This morning's snowline...

Well last nights deluge at sea level has added a little more snow to the hills. It will still be fresh and wet but its -1 atop Aonach Mor this morning at 1130m. Bring on that cold snap everyone is talking about!

Work in the dry for UHI

I was at the Ice Factor today helping some students from UHI working through aspects of the NICAS syllabus.
The overnight rain had taken yesterday's dusting of snow away but the showers today must have cooled back as it was back by the end of the day today.

 Wobblin' on the board

 Thinking about balance

 On the lead

Happiness is an attentive lead belayer

Sunny UHI Rock Assessment Jahu E6 6a!

So today I was working with Ben and Dan from the second year of the Degree course at UHI's School of Adventure Studies on a rock climbing assessment. Both are keen climbers but Dan has a little more experience.

We started with Styx Right Wall a 2 pitch VDiff which gave me a chance to look at their gear placement and belay building. Ben then took us through and abseil off of the crag and after that he went and set up a top rope for us on SW Buttress.

Dan had something else in mind. We headed over to Scimitar Buttress and he set a bottom rope up on Jahu. This gearless E6 6a has been on his radar since he climbed its E5 neighbour. He kept his hed in a good space setting a clear goal for faultless attempts on a top rope before he was going to go for it. His feet did pop twice but he was able to identify exactly why and correct the error immediately so finally he went for the head point. The rope was pulled and off he went for the solo and it obviously focussed his mind as it was his smoothest ascent yet. He did put the wind up Ben and I with a wee power scream after the crux though!

First time I've had a client climb E6 when out with me!  No credit to me though- nice climbing Dan. Next I want to introduce you to the whole winter climbing thing......

Oh, and he did get a good grade on his assessment but Jahu was only a part of that. 

Part of the reason he was able to go for it today was the fine cool weather. The white stuff is back down to about 1000m (not cold enough yet though) and it was a fine and sunny day.

 VDiff warmup

 Top of Styx Right Wall

 Setting top rope on Jahu

 The rest on Jahu

 Into the crux...

 Getting it right...

Happy Dan!

Wet, warm and windy in the west

Today I was working for the School of Adventure Studies and it was belting it down. I cycled from Corpach to the Leisure Centre before work and I'm sure I got wetter on the bike than in the pool! I had a nice small team of three for an intro. to mountain skills. We went to Glen Nevis where the rivers were absolutely thumping.
Starting with a little map-setting and a walk along the road to get to grips with features we then headed up Scimitar Ridge a nice wee Grade 2 scramble much loved by OB Loch Eil which I've never done. The team coped very well with the wet mica schist and showed me how its done by tackling the 'travelator' slab with no hands despite the wet. From here we were able to map read ourself to the Steall car park and from there we looked at timing up to the meadows. An Steall Ban (The White Spout) was certainly living up to its name today and after a quick play on the wire bridge we headed for home with another team.
We could see the snow almost visibly stripping from the hills today and the Coire Jamie B and I slithered up yesterday is almost completely bare of the white stuff.

 Scimitar Ridge

 Note disappearing snow on tops

 Wet mica schist?

 Bring it on!

 Look! No hands!

 .212

 An Steall Ban

 And the wire bridge

West coast granite. Another long walk for a short climb.

Jamie B and I were hoping to get high enough to find something frozen under the healthy dump of snow we've had for the last 2 days. The snow was down to 500m but it wasn't feeling too cold so we decided to check out a local cliff that neither of us had been to Mullach nan Coirean in the Mamores which is described in Mike's Guide as 'snowed up rock climbing'.
We sweated and slithered our way up the Coire through thick but wet snow and as we got up near the crags it still felt mild and the turf was useless. We passed several ridges below the main crag that would give great fun short granite routes (Lochaber's Creagan Coire Cha No?) and were getting prepared to admit defeat when it came to a route. At the very end though as we turned the last corner the change in aspect brought a change in conditions. The turf was no better but the crag was steep and rocky and that rock was white!
We were beneath Kindergarten corner (too hard for us at VII,8 but a strong line) and Kid Gloves IV on the arete which looked a goer. We climbed avoiding the turf but the holds were mostly on rock anyway with plenty of clearing needed lower down and good hooks and gear. I stopped half way up so that Jamie would get some climbing in (selfless aren't I) having had some pleasant moves in the rocky groove. This left Jamie to bridge up a chossy corner past suspect blocks and creaking flakes which I think he would quite happily have left to me!
As We climbed the second pitch the temperature rocketed and the rock was turning wet by the time I topped out and it was snowing big damp sticky flakes which were of course rain by the time we dropped back down to the forest.
The crag is a stiff flog up from the trees but no worse really than Stob Coire nan Lochan in Glencoe. The existing routes are short but space exists for much variation and mountaineering on the slightly lower buttresses to the left.

 Walking in

 First bit

 Very yellow belay jacket

 Awkward

Better

Mega thaw due tonight onwards so it was good to hook tools to snowy rock whilst it was here and always good to visit a new venue.

No problems...

...well actually I set a few but Sally and Kate dispatched them in short order. The students from UHI descended en masse on Kingussie Crag today and with some morning autumn sunshine in evidence Sal and Kate led routes and each was forced to escape the system and abseil to their second when they were incapacitated. Sal had to lower Kate on a damaged rope and then abseil the same line whilst Kate had to deal similarly with a knot where 2 ropes were joined together. Well done to the pair of them on this part of their assessment it was very obvious that they had been practising and their methodical measured approach to the problems paid off.

The oldest and the driest routes in the Glen today

After a wet SPA Training over the last 2 days (thanks to Scott for day 2 yesterday), today i was working with Sally and Kate from the UHI Adventure Tourism Management course. The vehicle for their assessment was rock climbing problem solving but its part of a wider module in incident management that they will be working on. It was a busy day with 6 Mountain Instructors out with teams from the College and Ben, Scott and I headed for Glen Nevis. Thanks to the chap from JMT who we negotiated access to the crag with Glen Nevis is closed today and tomorrow as the JMT use a helicopter in the aware to do repair work on the Steall path).
We went to Hangover Buttress and started on the oldest recorded route in the Glen a moderate that is easily split into 2 pitches. A knot appeared in front of the second on the first pitch and the leader dropped their belay plate at the top of the second but these were trivial problems and the team were soon arranging a retreat from the top of the crag.... and when the ab rope jammed being pulled through the other end was dug out for leading back up to free it (real problem- no scenario required)!
Then the heavens opened, heavy rain and hail so we ran away to Cross 3. This diff is a gently rising traverse that is tucked under a massive roof. Although it was dripping and seeping the rock under the roof stays dry in even the heaviest rain and Sally lead across placing a runner every metre or so as the ground fell away to give a great pitch for the grade. As Kate seconded across she fell off swinging into unclimbable ground so Sally arranged an assisted hoist. Next Kate led the same route and this time Sally injured an arm and was unable to climb or help hoist so Kate had to do all the work herself.

 Oldest recorded route in the Glen Pitch 1 for Kate...

 ...pitch 2 for Sally

 Dry rock on a rainy day

 Hiding from the rain

 Out from under the roof

 Kate takes a break from leading for a drink

 Kate doing all the work

She Hulk (green toes)

We finished the last hour with some further training on lowering and abseiling past a knot before heading back to the College and the warmth and dry.