stitch him up. When Dave told the guide which route we had been on he was informed “there is no protection on that”. We knew that now. So instead of a few expensive beers I spent the night in the car and A&E with Dave.
From the reports we were getting on Messenger from Niall and Dermot we had dodged a bullet. At 2am I crawled into bed. I was having a rest day tomorrow. The day alone made the trip worthwhile for me. We did get another great mountaineering day done and a couple of days of steeper ice. It had been a fantastic trip in a really beautiful location with good company. There are endless possibilities there. I will certainly go back
Celebratory drinks
Galtees Trip, January 2017
Emma Hand, Sé O’Hanlon, Gerry Galligan, Peter Wood and I met up in the Ballyhoura Hostel in Kilfinane on the Friday night.
On Saturday morning we were treated to cold frosty weather and good visibility. We broke into two groups and did variants of the Galtymore horseshoe, Sé and Gerry ascended Galtymore and Galtybeg by the steep North flank; Emma, Peter and I took the long scenic route via Slievecushnabinnia (774m), Galtymore (917m), Galtybeg (799m) and Cush (641m).
On Sunday we slogged up Temple Hill (783m) from Anglesborough enjoying fine sunshine at times.
Moonlight Challenges
Recent interest in the organised Moonlight Challenge and all this talk about a super moon reminded me of a time when we used to hold night hikes once a month from November to February, on the Friday night nearest to the full moon.
These were all night affairs and on each of these trips we would have a nominal leader, plus half-a-dozen rival candidates for the post, which often led to some good humoured banter. Sometimes we had moonlight, sometimes we had cloud and rain and, sometimes, we had snow.
The shortest of these walks was the Glenealo Horseshoe, starting from the hut. We tackled Lug from several different points. Starting from Glenmalure we climbed Lug via Art’s Lough and a scramble up Bendoo, returning via Cannow and Table Track. From Aughvannagh we approached via the Ow Valley and the main gully in the South Prison, continuing on via the Three Lakes and Camaderry, and down to Laragh in time to catch the St. Kevin’s early morning bus back to town.
If the weather was wintry enough we would head up from Fenton’s pub at Seskin, bringing the tents with us for our winter camp on the summit. From Knockree we crossed Maulin and Djouce, down to Lough Dan, on up to the Military Road and up and over Tonelagee and down for the bus. From Blessington we went via Sorrel Hill, Black Hill and Billy Byrne’s Gap to Mullaghcleevaun and on to Tonelagee and Laragh.
On one of these excursions we had deep snow drifts and dense mist all the way from Billy Byrne’s Gap, making for tough going and difficult navigation, but Joan Flanagan, our leader on the night, coped admirably. We had our reward as we descended towards Glendalough. The skies cleared just before dawn and, as the sun peeped up over the horizon, it painted the snowy summit of Tonelagee a delicate, blushing pink, which ripened to a deep red, then orange and, finally a cheerful yellow.
The most testing of these night hikes was the Lug Walk, which at one time was considered to be a must prior to any Alpine trip. On one of our Lug Walks, with Des Doyle as leader, we had starry skies, a full moon and a sharp frost. Visibility was excellent, there was no call for map or compass and we skipped along over frost-hardened ground. Well, some of us did. Sean Barrett was breaking in a new pair of boots (plastic Koflachs, if I remember rightly) and by the time we got to Mullaghcleevaun, his feet were in rag order. But he finished with the rest of us.
There was a time when our club fostered interest and competence in walking by organising fortnightly Sunday walks during the winter months, details of the routes being published in the monthly newsletter, or revealed on the previous Thursday night, so that those who wished could plot the bearings beforehand and put them to the test on the day. These walks started from a wide variety of locations in Wicklow and we also made day trips to the Cooleys, Mournes, Galtees and Comeraghs, areas which can be reached much more quickly and easier now, with the proliferation of motorways. The walks took place regardless of weather conditions, on the basis that foul weather provided the best test of navigational skills. The result of all of this was that the club always had a core group of experienced walkers, with a wide knowledge of our mountain ranges which they were always happy to pass on to newer members.
Learn by Doing was the tried and trusted concept back then and it worked admirably well. Nowadays the emphasis is on doing courses, but it never ceases to surprise me that anyone, least of all the members of a mountaineering club, should feel it necessary to take formal instruction in something as basic as hill-walking. The thing is, for donkey’s years Dubliners, as children and as adults, have enjoyed walking in the Dublin/Wicklow mountains, without fuss or palaver. When An Oige was in its heyday, back in the fifties and sixties, their Wicklow hostels would be packed to capacity every Saturday night as young people explored the nearby mountains. As chisellers in Harold’s Cross, gangs of us would regularly throw a couple of hard-boiled egg sambos into our schoolbags and head off for a day in the hills and no-one would look up or down at us. It was as common and everyday as using your jumpers for goalposts when playing street football. In those days the schoolbags would have been the only bit of kit we took with us but, nowadays, we are urged us to tog ourselves out in expensive gear and equip ourselves with all kinds of gadgets before setting out for the hills. It wasn’t always thus.
In his book, The Neighbourhood of Dublin, published back in 1912, Weston Joyce extolled the virtues of walking the Six Hills (the area between Stone Cross and Kippure) at a time when Dublin hardly extended beyond the canals and Glenasmole was so remote from the city that the Irish language had survived there until the nineteenth century. And the gear Joyce recommended for these outings? A pair of stout boots and a walking stick. At that time I’m sure some would have regarded the use of a walking stick as smacking of ostentation.
J.B. Malone, the doyen of Dublin hill-walkers, in his book, The Open Road, published in 1950, was frugal in his choice of gear, too. He recommended what was known as The Russian Roll. This was a raincoat, rolled width-ways and worn like a bandoleer, draped over one shoulder and fastened beneath the other with the coat belt, with the lunch stowed in one of the pockets. Many of us, in those frugal times, would have regarded owning a coat with a belt as being a blatant example of conspicuous consumption.
Bill Murray, in his book, Undiscovered Scotland, recommended going out, alone, at night, in the depths of winter and trekking the snow-clad summits by moonlight, advice that would probably be frowned upon nowadays. It is increasingly rare for us to be blessed with decent snow cover on our hills but, if the opportunity arises, you should try it. The silence, the serenity and the soft, subdued light reflecting off the glittering snow slopes all adds up to a magical experience.
Our mountains are small by international standards, but they can provide much enjoyment and, sometimes, challenges, too and learning to cope with these challenges may serve well elsewhere, on more distant hills. So, go on, spread your wings, get your boots wet and test yourself. After all, we are members of a mountaineering club. Shouldn’t we be doing what it says on the tin.
Winter Climbing in Scotland
In between soloing Great Gully Ridge and a one-day round trip to inspect the slushy snow on Howling Ridge, Dave Keogh managed to squeeze in a quick visit to Scotland, cramming in an impressive array of climbs. He doesn’t even enjoy climbing apparently and only does it to annoy Ken. But what a fine job he’s doing. Over to Dave…
Scotland Winter Jan 9-13
So after 2 canned trips during the Christmas period due to pish weather I made a last minute trip to Scotland. Colder weather was forecast and things looked promising.
€8 flights to Glasgow ➡️ Bus to Fort William ➡️ Bus to the north face car park ➡️ 2hr walk with provisions for 5 nights & 4 days ➡️ CIC hut.
Situated at 680m and just below Ben Nevis’s north face it provides an ideal base for a few days.
I had 4 quality days, 2 of which I spent with a climber I met through the UKC website after an 11th hour shout out for a partner.
•Lost The Place (V,5*** mixed) 3 pitches 40,25,40m located high on Coire na Ciste. A really good route with a memorable top chimney pitch.
Day 3 (2nd date)
Cutlass (VI,7** mixed)Horrible slab pitch to start CutlassCutlass – Pitch 2Coming up P2 CutlassCutlass – Pitch 3Setting out P3 CutlassSW Ridge Douglas BoulderFinishing up Cutlass
•Cutlass (VI,7** mixed). A lot of snow and a couple of other factors had us setting our sights low on the mountain. An excellent route which went in 5 pitches to the top of the Douglas Boulder. The climbing on pitch 2&3 (corner/chimney) is so good.
Day 4 (dumped)
1934 Route (II/III**)Looking up at Tower Ridge ice pitchTower Ridge ice pitchTower Ridge – Little TowerTower Ridge – Eastern TraverseTower Ridge – Fallen BlockA tight squeeze, but fun
Tower Ridge – Nearing the topParties behind negotiating Tower Gap
Tower Ridge – Finish to summit
•1934 route (II/III**) up onto Tower Ridge
•Tower Ridge (IV,4****). Snow has yet to really consolidate so it was well banked out. Being first on the route this meant a lot of clearing ledges and cracks for axes. A real shoulder workout.
•CMD Arête (I**)
Tower Ridge was a day to remember. One of my best. Cold (minus 6 on top), no wind and blue skies made things perfect.
A good start to winter!
On the summit of Ben Nevis
Just a week later and Dave returns, to mixed conditions, this time with Cearbhall…
Scotland Winter: Thaw & Storms Jan 20-31
Myself and Cearbhall Daly had an interesting 8 days or so Winter Climbing in Scotland. It was a real mixed bag of thawing conditions, wild weather and some excellent climbing. We got to see a few new venues and even had a first attempt at some dry tooling down in the cave at Dunkeld. All the climbing was mixed as the ice routes haven’t formed at this point. Below is a list of the routes and areas we got to.
Cairngorms
The Seam IV,5**
Savage Slit V,6***
Hidden Chimney Direct IV,5*
Ben Nevis
No. 2 Gully Buttress III***
Wendigo IV,4**
Thompsons Route IV,4***
No. 3 Gully Buttress III***
Jackknife V,6
SW Ridge Doulas Boulder IV,5***
I stayed on a for a couple of days after Cearbhall left and climbed with a friend of a friend at Stob Coire nan Lochan and yesterday we did Scabbard Chimney V,6***, Twisting Gully III,4*** and Dorsal’s Arête II/III***
I learned a fair bit more about Scottish weather and climbing conditions which play a big part in dictating your route choice.
Wednesday 20th Jan – The Seam
Coire an t’SneachdaClimbers on Coire an t’SneachdaThe SeamLooking across to Fiacaill Ridge and climbers on The Seam, probably David Keogh [Photo: Alistair Hurst]Midway point on The SeamNearing the top of The Seam
Thursday 21st Jan – Savage Slit
Friday 22st Jan – Hidden Chimney Direct
Thawing conditions on Hidden Chimney DirectTop out after Hidden Chimney Direct
Wednesday 27th Jan – The Wendigo
WendigoToping out on WendigoCMD Arete from the top of Wendigo on a rare calm day
Sunday 31st Jan – Scabbard Chimney
Parties climbing at Stob Coire Nan LochanScabbard ChimneyPitch 2 Scabbard ChimneyPitch 3 Scabbard ChimneyWhere next….?
Scotland Winter 2014
The adventure begins
A wet 4.30 am start marked the beginning of our trip to Scotland in Feb. This is always my favourite trip of the year. From the first year I went out, the place captivated me. The wildness of the landscape and weather thrill me. The unpredictability of every trip keeps me motivated throughout autumn and winter. When I’m out running through the rain and mud in Wicklow, when the spirit flags, casting my mind north keeps me moving. What will the weather be like? What climbs will be “in”. If a particular climb is “in“, what will condition be like? Will I get some more of my tick list done?
Weather-watching and perusing the local blogs fill a lot of spare time. I knew this year would be tough going. Scotland had been on the receiving end, like us, of storm after storm since December. Unlike here though it was dumping huge amounts of snow and I knew this would curtail our activities to some extent.
Niall, Karl, Ken and I made the long trip north towards Fort William. I had climbed with Niall last year in Scotland and we had some cracking days out. We have similar goals and seem to generally have the same aims when we’re out there. Karl had done an introductory course to Winter Mountaineering last year and had really enjoyed himself. He had signed up to do an advanced course this year and seemed really keen. Ken had never done any winter climbing but we had convinced him it was something he needed to do. We were to meet my friend from Newcastle, Alastair who I meet the first year out there and we had met up each year since. He’s the quietest Geordie you’ll ever meet but very solid when it counts and finally, sharing digs with us up there, club adventurer, Ambrose.
Disembarking from ferry it was obvious there was plenty of snow on the hills. Looking north the mountains on Arran were blanketed. I love the drive. Once past Glasgow you soon hit Loch Lomond and from there on its one stunning vista after another. We crossed Rannoch Moor. The amount of snow was truly staggering for Scotland. Few of the usual features could be picked out.
On many slopes we could see the trace of avalanches. When we got to the top of Glencoe we stopped to take a look at Buachaille Etive Mor.
I have passed it many times and never seen it in such condition. Two of the plumb gully lines on it were full, Crowberry and Ravens but with unconsolidated snow. No use to anyone. A picture of someone climbing in Crowberry is what started me winter climbing. I only now feel ready to tackle it but it’s rarely in the right condition. Ravens is a pipe dream! There is always next year. We continued on to Fort William and got set up in our digs for the week.
My usual itinerary up here is to hire a guide for a couple of days and then get out myself for the remainder of the trip. Not having anyone to teach me the requisite skills I have found this to be an ideal way to learn the basics of winter climbing. It’s a good system. You’ll second routes that will be initially way outside your ability to safely lead but at the same time give you the self confidence to tackle climbs at an easier grade. I think it’s a good idea to work your way up through the grade so you won’t end up getting sand-bagged on mid grade climbs. More so than rock, during the winter the golden rule of winter climbing is, don’t fall.
Day 1: Stob Coire nan Lochain
We like to get a tune up day in before meeting our guides, so Niall, Ken, Alastair and myself and set our sights on Stob Coire nan Lochan. The forecast was reasonable and we felt the avalanche hazard, although Considerable (see link below) was manageable. The walk into the coire is short by Scottish standards but brutal to the uninitiated. Ken moaned about his knee a lot. The snow level started at about 400m which actually made it a bit easier at the start but the last 100m into coire was tough going.
Niall had been keen to do Twisting Gully (III,4) a Cold Climbs classic (required reading for any would be winter climbing) as he had led the crux on SC Gully (III) the year before and I think it was just an itch that needed scratching. We knew that gullies would be out on this trip, in Lochaber anyway, so I had set my eye on Raeburn’s Ordinary Route (IV,4) as a backup plan. I love doing climbs that have been put up by some of the greats and Harold Raeburn is right up there. This would be my first IV lead and the game face was on. Ali and I swam up to the base of route. There were prodigious amounts of snow it took ages to get to the base. Eventually we got a descent nut in after 10 minutes digging, not ideal for a belay but I had spotted some rope tat 5m away and knew I could clip that and expected to get more gear in as I moved up the initial chimney. This was my first mistake.
The first pitch is close to 60m and over the length of it I got 3 pieces of gear in. The route was buried in fresh powder so axe placements weren’t as secure as you’d like and by the time I had worked my way up to the second belay my head was well and truly fried. It physically wasn’t very hard but it was mentally the hardest bit of climbing I’ve ever done. I arrived at the second belay sitting au cheval on ridge, knowing I was just out of rope and starting to freak. I couldn’t see a thing to set up a belay with. Just as I was about to start trying to bury my axe I looked out to left and saw a newish peg in a crack. I dug the snow out of crack further down and place a descent nut. I had my belay. The sense of relief was unbelievable. I brought Alastair up. And he followed through. Niall arrived up quickly behind him. He had led the first pitch well, finding more gear than me. The second pitch bypasses a big tower. You traverse around it and then up a shallow gully behind it. After that you make a bold step out to the left over the cliff face on soft snow. The wire Alastair used to protect this is still there. He bet it in. I don’t blame him. Niall appreciated the courtesy. The last belay was solid. I led the last pitch and although it was easier it was quiet precarious. I was also getting into the swing of things and found plenty of protection using a bit of cop on, sadly in short supply on first pitch. Alistair and I topped out. It was dry but the wind was biting. I wasn’t sure how Ken was doing. It was his first winter route so Niall would have to lead it all.
After an extended wait, Niall topped out and shortly afterwards Ken. The steward’s enquiry commenced. How long was I on first pitch? I don’t know but it was a while. How long were we on top waiting? A while. What we do know is Ken had an attack of the vapours. What caused them? No one knows but I suspect it’s because he’s a great big fanny. It was a great day out. I was buzzing. I had the piss ripped out of me on the way down to car. I didn’t care. A great start to the week.
Karl had a good first day. He had the good luck to get paired off with a guide on a 1 to 1 basis, it’s normally 2 to 1 so on his first day he managed to get The Curtain (IV,5) on Carn Dearg and Left Hand Chimney (IV,4) on the Douglas Boulder done, with his guide Matt Stygall. Ambrose was off on the North Buttress (IV,4) on Buachaille Etive Mor with Alan Hughes finishing up a course. We went straight to the pub to have a drink and see who could bullshit the most. I won. I’ve lots of practice.
Day 2: The Curtain/Curtain Rail – Ben Nevis
The second and third day out were to be guided days. The forecast on the first of these wasn’t brilliant, we decided to head up the Allt a Mhuilleann to the CIC hut under the North face of Ben Nevis, and take a look at our options when we got up there. There wasn’t a huge amount on. No one had been high on the mountains for weeks. Most of the big classics were out.
It’s a stunning walk in, even in foul weather. I remember how intimidated I felt the first time I walked in under Carn Dearg and up towards the CIC hut. Now it just gives me a rush. So many great climbers have climbed here, set new routes here and still today the boundaries are being pushed.
Mike Pescod and Guy Stevens our guides for next few days pointed out bits and pieces. Because of the unusual weather over the last 6 weeks climbs were in that hadn’t been done in years. The Shroud (VI,6), an icefall in Castle Corrie had touched down for the first time in years. No one could get near it though because of the avalanche hazard on the hill above. We took turns out in front to try breaking the wind for the others behind. Eventually we got to CIC Hut and geared up. The Curtain was in good condition and there was another climb beside it the Curtain Rail (IV,4) beside it that would allow us climb together and then switch. Although given a harder technical grade I found The Curtain the easier of the two climbs. The ice on The Curtain gave first time placements all the way up while the crux move on the Curtain Rail had slightly cruddy ice. It made for a nice thoughtful sequence. I believe Ken suffered a brain fart here but I only have second hand information so it’ll stay on the hill. For the moment. My descent down No. 5 Gully would have won me a prize at the Winter Olympics. It certainly gave the lads a laugh.
Day 3: Observatory Ridge – Ben Nevis
The following day Alastair and I climbed Observatory Ridge (V,4) with Mike. This was the last of the 4 great ridges on Ben Nevis for us. The Ridge was covered in snow and mist. It made the digging out of belays really difficult, and in some cases, further up the ridge impossible. We had to move together over steep but easy ground with massive exposure on either side. Every axe and foot step had to be 100%. It felt really out there at times. As we were doing this the mist lifted for a while and we could see all around. It is really massive. We could see climbers across on Tower Ridge and we could hear Ken (really loud) and Niall across on the NE Buttress. Unfortunately the clag closed back in but not before we got a chance to check out the cornices. They were massive. We were able to skirt these by moving out left, but even now 3 weeks later I don’t believe any of the classic gullies have been done. We topped out to find Niall and Ken were already on their way down. After a most enjoyable bum-slide down the Red Burn, losing about 400m in 10 minutes we met up with lads at the car park. Karl had also done the NE Buttress with Matt. He had an exciting day. Starting up to the First Platform by a rarely in condition, Newbiggings 80 Minute Route Right Hand Variation (V,6) and then, while doing one of the crux moves on NE Buttress, the Mantrap, he was left holding just the handle of his axe as it had become detached from shaft. Exciting stuff! While we were all on Ben Nevis Ambrose was out on a blind date on Stob Ban in the Mamores. He had done the east ridge of the North Buttress (II/III) and had a cracking day.
Day 4: (Aidan/Alastair) George – Liathach, Torridon
The following day we were back out by ourselves again. Niall and Ken were keen to do Tower Ridge while Alastair and I opted for a road trip. I have for a few years been looking to go to the NW of Scotland. Conditions are fickle here because of its proximity to the sea. This year though the best conditions seemed to be up there. The avalanche forecast was good so Alistair and I set off at 6.30 for Liathach up in Torridon. It was a fantastic day out. Once north of Invergarry it really does become wild and remote. It took us nearly 3 hours to get up there but it passed quickly. We had set our eye on a climb called George. It’s graded as a III,4 but with some recent rockfall local climbers have upped it to III,5. We arrived at the car park on a lovely clear morning. All the walk-ins are meaty up there and the guidebook had it down as a 2.5 hours in to coire. We made good time and got to the foot of climb. I took the first easy pitch and ran the rope out to its full length. To the start of the more technical sections. Alastair set off and came to the first step which he surmounted with the minimum of fuss. He disappeared out of sight. I was left there occasionally paying out the rope taking in the views which were magnificent. Eventually the rope came tight and I got moving. Over the first step the rope continued on for 15m and then disappeared into a hole/cave(?). I followed the rope. Ali, had set up belay in the cave. It was really tight. He looked uncomfortable. ‘Are you sure this is the right way?’ ‘Yes 100%’. I could see light behind him.
The guidebook describes it as fun and that it shouldn’t be bypassed. There was no way I could follow him in and swing leads, he’d have to continue on himself. With hindsight this was a real stroke of luck. To continue Ali had to dig away the snow and move towards the light. The cave is formed by an enormous chockstone. To lead on you have to climb up into a letterbox above it turn through 180 degrees and reverse out over a sheer drop. There is very little clearance so turning around is a struggle. Reversing out over sheer droop is a bigger struggle and trying to get your arm/axe out and into something solid is ….?. The belay was a massive thread so 100% but Ali did ask to be kept on a tight rope. A few times. When I eventually followed thru I couldn’t believe it. It was a really ballsy lead. I led through to the top and out on the ridge near the summit of Spidean a’Choire Leith.
At this stage it was later than I had expected and the weather was crapping out on us. I had planned to traverse Liathach over the Am Fasarinen Pinnacles, get two routes done but there was no point. We needed to get to the top of Spidean to find our way off the mountain.
It’s a fabulous top (only 275 Munros to go now) but we were only getting fleeting glimpses in the worsening weather. We descended to a col lower down the mountain and found our way off the mountain by using the tried and tested method of following the footprints. We eventually picked up the track lower down the mountain and reached the van for 7.30. It was a proper Scottish day out and the pair of us were buzzing, even faced with the long drive back to For t William. We already have plans to get back up there for a few days next year. It was a brilliant day out. We arrived back at Fort William just in time for beer and kebabs. A per fect end to my birthday.
While we were off fannying around on Liathach, Niall and Ken were doing the famous Tower Ridge
(IV,3) Ken takes up the story . . .
Day 4: (Niall/Ken) Tower Ridge – Ben Nevis
It was Wednesday, my fourth day out and my third morning in a row to be walking into the CIC hut. We had arrived on the Saturday. I had an ‘easy introduction’ day on Sunday; a quick spin into Stob Coire na Lochain; a restful belay and a record breaking ascent, with Aidan, Alastair and Niall leading the way. Monday and Tuesday we climbed with guides. The pace was a bit easier this morning than that set on the earlier mornings. We were up earlier than the other days and were making good progress. The sky was blue and the air still.
Our walk-in was going to be 40 minutes longer this morning, as we hadn’t access to the higher car park , used exclusively by the guides. As we approached the hut we could see some parties setting out and behind us we could see a string of climbers approaching.
Happy that we had set off early enough we passed the hut and headed up and left of the Douglas boulder. On the steeper ground we put on our crampons and got the axes out.
This was my first trip to Scotland, my fourth day in crampons and I was comfortable uphill, downhill though I was still being cautious.
We were heading for Tower Ridge. It was Niall’s route really, I was along for the experience and happy to second. If other days were anything to go by we were expecting lots of snow on the route. Protection might be hard to find and perhaps some critical features might be buried. We were both looking forward to testing ourselves in the conditions.
Niall lead off up a wide snowy gully, finding gear on the left wall, he disappeared around an elbow and I was quickly called up to the belay; a piece of in situ cord on a spike. The next pitch was the first bit of real climbing, rock snow and ice, a short chimney lead to a broad snowy ridge where Niall set up a stomper belay. As I completed the pitch, a guide and his client appeared to our left, ascending a snow slope. Niall hit the green for go button. The race was on to keep ahead and not have people getting in our way, especially a guide and his client.
As I pondered the view, Niall was off. Niall and Aidan had done a number of trips together and this was my first trip with them. They climbed with guides on a couple of days each trip and they obviously had absorbed a lot of knowhow and had made it their business to learn the skills and the environment. I wasn’t out of my depth, but certainly I had no winter climbing experience and deferred to the two lads when it came to planning the day’s climb. Part of the plan was obviously not to stop! The previous few days I had become accustomed to eating and drinking on the hoof, being fed hot drink while I belayed. My efficiency had to improve, with the guides it is possible to switch off; today there was no switching off. It was going to be a long day and we were not on for having anyone make our day longer.
We completed a couple of pitches along a shallow ridge; following instructions I moved out ahead and belayed Niall along a pitch, he arrived and corrected my stomper belay technique.
The Guide and client arrived, Niall was gone. He was along the ridge digging out a belay at the base of the smaller tower. When I arrived we were belayed on a couple of nuts and a piton. It was a wide part of the ridge, plenty of room for everyone. Niall traversed right along the base of the tower and dug out a spike about ten meters out, another ten meters he disappeared around a corner and I could tell by the rope he was now moving up. The Guide and client arrived. There seemed to me to be an alternative route straight up the tower, but on the left, but most route descriptions warns against this route. Niall called me across, the guide following. My first winter lead was offered; I was up the gully like the proverbial rat. I know from other climbing experience that I climb differently as a second; I seem to get less absorbed in the climbing and tend to follow the rope. It’s a habit I’m trying to break. I exited the gully onto a long snow slope, I ran it out the length of the rope, but couldn’t get to the obvious end of the slope. Now to build a belay; a stomper or dig one out at the base of a small boulder to my right? Well my last stomper did not meet approval so perhaps I should stick with what I know. I dug, and dug and dug some more. Finally I had a route dug out for a long sling, which of course was not on my harness but below on Niall’s harness. I dug some more and found two nut placements.
The guide appeared to my left. I watched as he did a little stomper dance, drove his axe in and within seconds was calling his client up. I eventually called Niall up. He was now second; I reasoned that he was at least safe and alive; he was still second! I’ll have to work on that efficiency!!
Another pitch or two and somehow Niall was ahead again and digging out good belays for the guide and client. Finding good belay spots is a bit of a black art I think and it comes with experience I hope. The competition was beginning to dull as the two leaders got chatting; they switched leads for a couple more pitches, one belaying slightly above the other on each pitch. It is good to cooperate with other climbers, but it was obvious we were all trying to stay ahead of the posse behind us. The blue sky had disappeared and there were no views from the ridge. The wind was rising. I arrived at the foot of The Great Tower. The guide was ahead on the eastern traverse, his client belaying. I looked up at the near vertical face of The Great Tower and wondered if I could climb it. The guide was on what seemed to me to be a snowy path, well beaten out by previous climbers over the last few days. The narrow path seamlessly blended into the surrounding mist that rolled down the steep slope below. Niall moved quickly along the traverse, it swung left then right with a step over a small ridge and over a buried block then the route turned sharply up to an open slope. As I turned the corner and climbed the slope Niall called, he was way out to my left, almost below me, standing in Tower Gap. I crossed the slope to the top of The Gap. The snow and ice were soft and mushy and not at all as good as what we had previously climbed. As I approached, on my right was the sense of yawning space. I couldn’t see it but felt it was there, Down to my left in The Gap Niall was belaying and gave some instructions about the climb down. The ice wasn’t solid. It was undercut and below where you would like a good right foot there was only scratchy rock. It was the first time in the week I felt I had to reset myself and consider that I might have to be prepared to take a swing, right down the narrow walls of Glovers Chimney. I kicked some of the slush away, got a good left foot and traversed across, not very stylishly, but it was winter in Scotland!!
The Gap was definitely the most technical part of the climb, the most exposed and the least secure. There were a few delicate moves to follow to get out and onto the ridge above. I had the comfort of the rope; I was quickly getting to like this seconding. Niall had no such comfort and did well to step delicately up the fragile snow and ice.
Another run out, a climb right over a short wall and bulges and we were up. Niall was barely visible in the blowing snow. The weather had got a lot worse. We gathered the gear and prepared for the descent. We had prepared a couple of bearings and distances to guide us from the top back to the well trodden descent path. The plateau of Ben Nevis is not the place to be lost in a white out. If there was evidence of other climbers about it was quickly blown away by the high wind. There were no footprints to follow. I walked on our bearing, Niall close to my shoulder making sure I didn’t stumble over an edge in error. A sharp turn right after 150 meters brought us onto the correct bearing to descend towards the Red Burn.
As we descended we were sure we were on the right path, the texture of the snow was solid underfoot compared to left and right of our route although visibility was nil. I had never experienced a complete white out before where there seemed to be no up or down and it was good practice to navigate through it.
We gradually emerged and quickly descended; helped by an exhilarating 500 meter bum slide. It was almost dark by the time we got to the car park. A day out in the mountains would not be complete without some injury and my right leg obliged. I hobbled down the last bit of path, Niall didn’t seem in such a hurry now, happy with his successful lead he waited at each bend to make sure I was still mobile. We both reached the jeep, sat stiffly into the comfortable seats and relaxed.
A full on, great Scottish winter day out. Now back to Aidan . . .
Day 5: Stob Bán
The following day’s weather was horrendous so we all had a rest day to recharge the batteries and even though the day after that’s forecast was poor we had made up our minds to go out anyway We thought we’d head up and take a look at Stob Ban and see if we’d get the route Ambrose had done earlier in the week done. We battled our way up the track on the way in for an hour or so in the strengthening wind and deepening snow and finally decided unanimously to turn around.
The avalanche hazard was rising all the time, still it filled part of the day and after going back to Fort William we went out for the afternoon and spent the day climbing indoors.
Day 6: North Buttress, Buachaill Etive Mór – Glencoe
With high winds and a sketchy avalanche forecast we decide to head over to Glencoe to try North Buttress (IV,4) on Buachaill Etive Mor. The weather was to deteriorate during the day so we left early. I was climbing with Ken and Niall because Alastair had injured his hand at the climbing wall the day before. Ambrose and Karl were joining us. We got in to the base of the buttress and started to ascend towards the foot of the climb. The snow wasn’t frozen so even getting to the bottom of climb was hard work. When I went to put my crampons on one of them decided to come apart in my hand. It took me 15 minutes to fix it and by the time I got moving again my hands were frozen and I was in foul humour. I caught up with the two lads who were waiting for me and flaking out the rope. Niall was ready to run the rope out, up to the first belay just to get things moving as there were two lads in front of us. Niall brought me and Ken up to belay, not before Ken tried to remove one of my fingers with his new axes. By the time we got up to it, the rope was in a right mess. Niall was going to lead the first proper pitch so it needed to be pulled back thru. While I was doing this Ken had spotted a helicopter. Instead of paying attention he was staring vacantly at the helicopter (RAF practicing I’d guess). I believe he has some previous here so I should of let it pass but I lost it and told Ken to ignore the big helicopter. I was quite frank. Meanwhile we waited for the two lads in front to finish. They were painfully slow, but I’ll cast no stones after my performance earlier in the week. Niall led off up first pitch. It wasn’t in the best condition, freezing level was above the mountain top and it was covered in unconsolidated snow. Sub-optimal I believe is the expression.
By the time Niall reached the second belay he had caught the two boys up. The next pitch was the crux. The lads were down to a crawl. I was cold and flowery. The toys came out of the pram. I told Ken I’d had enough. I untied and down-climbed to the base of route. I stopped to see how the lads were getting on. Even after getting to the base of the hill and looking up, the team in front were still on the second pitch. I crouched down behind a boulder to watch. The eventually finished and Ken set off. It was his first winter lead and he nailed it. He was up it in no time. I’d seen enough. They had caught the two lads again. I went back to the carpark and met Ambrose and Karl who’d bailed earlier, and got a lift back with them. Niall and Ken arrived later on. They had abbed off after the second pitch because the team in front were so slow. We’d had a good day out despite the poor weather. One important thing I took from the day was the forecast. Although very high winds (70-80mph) had been forecast, they didn’t materialise until much later. Nine times out of ten the forecast is on the money and should never be ignored, but in Scotland to a degree you should always head out and stick your nose in. Otherwise you’d get nothing done.
That was the end to our unofficial IMC meet in Scotland. There was the usual bout of drinking and bullshitting and the long drive home but I think everyone enjoyed it. The rat had been sated for the time being.
Next Year
I’m already looking at ideas for next year. I definitely want to get up and do some more routes in the NW. Niall still has his eye on Point Five. Ken is going to get his knee fixed so he can join us again next year without having to do all his weird stretching, and I think the bug has well and truly bitten Karl. He just needs a pair of axes that don’t come apart on him. Ambrose seemed to have a good two weeks and picked up lots of new skills as he works toward his Winter ML.
