May 2013, Finale, Italy - Sport Climbing

Sun and shade, sharp pockets, well bolted, stunning location...

 First week of May we have been rock climbing in Finale Ligure. Brilliant sport climbing in a fantastic setting. Crags dotted over the steep tree covered hillsides and valleys, great rock, sharp, steep, pockety, slightly savage grades!

Stunning location, if you can find the crag your after!

April 2013, Austrian, Italian Alps - Ski Mountaineering

Ortler.

 I have spent a few weeks ski touring in Austria and Italy. The weather hasn't been stable for very long, really hot, too hot, then snowy down to the valley. Made touring hut to via glorious peaks a little tricky! Plenty of day hits from huts up peaks then returning to the same base. Most of these pictures are from Italy in Ortler but Kathryn has made a little video of Stubai, Austria - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDhpPjRFcRs&feature=youtu.be .

Down!

View from Col on Gran Zebru.

Cruising.

Glacier Castles.

Descent from Pesqualle.

05-03-13, Llanberis Pass, Snowdonia - Winter Climbing

Kath on crux ice pitch of Face Route.

 Back on the ice after a lay off. Will probably need more of a rest now! Snowdonia is still in a good icy condition, freezing level has been rising gradually, but ice is still around in the Pass Cascade is getting attention, less so on Central Ice Fall but there is plenty of Ice on the south side of the pass. We climbed Face Route on Cyrn Las a good 3 pitch grade IV, with some pleasant, easy scenic, icy steps above. Cwm Idwal has a lot of ice also, not very busy. I think everyone has winter lethargy!

Cyrn Las, Face Route is one of the icy lines in the centre.

Descending the ridge. Cascade and Central Ice fall.

A snowy Crib Goch and Clogwyn y Person.

26-03-13, Liathach, Torridon - Winter Climbing

Salmon Leap

Poachers Falls, Pitch 1

Poachers Falls, Pitch 2

Poachers Falls, Pitch 2

Poachers Falls, Pitch 1

25-03-13, Buachaille Etive Mor, Glen Coe - Winter Mountaineering

Midway up Curved Ridge.

Today seeing as we were on a mountaineering course, I thought it would be a good idea to do some mountaineering! So what else Curved Ridge, in the sunshine - Magic! Still a bit windy today but nothing as to what we have had over the past 5 days. There were a couple of other teams on the mountain today - climbing North Buttress. There is some good ice to be had at the start of Curved Ridge (Easy Gully), and the water-slide has some impressive icicles dripping from the slab. We descended down Coire na Tulloch, but there is a lot of wind slab about.

24-03-13, Sgurr Finnisg-aig, West Highlands - Winter Climbing

Andy, Smashing it in on Finnisg-aig.

The weather has been very stormy and especially windy lately. I am working on the west on a mountaineering course. Yesterday wasn't really a mountain day to get something done! We waked up into Stob Coire Nan Lochan to poke our noses into the storm force winds... it was windy! Today we climbed some low level ice on Sgurr Finnisg-aig on the side of Aonach Mor. This climb is in good condition right now. Several different lines can be climbed, about grade III for most of it maybe the top pitch is a bit harder? We climbed it in 6 short pitches but you could do it in 3 long ones. After topping out it is a short 10 minute walk to the top Gondola station then down the bike track.

Top Pitch.

Second Pitch, grade II.

Sgurr Finnisg-aig.

20-03-13, Cul Mor, Coigach, Northern Highlands - Winter Walking

Cul Mor.

 Walk into Coire Gorm on Cul Mor today. Windier than forecast, but freezing level still low and plenty of snow and rime about similar levels to yesterday. We had thought about climbing The Cul on the back of Cul Mor, but when we eventually got there we weren't too psyched with all of the chimney action, as aesthetic a line as it was! Walked up the other side of the corrie for some great views of Stac Pollaidh and the rest of Coigach we bagged the Corbett and walked back. There is a fair amount of wind slab about, it has been windy.

Stac Pollaidh.

Cul Mor Coire Gorm.

Cul Mor, Cul Beag, Stac Pollaidh.

19-03-13, Quinag, Assynt, Northern Highlands - Winter Climbing

Fantastic steep well protected quartzite climbing on Pick Nicker, Quinag

 I have been working in the Cairngorms on an winter climbing course, it has been a considerable avalanche hazard everywhere, so we climbed the Fiaciall on Saturday, then on Sunday abbed in and climbed Anvil Gully on Cha-no crag when we eventually managed to find the crag in the thick soup! Today Kathryn and I drove North with the thought of climbing some ice in Torridon. There has been a lot of snow overnight, Inverness and Garve had plenty by the roads, we were already slightly worried about the snow above the ice! We thought something else maybe a route on Stac Pollaidh just north of Ullapool might give some good sport so we motored on. We arrived in Coigach and Stac Pollaidh was clearly dry and summery - I think to be successful on a winter climb on this micro mountain, you would have to be staying in Ullapool when it comes into condition as the roads from the south would be un passable! We carried on driving further north to Quinag, in the hope that the high quartizite Bucket Buttress would be frozen and have rime on the rocks - luckily it did. The snow line is at about 600m, and harder neve and rime ice is found at about 700m, plenty of  windslab about with rime on the windslab, making it look like neve. We climbed a classic mini route - Pick Nicker V,6 *** well worth the shortish 1.5 hour walk. This crag is ace, short, but steep, corners, cracks and gear everywhere, as good as any pitch in the Northern Corries!

Approaching the crag.

Spidean Coinich, with Bucket Buttress high on its North East Face.

Excellent Corner.

Corners, Cracks and Aretes everywhere.

View at Coigach, Stac Pollaidh just right of centre.

13-03-13, Sgorr Ruadh, Glen Carron, North West Highlands - Winter Climbing

Fuar Tholl and Sgorr Ruadh.

Something slightly easier requested today - so that will obviously be Easy Gully, II on Sgorr Ruadh then! Ridiculous name, ridiculous grade. It was definitely still grade III today as it was a couple of weeks ago. The first proper pitch has a significant steepening, on helpful hard neve, but steeper than II. There was some powdery snow on the lower pitches but the top half was excellent hard neve. Another beautiful blue bird sky, it did change by 3 with some new snowfall and cloud but still very pleasant.

Easy Gully.

Terrance on the approach slope.

Meall nan Ceapairean.

Fuar Tholl.

At the top of the steepening on pitch 1.

12-03-13, Druim Shionnach, Glen Shiel - Winter Climbing

Terrance enjoying the second steep pitch.

A more wintry day in Glen Shiel today. Terrance has climbed a grade IV ice climb yesterday so we had a mixed climb on the cards. Walking into Druim Shionnach we were happy to see the crags well frozen with a dusting of snow. There was some wind slab forming around the base of the crag and on the upper snow slope bowl of Cave Gully. We climbed Boxer's Buttress, which gave 2 good mixed turfy grade IV pitches, then an easier grade II pitch and a snow plod to the summit. There is some ice about but I think it is mainly the turfy mixed climbs which are in condition on these crags at the moment.

Coire an t-Slugain, Glen Shiel.

Summit snow wind Druim Shionnach.

Approach, winter again.

At the top of the first pitch.

Druim Shionnach West Face.