Movement in the mountains so far this summer has been rarely static. A whole bunch of long classic hill races in Scotland and the Lakes has necessitated some fitness for running up inclines, so climbing has had to take a back seat.

After a shuffle of things and completion of most of the major races I ended up having a free Sunday afternoon so went in search of some mountain craggin with Findlay last weekend.

With limited time and recent rain the highest crags were out, so we opted for a more modern climb that is rapidly achieving classic status not least for its recent appearance in the new Scottish Rock select guide. Millennium slab is perched at a modest height on the north side of Garbh Bheinn, west of Corran. The most popular climb is Indian Slab, VS 4b, with there also being a few other lines at a similar grade. 

The crag itself is a large sheet of easy angled Gneiss in the upper reaches of Glen Gour. Approached via a 4x4 track and then only a short section of untracked ground, by all accounts it should be a fairly straightforward walk-in. The track up Glen Gour was actually pretty rough going, and although the guidebooks all suggest taking bikes in anything other than a prolonged heatwave you’d be best cycling in a wetsuit with the amount of water on the path, some sections of puddles of which were over 100 m long! 

Looking down the long and excellently positioned 3rd pitch of Indian Slab 

After arriving at the crag drenched in sweat it was obvious that we’d accidentally walked into the Lions den dressed as a couple of prime steaks. Within minutes we were the focus of a few thousands wee beasties which forced rapid gearing up. With all the hill running and walking I’d rarely been still long enough for midges to be a problem, however we were now very much not moving and they were flocking to us like we were a free bar. Lucky for me my handy midge net kept my sanity a little. Findlay learnt a valuable lesson in that moment that’s for sure and I felt very bad, but not enough to offer him a go! 

The climb itself was good. Whilst given a grade of VS 4b, there is probably no moves harder than 4a+ and the gear is okay, if a little fiddly. The holds are small and sometimes rounded but the friction is exceptional. The big 3rd pitch slab is great and used up the full 60 m of rope.

The descent was classic Scotland big mountain crag stuff, being a combination of traversing on collapsing ledges followed by a steep grass slope which was rutted to waist depth. At least we were moving fast enough to out run the midges though! 

You can’t beat a good ferry crossing, even if it is small by Scottish standards

All in all the route was a good outing, but being such a soft-touch a full rack felt a bit overkill. The easy angle and regular breaks / grass ledges probably makes it a great candidate for a solo mission. Going on and up through the rocks above the crag looked interesting and would make a fine day if combined with Great Ridge.

Next day we did Direct Route on BeM. The 4a crux on that was significantly harder than anything on Indian Slab… 

Findlay just before the smooth crux on Direct Route

Last week I was in the Cairngorms with the boys from Devon for some winter climbing action. Whilst the wild weather meant conditions were certainly wintery, the three named storms we had to negotiate did make things quite testing at times... 

The weather the first day was calm in the morning but breaking by mid-afternoon heralding the arrival of the first of the named storms. To try and make the most of the weather window we headed straight for the northern corries, with Dan and Rich heading for Hidden Chimney on Mess of Pottage and myself and Jed going for Original Summer Route on Aladdin's Buttress. 

A deluge of snow earlier in the week followed by some slightly warmer weather meant that whilst everything was very white, there was also a healthy covering of useless cruddy ice. Little did we know this would be the theme of the trip with this stuff covering every crag we went too! The first pitch of Original Summer Route was no different, with chocked up cracks making gear quite hard won and progress reliant almost entirely on snowed up hooks or turf which had to be dug out. As we climbed higher the snow did get gradually more consolidated, but coincident to a worsening of the weather. We continued all the way to the pinnacle before reversing Alladin’s Gully and then heading back down the corrie. By the time we got back to the car, the view had gone and the wind had picked up. A sign of things to come. 

Jed following the tricky third pitch of Original Summer Route (IV,5)

More steep groves on Original Summer Route

Victory stance looking back up at the route

The next day was a walk day and whilst there was no named storm, winds were still forecast to be gale force, with snow showers throughout the day. With that in mind we opted for a smash and grab Munro bag on Mullach Clach a’Bhlair, the broad and rounder of the two Munros guarding the western flank of the Moine Mor near Glen Feshie. After 5 or 6 km of walking up the Glen we headed up a steep access track, gaining elevation quickly, with snow depth growing rapidly from dusting to shin to knee deep drifts in no time at all. Even with the coming and going of visibility as squalls rushed through, following the big landrover track was easy navigation, even though the walking wasn’t. As soon as we reached flatter ground by the summit plateau however we stepped in another world of compact and squeaky knee deep sastrugi and blowing snow. Following a bearing towards the intermittently visible summit cairn pimpling the skyline was surprisingly tough going, particularly with the rush of powder snow blasting underneath us in the cross wind. Eventually we made it to the summit, but the jubilation was somewhat bittersweet. As we set up the bearing for the descent, the wind started picking up and the sky grew black. In no time at all we were in the grasp of a serious blizzard, with visibility down to a few feet at the most. Whilst a little scary, having to do such complex navigation was great fun. This was definitely the case for me and Jed, but less so for Rich having forgot his goggles. He won’t be forgetting them again that’s for sure.

A brief respite from wild weather on the walk out from Mullach Clach a'Bhlair 

The next day Storm Eustace was to make landfall in southern Britain, bringing hurricane force winds to the south coast. For Scotland, whilst winds were high, it was more or less business as usual. We walked into the northern corries once again but this time with a fierce cross wind and light snow falling. By the time we’d started up our route - Fluted Buttress Direct, the snow was heavy and now pouring down the cliff. Strong westerly winds in recent days meant westerly aspects were accumulating vast quantities of snow, so FBD with its north facing aspect shouldn’t have been to bad. As we got higher it became clear that this aspect was also collecting a lot of snow and before long I was tethering up the lower crux grove on rounded, iceless holds being pummelled by endless powder snow. A quick retreat from some convenient tat saw us go on a counter and easier adjacent line, Wavelength. But after a pitch of that we were all freezing and becoming increasingly nervous about the shear volume of snow accumulating everywhere. With conditions worsening we opted for a swift exit up Spiral Gully, not wanting to risk an abseil down onto now loaded slopes below the crag. Eventually we made it up and out onto the plateau, but as they say, out of the frying pan and into the fire! Winds were now close to storm force and visibility down to a hundred meters or so and dropping rapidly. Thankfully we made it off without a hitch and got back to a very snowed up and buried car. 

Somewhat wild conditions on the day of Storm Eustace 

Fluted Buttress Direct, just before we bailed!

The car easily demonstrating how much snow had fallen in the time we were climbing! 

The next and final day couldn’t have been more contrasting, being dominated by a rare ridge of high pressure hiding in the wake of Eustace. Not wanting anything to do with north or eastern aspects we took a longer walk up and over to Stag Rocks, a vast and sprawling crag on the south side of Loch ‘An. The only issue with this crag was the combination of southern aspect and surprisingly sunny weather. Whilst temperatures were well below zero, the sun bathed base of the cliff was a sun trap warming rapidly so haste really was the main prerogative. Our route was a shy IV,5 called Albino, which climbs a cracked slab and then takes a wild line round an overhang before following groves and corners more easily to the top. The shear volume of snow and ice in recent days meant the slab was totally buried, and whilst quite delicate, was actually an exciting lead and not as thin as I thought it was going to be. The exit grooves would have been equally enjoyable, however the rope drag was unbearable, so made this quite a testing finish. By the time Jed and Dan had come up things were definitely warming up with running water and ice falling all over the place. Luckily the next few pitches were much simpler and everything was that bit higher, so a touch more stable. All in all, it was a beautiful day and well worth the effort of seeking out something that safer, even if it was a bit drippy. 

The cracked slab pitch of Albino (IV,5)

Jed soaking up some exposure on the steep and exposed exit groves on Albino

Given the weather over those few days I was extremely happy that we managed to get so much done. The rest of the UK had been battered by a series of awful storms and somehow us being that bit much further north for once meant we escaped the worst of it. Now you can’t often say that about climbing in Scotland can you! 

End of a great day on Stag Rocks, and a great trup in the Cairngorms

Church Door Buttress up on Bidean in Glencoe. Flake Route (IV,6) climbs pretty much straight up the middle through a series of chimneys and grooves

Church Door Buttress up on Bidean is fast becoming one of my favourite winter mountain crags. Being nearly 200 m high and with a base at over 850 m above sea level, its definitely one of Glencoes highest that’s for sure. Its shattered and vegetated corners, grooves and chimneys make for brilliant (if a little arduous) climbing and when you get a view, the vista out towards Loch Linnie is stunning. Whilst it’s elevation makes it a reliable venue, the approach isn’t the easiest and is certainly a bit of a lung buster. To be honest, that’s no bad thing really as it seems to do a good job at keeping the crowds at bay. Not even once have I had to share a belay at Church Door, or even a gearing up spot at the base! Yesterday was no different, which was a real surprise given the forecast of cold and clear weather as a result of rare and short lived ridge of high pressure. 

The snow line was ~600 m elevation and was mainly fresh powder. The storms of the days past were evident everywhere with watercourses all eventually succumbing to the cold being frozen solid by about 750 m. Where the wind had been pummelling the Coire waterfalls has clearly been blown upwards creating vast sheets of water ice on both riverbanks. 

The crag itself was absolutely plastered with rime ice and gully’s choked with a combination of new and old snow. There was also a lot of ice, but not enough to be a problem.

Our route choice was to be the left had start to Flake Route (IV,6), which is a line I’ve looked at before with Seb when we were up last season doing one of the gullys. The first pitch climbs a spectacular looking rift and is in a similar pedigree to Crypt Route (V,6), it’s neighbouring route which I did with Sol a few years back.

The sensational knee battering pitch on Flake Route (Picture courtesy of K. Applegate) 

Flake Route did not disappoint. It was an absolute gut busting thrutch with several occasions where full body wedging and udging was the only means of progression. Gear was hard won but generally good - although not all that necessary  given how much contact you were in with both walls of the chimney most of the time… The upper pitches were equally enjoyable and we finished up the notorious Raeburns Chimney which was a bit thin on snow on the lower slab which added to the excitement considerably! Having led it twice before I was more than happy to let Ben get on the sharp end for this one. I was expecting a spectacle of grovelling (which is how I remember it!) but Ben made short work of it climbing it fantastically. The last pitch was more thinly iced that I’d seen before, which made it more interesting than usual but also a bit more committing. Overall though a great route on a great crag. 

Ben putting in a final udge on the chimney pitch of Flake Route

Ben making short work of the notorious Raeburn's Chimney pitch where Flake Route joins West Chimney (V,7) and Crypt Route (V,6)

One thing to mentioned is that the day was almost marred by Ben dropping his belay jacket from his harness on the scramble up the gully. Somewhat astonishingly the jacket in its dry bag landed at the base of the gully balanced on a snow ledge for the whole day before we collected it on the walk out. Another inch and it would have continued to fall down the crag apron, probably never to be seen again. Luck was clearly with us yesterday. 

Where I found Ben's belay jacket. How it stayed here for 5 hours without being buried / blowing do the crag apron I'll never know! 

Another fabulous day in Glencoe

My orange jacket standing out like a sore thumb on Andromeda (photo credit James Rigby - thanks James!)

This winter has been rather other worldly. Unseasonably warm and dry conditions have been the norm, which has made getting the usual run of winter ticks somewhat more challenging.

Thankfully this weekend just gone a bit of luck with the forecast fortuitously timed with climbing plans conjured in Autumn of last year.

After an overnight dusting and dominance of a freezing northly gale James and I found the Lochain looking "lean" but with potential at least. It was James first ever winter foray so going easy probably should have been the order of the day, but a pedigree of climbing hard trad and ultra running meant I wasn't too worried about taking him to the deep end - certainly as far as northern cories climbing is concerned. 

The route we opted for was Andromeda (IV), a grove and corner line that breaks off from Milky Way and heads directly up through steep ground to join Central Crack Route. 

The start was awkward. The usual snow clad ledges and groves were replaced with icy rock, a dust of useless snow and turf frozen so solid even a sharp axe barely made a dent. The highlight was a horizontal crack a full reach past a small overlap made for a textbook torque and was protected by a rusty peg complete with frozen tat. What more could you ask for from a first pitch.

After some more textbook encounters - this time of the faffing and hot aches variety - we were ready to tackle the main corner line of Andromeda. The line is actually a series of three corners, with the one of the left being the true line, an option just right being supposedly slightly harder and then another corner way to the right, which looked a grade easier than the other two options. As we stood there being buffeted by the wind and snow, there was certainly a strong urge to take the easiest of the options - que climber on Milky Way who announces that the left corner is worth the effort and the true line. That settled it. Off we went up the left corner. 

It had torques, it had burl, and most importantly it had copious opportunities for full body wedging. Were I to do it again, I'd probably leave the bag at the base as it definitely made some of the chimneying sections harder than they needed to be. 

The last pitch was an easy romp up past the cornice. Unfortunately the weather the next few days wasn't up to climbing, but it was still great to have a catch up with James.   

Ben on the second pitch of White Shark

I had an early alarm this morning; which considering my circadian rhythm usually has me stirring from 6 am can only mean one thing. Winter climbing day! 

It’s taken the sacrifice of a days precious leave, but finally the stars aligned with opportunity and required conditions colliding for the first time this season. “Requires conditions” is perhaps an exaggeration though as actually the current situation in the mountains is pretty bad, with unseasonably mild January weather stripping snow and ice from all but the highest places. With this in mind, we opted to go to Annoch Mors east face which is a reliable venue given the elevation of the crag base at a little over 1000 m. 

The day didn’t start overly well either. We missed the early gondola by 5 minutes (which forced a 45 min wait outside the shut cafe) and after eventually reaching the crag, was followed by starting up a route which had a bit too much wet turf and drippy ice to be justifiable. After a bit of head scratching we headed to a higher section of the crag and opted for a lean looking White Shark. The route was really great, if a little stiff for IV,4 but still provided good climbing on mostly solid ice. The difficulty was certainly put into perspective by watching a local guy solo the route before we started up though.. 

The forecast looks like it goes warm again from tomorrow and staying that way. It’ll be a few weeks before I can get out again anyway so hopefully things pick up soon or this really will be a dreadful winter. Given the warmer weather, If you do head to this crag watch out as the cornices were absolutely huge, and not a thing to be underneath when they start thawing… 

A revelation from todays drive to the crag… what a game changer 

Shifting Focus

Sailing with feet above the clouds on a morning run up Ben Ledi

There have been a few cold snaps recently but commitments in work and life have prevented me getting out and making the most of early season winter conditions. Although its brilliant to see that other people have been getting out, I've definitely been suffering with FOMO so have been pushing my training as a distraction! 

Over the past few years winter time training was mainly done on a turbo and bike in the garage, which was partially a function of convenience but it also being a new and exciting thing that I’d not done before. This was supplemented by a few runs and then also the deep base that a winter climbing day in the hills doubtlessly represents. Training on a turbo can be surprisingly addictive as the performance gains and consequential fitness can be generated quite clinically and over a reasonably short time period. The thing is that after 2 years the novelty of turbo training has well and truly worn off and it’s becoming increasingly harder to muster enough motivation to spin away in a freezing garage for hours on end with Netflix trash TV only providing a faint distraction. 

Towards the end of last year one of my friends suggested that we enter the Pentland Skyline fell race held in the hills south of Edinburgh. The race itself is ~17 miles and takes in many of the major Pentland Hills, with the route climbing a vomit inducing 2000 m along its course. After agreeing and realising that my fitness was probably woefully inadequate, I dusted off the fell shoes and started doing at least one several hour muscle endurance run in the hills each week. I also joined the local running club, Ochil Hill Runners, and went on some of the social  evening runs after work on a Tuesday which was great fun. Within a few weeks my love of the hills and running in them was totally rekindled and it’s for that reason I’ve decided to shift my training focus for 2021 towards hill races. 

As well as the Pentland Skyline, last year I heaved myself around the Wansfell Fell Race, the Stybarrow Fell Race and also the Birnam Hill Race, the latter of which was also my best result so far coming 4th overall. This weekend just gone I ran in the Stile End - Outerside and Barrow Hill Race, which narrowly avoided seriously snowy and icy conditions thanks to a well timed thaw the evening before. It would have been a different race if it had stayed sub zero! The next race is planned for Clough Head, which features a lengthly section of very very steep grass and tussocks up just below the main summit, which on the way up will be lung busting, and on the way down, hopefully not bone busting! 

Triathlon is still very much a firm fixture next year with two races, one in the summer and the other early autumn, both in the Lakes. Aside from those the plan is to also have a try at some of the longer hill races… 

In the meantime hopefully all this running will be useful training for some winter climbing, whenever I eventually manage to make it out into the hills.

Classic sunshine and showers on an alternate OMM weekend with Dad after it got cancelled

David and I getting our feet wet on the stepping stone crossing on Loch Voil 

Looking back along towards Ben Lawers on a another training run / snow swim

The author blowing hard on the SOB fell race. Not icy, but definitely wintery!