Hot, sunny rock climbing in Lochaber

The dusting of snow on the hill today melted in front of our eyes as the sun shone and we sweated in its reflection off of the mica schist on Polldubh.
Alan and Ruairidh and I climbed Pinnacle Ridge (by its staircase start), 3 Pines, Spike Wall and Flying Dutchman Direct to give 10 pitches of V Diff to VS.
And it was hot... and sunny... :-)

 Our second pitch on Pinnacle Ridge

 Ruairidh topping out on Pinnacle Ridge

 Crux behind him in the sun

 Looking down the first pitch of 3 Pines

 following on 3 Pines

 Spike Wall Pitch 1

 Spike Wall Pitch 2

 Father and daughter team on The Gutter

 Flying Dutchman...

 ...and its Direct Finish

 Alan on the last slab

Topping out on Flying Dutchman Direct

Back near the car we saw Bill and Alex hard at work (could be mistaken for sunbathing by the uninitiated) watching their groups river crossing on a Summer ML Training.

A quick day on Skye

Yesterday I got and early start for Skye where I was working with Delegates to UHI's Adventure Tourism Conference. I was asked to take 3 academics out for a quick day's mountaineering and we went to the Inaccessible Pinnacle. The weather was better than expected and although there was a lot of cloud cover it stayed dry other than a little drizzle on the climb itself and the winds were very low. Well done to Carl, Paul and Adele on a fast ascent to be back at Sabhal Mor Ostaig in time for the conference's opening address.
The evening went well too with some great local food, a gaelic quiz and ready steady cook on trangias (DofE groups eat your hearts out- local prawns in ginger with fresh picked wild herbs on a trangia!) to entertain the international team of guests and I saw the night out late on around the fire with a dram and a long chat with Norwegian guides.

Freshening up on their SPA

Today I went with Chris, Liz and Ally to Glen Nevis to help them with some CPD for their SPA. They  have all been working in the outdoors for quite a while but for a variety of reasons felt they needed an update/refresher/just some new ideas on their SPA work.
Its very sensible and mature of Instructors to go seeking opportunities like this. Most of those I know working in the outdoors recognise that there is always something to learn/practise/improve at. Running a day like this is very much about helping people develop their own skill toolboxes rather than telling them that my way of doing things is better. I like to think in terms of exploring 'pros and cons' rather than listing 'rights and wrongs'.
It was dry if a little humid at Polldubh and we looked at managing groups at the crag, bottom ropes, top ropes, releasable abseils, a variety of problems and how to avoid/solve them, some new bits of kit, 1, 2 and 3 point anchors, rigging with the rope and rigging with slings. A enjoyable, productive day with an experienced sensible team of people.

 "Wildness and wet"

 Thinking...

 Leaving things safe at the base of the crag

 Going down to get someone

What's Chris going to get caught in that figure of 8?

Teaching teaching climbing

Today I was out with Rob who is working towards his MIA and wanted some input on how to teach/instruct/coach climbing. We were abley assisted by volunteers Mark and Rebecca.
The Lochaber weather was kind to us until mid afternoon and we climbed on Pinnacle Ridge, 3 Pines and the Gutter. Mark and Rebecca were quick studies and got a good intro. to trad. climbing and Rob got plenty of feedback on how he puts a climbing day together for students.

Nice to see the MCofS Realrock team out today too!

Tower Scoop. The winter that wouldn't die!

Today Neil and I went up Ben Nevis. Its been a few weeks since I carried a heavy pack up a hill and I was feeling it today. Mike had been for a look at Orion Direct but we met him on the way down having found the ice on  the second pitch pretty cruddy. We decided to go  little higher to see what there was to be seen.
Anything in the sun is falling down piece by piece. Anything in the shade is better but not always by much! The Ciste Gullys, Thompsons, Tower Scoop, Green, Comb, Point 5, Hadrian's, Indicator Wall and Good Friday Climb all have snow and ice from the bottom t the top BUT..... Without getting on them its hard to tell whether it is any good and the temperatures aren't quite cold enough for a proper freeze on routes. AND.... There is a huge amount of debris on the move. Ice was constantly falling today and you wanted to watch for a while and choose a line not exposed to falling debris from above.
We went for a quick ascent of Tower Scoop before the sun got onto it after a sweaty flog up Observatory Gully in snow that was ankle to calf deep (an early start might make it firmer). The whole ice fall boomed a bit but it was fatter than the last time I did it and took pretty good screws.
After excavating Neil out of his bucket seat (I think his backside was showing in Australia) we carried on up Tower Gully. Plenty of large cornices up there which will only get droopier (especially after more rain). Were able to outflank Tower Gully's on the left.
Then it was a quick bumslide all the way down the Red Brun for a fast descent home!
Please let that be the end... I really just want to go rock climbing in a t-shirt!

 Starting the walk in

 Still winter up there

 Observatory Gully

 Tower Scoop Pitch 1

Neil Following

Tower Scoop Pitch 2

 Looking up Tower Gully

 ...And looking down

 Swimming past the cornice

 Sunshine and clouds... but more of the former!

Pic of Coire na Ciste today

Winter is alive and well on Ben Nevis. Ive seen worse cover in February!!

Scottish Sport Climbs is here!

332 pages of sport fun in Scotland. My wee pic of Benny Beg meant I received a copy of Scottish Sport climbs today and I've got to say I'm impressed. Colourful crag location diagrams, approach times, good photo topos Scottish definitive guides feel like they've hit the 21st Century with this one.
Sport climbing doesn't inspire me in the way trad climbs do but over the last few years I've come to appreciate the things that make it unique and overseas trips and the odd Scottish bolt have been enjoyable. Here we have a wee feast of the latest that Scotland has to offer all over the country. The photos show it at its best (i.e. they are sunny and you can't see the midges) and the range of venues and grades is impressive.
Vive la difference! Or who wants to go murder the impossible? ;-)