Alone but not lonely on Tower Ridge

After another night of snow on Ben Nevis I was hoping that a tactically late start would see a few teams digging ahead of Jakub and I on Tower Ridge today. No such luck- the weather had teams retreating in their droves (although Italian, Vanishing, Orion Direct and 2 of the Minus Gullies all saw action today). As we waded in the knee deep powder up Observatory Gully to traverse onto Tower Ridge someone was coming down from the crest having been soloing around on Vanishing and 1934 Route. That gave us 40m of trail broken on the Crest. We waded on and next bumped into 2 lads downclimbing from where Italian breaks onto the ridge.... that gave us a little more trail.
My phone was turned off so I missed a message from Mike (who'd obviously seen my tweet about heading for TR) warning me of a team who had spent the night higher on the ridge (brrrr!). Lochaber MRT were on the case and after an icey ascent (take a couple of short screws) punctuated with some deep drifts (easy climbing, hard for gear) I popped over the Great Tower in time to see Kenny retreating from the far side of the Gap as LMRT cleared the Ridge after the rescue.

 Initial snow arete

 Break in the weather

 Getting higher

 Eastern Traverse

At the Gap

This meant the last bit of the Ridge was well trenched and we were on top by 2.15 to nav down the Red Burn. 3 days on the Ben on the trot. Jakub's legs have earned a rest at home!
The team who let us climb through past them on Green Gully yesterday dropped and axe on the final pitch. If you find a tool in the top of Green Gully then the owner can be contacted here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=542516

With friendly grockles on Green

Watery sunshine on the walk in

 Queueing up for Vanishing

 Pitch 3

 Jakub

 Almost at the last belay

After chopping thru the cornice in the wind

It was another lovely morning walk in to Ben Nevis this morning for Jakub, Neil and myself. The North Face car park was overflowing merrily and this was reflected by the crocodile of pilgrims heading up to find a climb to do. There was fresh avalanche debris visible at the foot of Boomer's Requiem and a the huge queue at the base of Vanishing were being treated to some good waves of spindrift.

We headed in to Coire na Ciste hoping to do Green Gully. There was a team at the base and another just arriving as we came round the corner above the Hut. 'Good' I thought. They'll be be well on their way by the time we get there. So I was a little surprised that the first leader had only just left the first stance by the time we had walked in to the Ciste, geared up, plodded up a bit and I'd run 2 ropes together up to the base of the route. 'Oh well. we are here now and everyone seems friendly'. The 2 teams were having an adventure and climbing near their limit and good for them. Some of them hadn't climbed much in winter or were lapsed climbers but they were out there getting on it. They missed the odd obvious belay but were happy to listen to advice and let us climb through past them (thank you) and I ended up helping the leader of the front team chop through the cornice as we topped out together. We then gave him back the deadman he'd dropped on the first pitch! 

The 4th pitch was where the weather turned and we topped out into the white room with gusty winds, snow squalls and poor vis. We headed down the Red Burn chatting with Spike and his team who had come up Ledge Route as the wet snow plastered our rucksacks to end the day.

Spindrift floods on Waterfall Gully

 Jakub building the first belay in the Gulch

The other team on the start of Gemini

Jakub on Waterfall Gully P1 

 That's a lot of snow!

' Ok, go for it'

 Approaching the belay

 Waterfall Gully

Where the snow was coming from. Waves of spindrift from high above funnelled into our Gully

Today Jakub came back for 3 days winter climbing with me. Last night's heavy snowfall made the hill feel a far less friendly place than of late. There were those making good decisions (not happy with the snow around Fawlty Towers, and another team walking away from Vanishing) and those questing on bravely (?) into Observatory Gully. I told the team from Fawlty Towers that its possible to Ab the first pitch of Waterfall Gully and they headed that way (this wasn't entirely altruistic as I planned to go there later and hoped they'd have dug some of the snow off!).
We started at the Gulch and after some digging found the ice still present and Jakub got 3 pitches of increasing difficulty before we headed round the corner. The 2 lads had cleaned Waterfall Gully's first pitch nicely and were now playing on the bottom of Gemini. As they finished and abseiled off we cracked on with Waterfall. It's had a lot of attention and was hooked and stepped but it has been so chopped up that in places the bulges were overhanging but positive making for good sport. I reached the in situ belay and brought Jakub up. Then the snow began... a torrent of snow pouring down the Gully from above. It wasn't touching either of us- I was clear on the belay on one side and Jakub was tucked in on the other- but it was a few minutes before he could cross to me. We retreated between these mini avalanches.
Walking out we could see the cause. Waves of spindrift were blowing from the crest of Ledge Route into the funnel above our pitch and pouring down it. A similar thing was happening all down the west side of Tower Ridge with the snow completely obscuring Garadh Gully from the Hut.

There is a lot of snow sitting in places out there. Its not last week any more folks so have a safe weekend!

Reflective learning: another day at the Wall

Making shapes

Quite happy to be indoors today as the weather was less pleasant than of late. I was working with First Years from the Adventure Tourism Management Degree at West Highland College today. The team agreed some skill areas to work on and then designed a program of demonstration/drill (by me), practise and feedback with a slightly different format to the learning for each drill. The group I was working with wanted to look at efficient movement on steeper ground so we did some exercises based around rotation and use of momentum. The group looked at combinations of varied and blocked practise, intrinsic and extrinsic feedback amongst other things. At the end of the day they then looked at what seemed to be the most effective styles and why. All this is designed to help them understand how they learn better before they start thinking about how to coach others.
Back to winter tomorrow!

CWA Training

Thinking about Centre of Gravity

Day 1 of a CWA Training for 5 students from West Highland College and we were at The Ice Factor today. Groups, peer belaying, personal climbing, group warmups and some simple coaching. Pics from the iphone today.

2 days play and 1000m of frontpointing fun.

 Approaching Boomer's Requiem

 First Pitch

 Wider view

 Jon starting the steep pitch two

 The steep bit is out of sight around the corner

Loooong pitch 3 and plenty of ground to go to the top

 Topping out in great weather

 Up onto Central Right Hand

 Amazing evening light

 Deja Vu on Orion Direct

JJ looking relaxed on the crux

Nearly there...

I've known Jon for many years and I've worked for him and with him first at Glasgow Climbing Centre, then for his own business and now in his capacity as Head of Mountaineering at Glenmore Lodge... but we'd never actually tied onto a rope and climbed together. So earlier this year we identified a couple of days we could both take off for a bit of personal climbing time.

Yesterday we hoofed it into the CIC Hut and dropped off our kit. The usual stream of folk were heading into Observatory Gully and a pair were off to Vanishing but no-one seemed to be heading towards the Castle Coire area which meant Boomer's Requiem should be free. I knew from other blogs that it was steep and they weren't joking. After an easy intro pitch Jon led us up the crux which was indeed the steepest V I've ever been on but the rock wall to its left provided the odd bridging rest and some good rock gear. Then led a rising traversing 60m pitch which my calves were glad to see the end of. From there another 4 pitches of easier ground saw us on the plateau near the top of Carn Dearg. A stunning weather day but absolutely baltic. 3.30 was too early to go back to the hut so after dropping down No.4 Gully we popped up Central Gully Right Hand for good measure. 5 o'clock on the plateau and the light across to Tower ridge and beyond looked amazing. Once more down No.4 and back to the CIC for dinner, red wine, rehydration and a toasty night in the bunk room.

Up at 6 and out the door for 7ish and its warmer and we are the second party into Observatory Gully (someone had an early start from the car park). We were going to Sickle but I knew that Orion Direct is one of those routes that JJ had just never got round to and was at the top of his tick list. And unlike 12 days ago there was no-one in front of us. Its a great quality route and I got to lead some pitches I didn't last time. Nathan and Tom followed us to The Basin before heading up Epsilon Chimney. The team below them must have a death wish heading to the base of Orion with us climbing above them without bothering with helmets. It was a bit more like Scottish Winter today with some poor vis coming and going, some spindrift and a bit of graupel on the move.

My calves hurt... but great to have some time to climb with an old friend. And the routes are awesome.

Favourite kit of the winter #2

Warm hands are worth the price!

I'm rubbish at shopping and really susceptible to impulse buying. So when I saw a really expensive pair of  Outdoor Research gloves reduced (last season's model) in the newly opened Field and Trek in Fort William I went for it. I tested some OR kit at Glenmore Lodge last year and loved most of it. Some real thought had gone into designing some bombproof gear and these gloves proved to be in a similar vein.
Winter gloves in Scotland are the bane of my life. Work just destroys them and warmth and dexterity often seem mutually exclusive. The OR Alpine Alibi gloves I've been using this winter though hit that nail right on the head. The first heavy duty glove I've ever worn which felt that I could genuinely use my fingers in them. I've been wearing them over a thin pair of microfleece gloves (my walk in gloves- if they stay dry) and the combination let me slide the Alibis on even when wet (I don't expect waterproof gloves in Scottish Winter, sooner or later they ALL will get wet, when that's a problem I put on a dry pair) - aided by the well thought out pull on loops that OR put at the base of the wrist cuff. And they are WARM. Nearly 60 days winter routes and work this year and I've only had hot aches once wearing these and that was limited to the very top joint of my right hand (previous frostbite there anyway and I usually get them much worse). Its a while since I used a long gauntlet but the bulk on these wasn't too large which can often feel like an issue.

Manufacturers blurb:
Our waterproof and breathable Alpine Alibi Gloves™ are made with X-TRAFIT™ technology and stretch soft shell construction to provide excellent dexterity. Nimble hand-to-tool contact is enhanced through this construction allowing the glove to smoothly conform to the shape of your hand. EnduraLoft™ insulation on the back of hand and thumb and heat pack pockets at the wrists and back of hand provide warmth when temps hover at freezing and the day stretches from sunrise to sunset. The leather palm wraps around the thumb and up the index finger sidewall to provide tough abrasion resistance and solid grip when handling ropes for the belay and rappel. With added features like a secure wrist cinch for a no-slip fit and protective padding on finger knuckles, this glove is ideal for long alpine ice ascents.

FEATURES:
INTENDED USAGE:
Insulated, waterproof glove for alpine ice; rappel and belay
SHELL:
+ Waterproof/breathable GORE-TEX™ insert with X-TRAFIT™ technology + Stretch soft shell construction
INSULATION:
+ EnduraLoft™ insulation: 170 g on back of hand and thumb 
PALM:
+ Leather palm wraps around thumb and index  finger for abrasion resistance and solid grip on belay and rappel
FEATURES:
+ Secure wrist cinch with thermo-formed neoprene, articulating wrist harness; bite tab for easy opening and closing
+ Direct injection protective padding on finger knuckles
+ Heat pack pockets on gauntlet and back of hand
+ DuoCinch™ gauntlet closure
+ Removable Idiot Cord

They've obviously got the insulation dexterity right with these.
Any downsides: Worn through at the finger tips and between both fingers and thumbs after about 36 days use. Durability is still an issue. Velcro wrist closure clogs with snow very easily. The plastic skeleton offering protection on the back of the hands has almost all fallen off with use.
BUT the great news is there is an updated version! This looks to have changed the tips and the thumb/finger area and gotten rid of the velcro wrist. The price tag may seem steep but these are THE closest I've come to the holy grail (the perfect cold weather winter glove) I've ever come. I'll be getting a pair.

Objects of desire