11-02-13, Ben Nevis, Beinn Udlaidh, Buachaille - Winter Climbing

Making steady progress up Curved Ridge Monday 11th Feb.

I have been over on the west for a few days work on an Intro Winter Climbing Course. An ace day today on Curved Ridge, lots of deep snow on the approach, but some firm east faces higher up. Yesterday was a very different day on Beinn Udlaidh, very windy and plenty of fresh snow flying around. We climbed West Gully, as we could see it! OK condition, improved with height. Saturday we had a fairly mellow day on Ben Nevis climbing on the CIC cascades. Conditions are great at the moment, there seems to be ice everywhere,  the freezing level has been low, there will be a slight increase on Wednesday then hopefully back down again, should make everything even better.

A very different day in West Gully on Beinn Udlaidh yesterday Sunday 10th.

Excellent chewy (slightly wet) ice on Ben Nevis CIC cascades Saturday 9th.

Nearing the top of  Buachaille Etive Mor.

A very white looking Rannoch Wall.

Descent down Coire na Tulaich quite firm.

30-03-12, Agag's Groove, Buachaille Etive Mor, Glen Coe - Scottish Rock Climbing

The top of Crowberry Ridge.

 I have spent the last few days cragging, locally near Grantown and slightly less locally near Aberdeen, on some glorious granite sea cliffs, worth a shifty, check out the NE Outcrops guide! Today I was out with Stephen and Andy again, day 2 of their winter climbing course. Last time we were getting involved with some icy cave action on Gardyloo Gully, since then its been scorchio, and I suggested that it would be rude not to go rock climbing in the mountains! Agag's Groove, VD on Rannoch Wall, Buachaille Etive Mor was the route, and what a fine route it is. 4 Pitches of great steep, exposed and sustained (by VD standards) climbing. We thought about abseiling down to climb January Jigsaw also, but seen as we were on a tight schedule and the sun came out with blue skies, we scrambled the rest of Crowberry ridge to the summit. Quality!

Pitch 3 of Agag's Groove, Rannoch Wall

08-03-10, Glen Coe - Winter Mountaineering

Summit of Stob Dearg, Buchaille Etive Mor, Glen Coe.



The last couple of days I have been on an MIC training course, based in Glen Coe. Sunday we headed to slopes on Stob Coire nan Lochan. It was another warm and slightly damp day. The freezing level slowly dropped to about 700m. Today was a much brighter and colder day. The saturated snow pack of yesterday is now fully frozen at all levels. The skies were blue and the sun was warm. We climbed Curved Ridge II, on Buchaille Etive Mor. Despite looking to be quite rocky, it is in awesome winter condition at present. There is a cheeky ice pitch variation at the start (right - photo). We traversed onto Crowberry Tower before finishing to the summit and dropping down a grade I gully into Coire an Tulloch. All in all a great day out.