The Scottish Alps

This is a collection of photos from today when I traversed one of Scotland's most spectacular ridges, The Aonach Eagach. So I got up early, found I was the first on the ridge after a whole dumping of fresh snow with a few only hours weather window during the morning to snatch an ascent. Rather than write a load of stuff about what happened here are some photos!

The early rays of morning light up the depths of Glen Coe

Looking down the Aonach Eagach from Am Bodach through the gloom

Looking back up at decent down Am Bodach (fence post for scale)

The start of "The Pinnacles" from Meal Dearg

Its a long way down!

After one of the difficult pinnacle steps, looking back up Glen Coe

One of the many narrow sections of the ridge, lots of air beneath your feet!

Solitude and untrodden snow and even some sunshine

Looking west towards Stob Corie Laith

Almost Alpine.
The crux chimney with Stob Corie Laith beyond

Looking up the steep, buried chimney. Perfect snow! 

Looking east along the ridge. The tiny dots are the people who should have
got up earlier!

The Aonach Eagach with Ranoch Moor beyond

Still breaking trail, still empty west of Stob Corie Laith

Looking back along the frozen ridge

Proof that the sun does shine in Scotland on a Saturday

The view from The Pap of Glencoe, not quite as snowy but a great
end to a great day

Into the Freezer

After many weekends making the by-now ritual Saturday journey to the Glenmore Lodge snow gates only to find them shut, frustration was growing ripe! Countless days of gale to storm force winds, zero visibility and rapidly accumulating unstable snow was making me wonder if I should take up mountain biking? But finally some stable weather. I say stable, but in fact the conditions weren't that great, but the weather has been so consistently crap for the last few weeks, a half decent forecast was all that's needed!

The snow plastered Fiacaill Ridge (II) 

Looking out over the frozen plateau towards Ben Macdui. 

I made the most of my dream combination of good weather and a Sunday by racing past the hordes walking up in Corie an t-Snechda and then onto the Fiacaill ridge. The wind, although significantly subdued compared to the last few weeks was still quite buffeting, waiting to push you off your feet with every minor stumble from hibernating rocks beneath the snow. The ridge itself was quite busy, but with a strong cross wind these other people were all but invisible, hidden by the torrent of spin drift being blown up from Corie an Lochain.

Looking into the Loch Avon basin with the lake of Loch Avon visible,
 just beneath a respectable amount of snow!

Looking over at Shelterstone Crag and Pinnacle Buttress

Kinda gives an idea of the amount of snow about. Not quite
yet spring yet it would seem!

The view of the plateau was amazing. A totally frozen landscape, only the most pronounced of topographical feature pierced the vast the blanket of snow. After that I left all the people behind and descended into Loch Avon via Allt Corie Raiberit. The gully was on the west impinged on by a large cornice, resulting in sugar soft powder in the base, which was wait deep in place!

Actual sunshine!  Don't think its going to thaw out the lake any time soon..

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Looking up the final section of Diagonal Gully.

Looking from the top of Diagonal Gully back into Loch Avon.

After traversing the shore I then broke up the valley just short of the Shelterstone aiming for Diagonal Gully on Stag Rocks. The gully itself is only grade 1 but quite steep, and was defiantly suffering from the strong sunlight that day as large chunks of ice started to break off and wizing past me, destined for the valley below. After that followed a traditional visit to Cairngorm summit then a beer at the funicular station by the car park. Victory!

Strange hoar frost formations on the decent down to Ptarmigan Station. 

The Problem of employment

The wonderful Pink Granite of Upper Tier in the Western Section,
Pass of Ballater

Having a job is great. Especially somewhere like the Cairngorms. From its wild and forgotten glens to its barren ice clad peaks, its an amazing place. The only problem is, working 5 days a week you don't get to enjoy it that much! Don't get me wrong, my job with the CNPA gets me outside a lot and with GIS I don't even need to leave my chair to explore it, but its not quite the same as being out and about!

So this afternoon with a good forecast and some flexitime built up, I took the afternoon off and went over to the western section of The Pass of Ballater. Due to everything being a wee bit wet from the rain torrents of recent times I had to steer clear of big cracks and slabs so face routes it was to be. I decided upon Peel Wall (E4 6a) as it was completely dry when i checked it (and its supposed to be a classic!).

Just before the first go. What a setting!

So with the top rope set and a cheeky wee look at the route when abbing down I started getting psyched to give it a go. Standing at the bottom with the rope hanging away from the face the whole way down I questioned my motivation for choosing something so steep. Maybe I should have found a nice VS slab?

The Peel Wall (E4 6a) where the rope is hanging. The arete is tackled by Smiths Arete (E5 6a),
with the corner of Little Cenotaph (HVS 5b) on the right.

After a few man up pills a fierce start using tiny feet and underclings sees you grunting up some strenuous layback edges followed by a couple of finger jams. After this once you have your foot placed above your shoulder you rock up with the last of your strength and grab THE JUG. Another jug right above it then leads to the crux (typically the last bit before the top).

A photo from the internet demonstrating the incorrect way
of negotiating the crux

A recent lack of any kind of rock climbing and an obscene amount of food over Xmas meant this point is where the onsight was slain. After blowing it once and going for the honourable ground up approach I descended to try again. After getting smashed again and again I decided to toss the honourable approach out the window and dogged the shit out of it with eventual success.

Great route, think i'll blame not getting out enough training on the job though. Maybe they're not so bad after all!

A cheeky initial exploration the other day with Rob. We had a crack at a
couple of VDiffs well after dark in big boots by head torch. Weekday climbing
is thwarted by the 16:30 sun set in Scotland!

Parallel A, Lochnagar

Parallel Buttress at Lochnagar. The red line is (roughly) the route we took.

The snow had been falling up on the tops all week but with it being so mild in the valleys it wasn't looking very promising for a weekend adventure. Online reports of massive wet snow avalanches from rotting cornices tumbling down engulfing the Corrie along with failed epics on mostly ice free buttress route didn't do much to install confidence. However by the end of the week, the forecast changed. A nice cheeky cold spell suggested the promise of soft slushy snow and ice being nicely transformed into solid, frozen placements for the climbing tools!

Me leading the first steep gully section of Parallel A Gully (III, 4)

We awoke to cold, clear skies and it being a Saturday. A combination of my 3 favorite things! After navigating the crammed car park below Loch Muick me, Rob and Alastair (an archetypal Scottish chap we met on UKClimbing.com) made the long slog below Meikle Pap over into the Corrie of Lochnagar. Scrambling over the debris cones of the slides earlier in the week was toilsome but the snow was now hard an icey (and incredibly stable) and eventually we reached the MR box below the Douglas Gibson Gully. After spotting a lot of people on the planned route of Eagle Ridge we decided instead to go for Parallel A Gully (III, 4) which runs next to it. Although it was quickly apparent after arriving at the base that nobody had done it since the new snowfall (or possibly this year!).

Alastair negotiating the rock step on the second pitch.
The actual route traverses around this on the left further down.. Oops!

Due to the thawing conditions earlier in the week, a small bergscrund feature had appeared at the start of route which made for an ideal belay spot (a bergscrund is the gap between the snow pack and the base of the crag). After hauling across this I led off up the first pitch on steep frozen snow finding a belay by chance after some rather aggressive digging due to running out the entire 60m of ropes. Rather than traverse left onto easier ground I tackled the gully direct meaning its steep continuation also had to be tackled (which the other guys were incredibly pleased about!).

Rob seconding the last pitch in the dark on soft, steep snow!

Alastair then lead the next steep section through a pinching point, unlike the last pitch however he found some gear (in the form of two rusted pegs) before the overlap and pulled through on thin ice to a belay not far above. Me and Rob hastily followed up to join him at the bifurcation of the gully. After a few more snow pitches (which included a snow cave belay!!) we arrived below the final steepening below the headwall and cornice. By this point it was long since dark but the hollas of other climbers still climbing echoed round the Corrie which made us feel slightly less alone!

So yea the weather on the plataue was lovely!

The final pitch to the plateau was almost Andean in character. It comprised of steep snow flutings (including a chimney!) up to the powder soft cornice. Climbing up this is what I imagine swimming in flour to be like. Alastair spent nearly an hour battling up this pitch in total darkness without a scrap of gear with me and rob discussing what beer we were going to have with our Indian whilst hanging off a single peg. A great lead and a great effort by all (especially rob who did it with two walking axes). An epic finish to an epic day.
         

No question. Conditions were 'in' at Lochnagar!

The top 10 routes of 2013

2013 has defiantly been one of my most productive climbing years so my very first sentence is dedicated to all you folks who were there for those quality moments, from sport dogging cheers to the victory beers, this year has been one of the best, Thanks!

To the main point, these are in my opinion the top 10 routes i've climbed of 2013.. (most of the photos are mine but some have been nabbed from people with better camera skills!)

10, Ethos*** (HVS 5a) - Pembrokeshire
Crumbling rock, a rubbish top out and worst of all, its a slab. So why is this number 10? Because its a pure rush! From the abseil down to a small ledge above a frothing sea, to the fact that every move is off balance. This route completely engulfs you in the moment.. which at the end of the day is what climbing is all about! Best done on a stormy day at high tide to get the maximum out of this experience. Don't get stuck though, as this HVS is the easiest way out.

Emma seconding Ethos (HVS 5a)

9, Plexus** (E1 5b) - Dinas Mot, The Pass
A classic contrast and one for the homesick grit monkey! The difficulties start at the second pitch (5a) up a rounded groove which is unusually pimpled Rhyolite and requires a determined smeartastic approach mainly due to the appalling lack of gear! The next pitch (5b) tackles the massive overhang that dominates this part of the crag. After a jamtastic, well protected burl through the roof a thin groove leads to a belay and a further wandering pitch leads to the top. An amazing adventure, just make sure you have enough rope to make a full 60m abseil to the bottom! Next time lets check we have 60m ropes not 50s ey Laura!  

Me and Laura after a successful foray on Plexus (E1 5b)

8, The Fang*** (HVS 5a) - Tremadog
This one is defiantly a delicate brute and to me spelled unfinished business. This was caused when the first time i tried this route i ended up on Extraction (E2 5c) by mistake which caused me and Rafe to have a new found respect for the grading system of trad at Tremadog until we realised our mistake!

I came back and did the route via the correct start (up the overhanging corner to the left) with Emma later that year.. The belay is intimidating and cramped, situated beneath the huge overhanging 'fang' that gives the route its name. The second pitch is bold and with halves/a very bold leader it is impossible to protect the second. All of this however makes this route one of the most adventurous popular routes at the crag! Amazing!

The cramped belay on The Fang (HVS 5a)

7, Cyfrwy Arete via Table Direct** (VDiff) - Cadair Idris
The north side of Cadair Idris in southern Snowdonia receives little attention from climbers, walkers or anybody really. This may be because of the generally poor quality of rock and also its aspect which makes the routes cold, damp and somewhat foreboding. However these qualities also spell adventure!

CA via TD is a huge undertaking totaling nearly 250m of climbing in ~10 pitches up the towering buttress of Cyfrwy. Best done in big boots to add to the excitement! It tackles the tottering arete more or less direct and provides an excellent outing which is best completed with a bivvy on the summit in the bothy!

I enjoyed this route so much i did various sections of it 3 times this year, the first with a considerable amount of ice on it.. Other neglected but adventurous routes of Cadiar include the crumbling Hyrib (VS 4b) and of course the classic Pencoed Pillar (HVD). If your based near these routes, you have no excuse! Get on it! But remember to take your helmet and probably a trowel!

                        After the table pitch on A snowy asscent of Cyfrwy Arete 

6, Diagonal*** (HVS 5a) - Dinas Mot, The Pass
A technical and gripping route up one of the most prolific crags in the pass which winds a bold line up the slabby right hand side of the crag finishing up a steep groove.

This one was done with Ian late in the evening after a day of SPA training. After running out of light on the 3rd pitch we decided to go for it since we only had one pitch remaining and neither of us wanted to leave any gear behind. Steep thrutching and jamming is hard to get back into after 100m of technical slab it turns out! We finished the epic accordingly by abbing down the wrong side of the buttress meaning we ran out of rope before the base.. Lesson learnt! Take 60m ropes or after a day of SPA just go to the pub!


5, Lubyanka*** (E3 5c) - Cyrn Las, The Pass
A harrowingly bold and technical line up one of the most intimidating crags in The Pass. After a gentle introduction to climbing the first few pitches of Main Wall (HS 4b) the relaxing rapidly dissapears as the route diverts up the steep prow of the main crag winding an intricate line up to a grand finale with possibly the single best pitch of climbing i have ever done. Climaxing by yarding through the final overhanging for the lip of the crag leaving your feet cut loose and all of the pass below consuming your vision. A simply amazing route!

The final space walking pitch of Lubyanka (E3 5c)
*photo taken from ukc.com

4, Barbarian** (E1 5b) - Tremadog
If you like roofs, this is the route for you. It is a route of legendary status with numerous onsights squashed including one member of the Aberystwyth Mountaineering club whom took a fall from the roof on merely a nut key placement. This route ultimately proves that slabs can never compete with such brilliantly steep litholgical architecture. It tackles the large roof at the top of Pant Ifan buttress, it is well protected if you place the right gear, you just have to go for it!


3, Avalanche Wall/Red Wall/Longlands* (HS 4b) - Lliwedd
An alpinesque route up one of the largest crags in Wales. Complex route finding and poor rock along with over 12 pitches of climbing make this route one of the best adventures around! It took me and Emma about 5 hours to do this beast with the crux pitch being right at the top, baring the way to freedom! We did it on a day where it hadn't rained for the previous week and it was still wet in places.. If you've got the motivation to get up early, then this is a must-do summer route!

 The crux slab of Avalanche Wall/RW/L (HS 4b)

2, Terriers Tooth*** (VS 4b) - Chair Ladder
A fantastic route set amongst some of the most idyllic sea cliff climbing in the West Country. The route climbs the initially bold rib and pillar from a wave washed platform to a large ledge at ~30m (end of technical difficulties and can be avoided if needed using a groove to the left but you'd be missing a great pitch in itself!). This is followed by some superbly exposed climbing up the tower/tooth on huge holds to the final hanging slab at the top of the tower.

The only way down is to make a 20m abseil back to the cliff. A stupendous adventure and well worth the drive to the what feels like the end of the world aka West Penwith!

The first VS pitch of Terriers Tooth

1, The Grooves*** (E1 5b) - Cyrn Las
Simply the best route, with the best moves, in the best setting, with the biggest exposure! The route follows the obvious central line of weakness on the main face of Cyrn Las (mentioned above) up a series of grooves (how surprising). Before any climbing can even begin you have an hour walk in which includes a loose muddy scramble up the lower crag until situated beneath an initial overhang which bars the way to the face. I did this route with Rafe this summer after spontaneously deciding to go and climb it that morning in Aberystwyth.

I had the first pitch (5b), which tackles this overhang direct then follows the sustained jamming groove for a full 50m through two more bulges to a large ledge. The next pitch (5b/5c) is the crux, and follows the grooves continuation through a steep section to a larger ledge. From here we had a go on Overhanging Arete (E2 5b) but after a severe beating we opted for the normal finish (5b) which was equally outlandish as to start one has to crawl along a sloping ledge and step into yet another bottomless groove! If you only do one route this year, make it this one!

Rafe on the second pitch of The Grooves (E1 5b) just before the crux moves

The mountain crag of Cyrn Las in Llanberis Pass with the line of The Grooves viable on the right

So those are my top 10 routes from this year.. If you haven't done them, get them on your list or even better,
get out and do them!


There are a few extra that were equally amazing but didnt quite make the final list!

Devils Slide*** (HS 4a) - Lundy Island

Great Bow Combination** (HVS 5a) - Clogwyn Du'r Arddu, Snowdonia

Crimtphon*** (E2 5c) - Compass Point, Bude

Emulator*** (E1 5b) - Gogarth, Anglsey

Javlin Blade** (E1 5b) - Idwal Slabs, Snowdonia

Grey Arete*** (HVS 5a) - Idwal Slabs, Snowdonia