Winter Conditions Blog Category
← Older postsThe Ben – Compression Crack
Back up to The Ben for another day with Paul, the weather looked like this was the last chance to get out this week, with 100mph winds forecast for the afternoon on Thursday and tropical and even faster winds for the Friday.
Paul was keen to try out his newly discovered leash less skills on some steep ice. Due to the immanent weather and high avalanche conditions we headed safely over to Compression Crack V,5.
A huge Avalanche released drown South Castle Gully, one of the biggest I have seen in a while, a healthy reminder to take extreme care when route planing.
Into the after noon with temperatures rising, visibility reducing and wind increasing we abseiled down the route teaching Paul how to create a Double Abalakov (v thread).
After crawling and navigating our way back to the CIC hut we had the privilege of access to a quick brew before packing up and heading out before to conditions got worse!
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Comb Gully – Ben Nevis
Today Paul and headed up to the Ben to see what was in condition and climbable. The temperature were a little high so we headed to the higher routes. Weaving our way carefully around the patches of wind slab from island of safety to island of safety we managed to reach the base of Comb Gully. Paul had not climbed on true “Nevis Neve” before, what a delight.
We navigated over to the top of No. 4 Gully and inspected it, on inspection we decided it was safe to descend.
Back to the CIC hut to drop kit and then back to the Van.
Paul and his mountaineering club where staying at the CIC hut for the week. I’ll be back out on the hill with Paul on Thursdays after running a Climbing Wall Award (CWA) course for Telford College in Edinburgh.
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Kendal College Winter Skills Course
This week Kendal College have been on a Real Adventure in the Cairngorms learning about snow and ice and winter mountaineering. Neil Mathews and Sally Ozanne, 2 of our instructors, ran the course out of Ardenbeg Bunk House. The week was catered for by Real Adventure, Ronnie Dunn a local chef cooked in the evenings and the team ate well.
The week’s weather couldn’t have provided a better selection of what the hills can throw at you from high winds and snow to still & clear to even a brocken spectre.
Enjoy the video….
Boot Failure
Today we headed over East where it is a little colder and more snow. We skinned into the Corrie’s to climb Aladdin’s Mirror Direct, head out over the top and back down the ski runs. The plan was scuppered when Andrews boot fell apart, one of the bolts that hold the thing together fell out rendering his progression disabled so we limped back to the van and out to the Cafe.
Lets see what tomorrow brings.
A couple of friends reported the Corie to be busy and wet, they climbed a couple of lines including Red Gully and reported damp conditions and as expected falling rock that happens when there is a melt on.
Testing the Limits of Soft Shell
Alan Halewood was free to climb with so we headed in to have a look at what was safe and possible during this slight thaw and mild conditions.
As we walked in the ice in the Castle Coire was so obvious that we went to Compression Crack. we solo’ed up to the foot of the first steep ice pitch for me to take the first lead of the day.
The second pitch traversed right to a line of what we saw from below as the upper white pitch, it looked very thin and bits were falling off. So we abseiled off some in situ gear into South Castle Gully, and climbed this to the top.
We dropped down No. 4 Gully into Coire na Ciste. Roger and his team were on No.3 Gully Buttress and another party were starting up Glover’s Chimney. We dropped down into the gorge beneath the Garadh to the pitch of ice Al saw 2 days ago.
To say it was wet was an understatement… Al had water running in through his face and shoulders down through his shorts and over flowing his boots, there were 2 little water fall coming off his crampons! it was like being in a shower… wearing a softshell.
At the top Al placed a final screw before heading to the belay, when it was half way in the water pressure behind it drove the core out into his face leaving a jet like a water fountain. When I arrived and had calmed my laughter it provided a great sauce of water to drink from.
One party summed things up nicely by saying they backed off Green Gully as the ice on the first pitch had the consistency of butter… and it was that wet all the way to the summit.
There is still a lot of snow in the gully’s and the upper ice falls are still holding their ice despite the water flowing on top of them.
I am updating this in Mambo’s using my iPad and I am unable to upload photo’s to Picassa until I get home.
Have a look at Al’s Blog for photo’s and video
or see below
Compression Crack and Coire na Ciste 29 Dec 10 from Alan Halewood on Vimeo.
Sgurr Finnasg-aig Falls
Driving through Glencoe ice fall after ice fall were cascading off every crag and gully line. The Screan, No. 6 Gully where both in. Elliot’s Downfall was close.
It would have made sense to stop on the way through but as my climbing partner for the week was still in Kendal alternatives had to be found.
Bridget Thomas and Andrew were easily persuaded to join in on an afternoon jaunt, however Graham Boistelle (the Real Adventure 2010 trainee) could not make it either as he was busy drying out his copy of Cold Climbs after 5 leaks in his house. Arriving at the foot of the route at 1300 and back to Bids for tea and cake at 1630 was not a bad effort for Andrews first ever ice climb.
The lower pitches where a little wet however the top pitch of IV was in perfect condition.
Grey Mere’s Tale
So the van was packed with toys for a weeks play in Scotland with a pall from the Lake’s & keys hidden for him to drive to Moffat to pick me up after escaping from the family. Andy, Ellen, Frith and Alex dived into Andy’s car. We met another Andy at Southwaite Services before joining the swarm of Boxing day climbers.
Frith lead Alex and Ellen up the RH waterfall and Andy and Andy came with me up the main fall taking an almost direct line up the middle.
After creating and ice belay at 55m on a ledge Andy and Andy enjoyed the pleasures the fall has to offer.
I then dived out of the system and Andy from Penrith lead Andy from Chepstow up the top 2 pitches. It was Andy’s first time with technical axes, I solo’d one of the upper pitches with Andy Grivel prehistoric straight shafted tools and had flash backs of days gone by when ice climbing was all about hitting your knuckles, never swapping tools from hand to hand, and just basically suffering and faffing with leashes. Andy is now on his way to Needle Sports to buy a pair of Quarks!
Meanwhile Frith, Ellen and Alex where having fun on the far R line.
After a ditching the ropes and jangley bits our team solo’d the upper steps then headed back round to the base of the second step for Andy’s second day ice climbing and first lead on ice (nice one andy).
Ellen, Andy and Andy walked off the top whilst Frith Alex and myself retrieved the bags.
The RH line had a quiet moment whilst a team from Kendal (Tim and Natalie) where sorting their ropes so the only logical way for me to get back to the car was grab my fair share of the kit and solo it.
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On checking the phone for the rondez vous time with my van & kit the pal had bailed so back to Kendal. It was like driving half way to Fort William and a climbing partner saying no actually I want to stay in the Lake’s. The Ben will have to wait, departure on my tod in the early hours.
Next blog will be from the North.
Cautley Spout on Christmas Day
Whilst many are at home opening presents cooking Christmas dinner or watching The Snow Man for the 30th year in a row, Ellen and Andy (2 old friends) and Frith headed over to Cautley Spout to climb it once more whilst it is in such fantastic condition.
Happy Christmas to you all.
Time for Family and food now, home for a well earn’t Christmas dinner.
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Not bad for Andy’s first ever winter climb and after 12 years of not wearing crampon’s.
Elen is also now converted to leash less climbing.
“Thanks Dan for a fantastic day out, One of my best days climbing in years. I’m a now also converted to leashless after today, no way I’m going back.”
Frith Wood
Coutley Spout
Roger Chaldecott, Rich Maywhort, Steve Stout and I headed over there early this morning. We all had commitments at 9am like work and meetings so an early start it was!
Conditions where good, less ice than the time I was on it back in January at the beginning of the melt but also less water!
The Bottom pitch is superb, protectable via rock gear on the left and ice screws.
Second pitch is still a little wet but the rest is just perfect with the top pitch having the best conditions.
Video to come later today.
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