Inside for a day

It was raining today and as Nancy's leading outside has gone quite well we decided to use our morning consolidating with a few reminders and rope work exercises in the comfort of Three Wise Monkeys.
Of to the Central Belt for a busy few days of courses next...

A change of crags

Second day with Nancy and Kate and I took her to Kingussie for a change of scene. She led 4 routes today and followed Kate up First Pull to give her a wee taste of 4c climbing. Nice one Nancy- one more day to go!

3rd day lucky-almost...

Another day at Polldubh, this time with Nancy and Kate helping Nancy get to grips with Trad lead climbing. Still a bit of a breeze but less constant and a little drizzle today. However we still climbed Tricouni Slab, Cross 3, Hangover Left Edge, Bardhinaghi and Sheep Fank Wall. Some lead for Nancy and Kate too. Some serious midge action but always short lived and the Smidge meant that despite getting swarmed a couple of times I got almost no bites!

Day 2 Spiders at Polldubh

More breeze on my second day out with some of the Stirling Spiders. Today we had a shorter day so it was a brisk ascent of Reptons Right Hand in series, a big ab down followed by the guys leading Styx Buttress Right Wall and arranging their own abseil. Breeze to ease the midgeiness again! Great fun crew of youngsters, parents and volunteers to work with.

Lucky Spiders-nae midges!

I'd been dreading what should have been a great piece of work this weekend all week long. It was the fear of the midge that was doing it- especially hearing of what colleagues had experienced in the last 2 days. Fortunately the Stirling Spiders brought all their own luck and there was an unforecast breeze at Polldubh today! Corinne and Fraser and I climbed 3 Pines and Reptons Right Hand before joining the others in the Alp. After a bar-b-cued marshmallow stop they led Styx Buttress Right Wall and we finished with me putting a rope on Resurrection for them. Lucky, lucky day and awesome to see lots of Spiders on the sharp end today!

In the sauna on Tower Ridge

Sooooo humid! Andy and Julie were on for the main event today. A local instructor in the Peak had told them if they were coming to the Ben they had to go up by Tower Ridge and should avoid the Pony Track so that was the plan after yesterday's shakedown on Curved Ridge. Rob came out to observe me at work and we got an early start in the hopes of avoiding the forecast heavy rain showers.
The guys cruised up against the sauna like heat. It was like having a wet towel round your face. I closed my eyes at one point and the humidity, heat and mountain airs carried me back to Bolivia, Afghanistan and Mongolia but opening them again and we were on Tower Ridge having it to ourselves and putting on a show for those on the summit. At top we were still keen to minimise time on that path so it was a bee line for Carn Dearg and a descent of Ledge Route. Crossing No.5 Gully into Coire na Ciste we explored the cave under the snow patch there with the heavy drips providing some relief from the heat.
Well done Julie and Andy- top effort for your first 2 days roped mountaineering. Please come again and bring the weather too! Thanks to Atlas Mountaineering for the work.