Glencoe mountaineer

Winter perfection on Stob Ban's North Buttress (posted by James)

2012-01-27T09:45:00.000-08:00

The East Ridge of North Buttress, Stob Ban

After my enjoyable yet slightly disappointing day on Ben Nevis yesterday, I was determined to make the most of the excellent weather forecast for today. So I decided to go for a route I've wanted to climb for a while…the East Ridge of the North Buttress of Stob Ban.

Dawn sunshine in Glen Nevis

Seen from Glen Nevis the North Buttress is a striking feature at any time, but at this point in the year it captures the imagination of a winter climber perfectly. Stob Ban is a fine mountain, indeed one of the most beautiful in Scotland without a doubt.

Stob Ban

After half an hour of hill-fog during my walk-in, I was endlessly pleased when the sun started to break through and reveal the splendour of Stob Ban's East face. The sky became bluer by the minute, and sunshine danced on the terraces and slabs of the Central Buttress.

Bright sunshine on the route

I looked up at the East ridge of the North Buttress. It looked amazing. A continuous ridge line, broken by high pinnacles and flanked by steep snow-slopes shining bright in the sun. Today was not a day to be in the cold shade of a North face, or the dark icy loneliness of a gully.

Starting up the first pinnacle, the snow was starting to melt slightly in the sunshine and the turf wasn't fully frozen. But there was a lot of fresh powder and the route was in perfectly acceptable condition. Some awkward moves bring you to the top of the first pinnacle, and you get to see the rest of the route ahead.

A turfy groove

"Lots of fun" are the first words that came to mind. There's a fair bit of variation possible on the route, you could avoid some of the steeper sections to make it easier but I suspect far less enjoyable. I took the ridge pretty much directly, putting it as a Grade III route overall.

After the easier ground of the second steepening the ridge becomes an enthralling place to be. You are suddenly faced by steep pinnacles ahead which look extremely difficult or impossible to by-pass, so you must tackle them directly.

A small cloud inversion under Sgurr a'Mhaim and The Devil's Ridge

An exposed left-wards traverse brings you to the crux section of the upper part of the ridge - a steep broken slab that must be climbed in order to gain the crest of one of the pinnacles. It felt like a bold place to be soloing.

One of the awkward sections

And then, like all great mountain routes, the ridge finishes in a spectacular and exciting climax. You come to an extremely narrow section of pinnacles with such a feeling of exposure that straddling it with a leg on either side and inching your way along seems like the only safe option.

As I looked down on the route from above, the sun came out from behind a cloud and the entire ridge shone bright through the shadows. Only from above can you see how narrow and exciting it looks .

Looking down on the route from above

The East ridge of the North Buttress is one of the best mountain ridges I've climbed - a striking, imposing and natural route that gains interest with height and becomes more spectacular the higher you climb. A really enjoyable solo climb on a perfect winter day.

James

Great atmosphere on the Ben (posted by James)

2012-01-26T08:16:00.000-08:00

Climbers on Tower Ridge, dwarfed by the North East Buttress

My prayers were answered last night when yesterday's incessant rain turned to snow as the temperature dropped overnight. The thaw yesterday was severe to say the least, but much of the damage has been quickly undone…and the old snow is starting to consolidate quickly.

I backed off my route of choice today as the crux wasn't in condition, so I took a wander around with my camera instead.

Climbing teams beneath The Trident Buttresses

The Ben was an amazing place to be this morning. Billowing cloud coming in and out of the corries, spindrift blowing all over the place and fresh snow falling. And there were lots of people out climbing too, so every so often a shout or call would come at you through the mist, echoing off the cliffs.

Small soft cornices have been forming at the tops of the gullies again, and those above the Creag Coire na Ciste gullies look pretty menacing.

Carn Dearg Buttress and The Castle

Until things settle down the easier gullies are probably not wise places to be, with evidence of slides already there. For anyone intending to approach Ledge Route via the top of Moonlight Gully Buttress, be aware there is now a steep snow-lip about 6 feet deep that you'd have to get down in order to get into Number 5 Gully.

Tower Ridge

All the ridges and buttresses have got a healthy covering of snow, though all the new powder might make things a bit hard going. There were teams on Tower Ridge and Ledge Route at least, I didn't see anyone on Castle Ridge and I couldn't tell whether North East Buttress had any teams on or not.

Approaching Ledge Route

I don't know, but I'd imagine the higher ice routes are shaping up nicely. "The White Line" area of Raeburn's Wall looked promising, but due to cloud I couldn't see the Orion Face or Indicator Wall.

After I'd spent a while taking photos I started the walk down, and watched a fairly massive spindrift avalanche come from the top of Carn Dearg Buttress and sweep down the line of The Shroud. Scary stuff…fingers crossed everyone has kept safe on The Ben today.

A large spindrift avalanche coming down "The Shroud"

Oh....and check out the weather forecast for tomorrow!!

James

Glencoe conditions update (posted by James)

2012-01-23T06:40:00.000-08:00

Fresh snow on The Aonach Eagach this morning

I walked up into Coire nam Beith this morning with the intention of trying to climb one of the buttress routes. Unluckily for me I'd been beaten to my route of choice by another team, and the other ones didn't look too appealing to solo, so I decided to leave it and come back another day.

Fresh snow has been falling in heavy showers over the last two days in Glencoe on the higher tops, and a drop in temperature last night has given a new snowline down to 500m this morning. It's not a big dump of snow but there's been a fair amount of drifting going on and above about 700-800m there's quite a bit of fresh powder.

In Coire nam Beith the turf wasn't frozen very well at the base of the routes and although there's a fair bit of ice around on the rocks it was all dripping and very rotten.

Due to the wind direction there's been quite a lot of winslab deposited on North through to Easterly slopes so the avalanche risk has been bumped up. The easier gullies will probably be quite hard going and not a great idea until it settles down a bit.

However the mixed climbs on the higher crags might be very good indeed now - Church Door Buttress on Bidean nam Bian was looking very iced up this morning, and I know that "Spectre" (IV,5) on Stob Coire nan Lochan was successfully climbed yesterday.

An t-Sron this morning

All the classic mountaineering ridges (Aonach Eagach, Curved Ridge, Sron na Lairig) all have a healthy coating of snow but may be hard going as most of it is new and unconsolidated.

So overall not looking bad at all, and if the forecast thaw on wednesday doesn't do too much damage, then the high pressure promised for next week might do just the trick.

James

Ice and sunshine on Creag Meagaidh (posted by James)

2012-01-16T08:36:00.002-08:00

Creag Meagaidh by moonlight

With another day of cold temperatures forecast, I gave my axes and crampons a good sharpen and this morning set off towards Creag Meagaidh in search of some ice to climb.

So far this winter I've focused mainly on buttresses and ridge routes, as I'm more comfortable soloing mixed climbs. Ice gullies remain a bit of a mental barrier for me when it comes to soloing on grade III terrain.

But I've been climbing on steeper and more committing routes this winter, steadily improving my technique, strength and mental awareness. So…armed with the psyche and confidence born from stunning weather and the knowledge of my improvement, I decided to take on the challenge of soloing a Grade III ice gully.

I'd been told by a good source (cheers Gary!) that although ice was by no means abundant on Creag Meagaidh just now, conditions in the Inner Corrie were looking okay so I decided to give it a shot.

The Inner Corrie

The walk-in towards Coire Ardair before dawn this morning was truly beautiful…a perfectly clear sky and a moon so bright that I had no need for a headtorch, the snowy cliffs glowing through the dark. And it was cold, the coldest morning I've seen so far this winter.The promise of a memorable day ahead.

A crisp, clear dawn

The Inner Corrie was indeed in better condition than the Post face in Coire Ardair. Although the harder ice lines (The Wand, Diadem etc) are not climbable yet, some of the lower and mid-grade routes were looking better.

After a good look through my binoculars at the crux pitch and exit snow-slopes, I decided to go for Crescent Gully (Grade III).

Crescent Gully (III), the steep line in the centre.

Despite a wee bit of windslab on the low easy pitch, I was delighted by the snow conditions. A lot of nevé around and first time axe placements nearly every time.

The entrance to the crux

Soon I was at the base of the crux. It looked pretty thin, but I could see that it was climbable. A fixed peg in the rock beside me, and a rope in my bag….I could easily retreat from here and call it a day….

But right there and then, I knew that I could solo it. So I did. After some bomber ice in the first few metres I reached more challenging ice, with a few holes around and hollow sections.

Pinnacle Buttress

The hardest move was a tentative right-foot crampon placement on a short ice pillar, with a contorted step up and to the right on brittle ice. It was hollow behind the ice pillar and I couldn't risk committing my weight to it….so I took the weight on my arms, trusted my axe placements and hauled myself to safer ice above.

Above the crux, which is hidden just below

And then I was on the steep snow above, traversed a cornice, and pulled myself to safety on the summit plateau. It was a great feeling - I'd managed to break a mental barrier which I've wanted to for a while, and I'd kept controlled and level-headed. I was just ready that's all.

It's amazing what you can learn about yourself, during a few hours on a mountain.

An old snow-hole in the deep snow in "The Window"

James

Exploring Beinn Fhada's West face (posted by James)

2012-01-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

Approaching the "Bad Step" on the Beinn Fhada ridge after climbing Summit Buttress

After days of thaw and rain, yesterday's clear skies and hard freeze were my cue to get out this morning and take advantage of some nice consolidated snow. And I'm very glad I did too, as I ended up having a really good mountaineering adventure in a rarely visited part of Glencoe.

One of the highlights of last winter for me was a real battle of a solo up the Grade III "North Face Direct" on Stob Coire Sgreamhach. This area holds the largest and deepest snow accumulation in Glencoe, and after a thaw and re-freeze it feels more Alpine rather than Scottish. Crevasses, snow-bridges and avalanche cones can be constant obstacles up here, such is the depth of snow that accumulates.

I've been wanting to go back and visit this area, and I felt really keen to do some exploration this morning and to get out and climb something obscure. So I set out in the direction of Beinn Fhada's Summit Buttress, a bit to the north of Sgreamhach's North face.

Summit Buttress freezing up nicely in yesterday's clear skies

It's slightly bizarre, breaking off the well-trodden track up The Lost Valley, and suddenly being on pathless and steep terrain that is actually quite serious. The whole West flank of Beinn Fhada is divided by many deep gullies and chasms, and crossing these can take some careful route-finding.

When I came to cross the deepest gully, I found myself crossing a snow-bridge over the debris cone from a large avalanche. After one too many creaks and groans from the snow beneath my I inched my way to some close-by rocks and had to go a fair way up the side of the debris to find a way to cross.

A necessary crossing of a gully filled with avalanche debris

After this some steep scrambling up very slippery frozen turf and iced slabs, and I found myself using an ice axe in order to make progress up ground that hardly had any snow on. I think this might be the most adventurous approach to a winter climb I've ever done in Glencoe, and it is not for the unfit.

Approaching Summit Buttress from below

Eventually I was at the base of Summit Buttress. I did a bit of nosing around for routes, and it looks like with some fresh snowfall there are a few mixed lines that could be pretty fun. Not enough snow on the rocks today to justify a mixed route though, so instead I stayed on the hard and perfect old snow in the gullies on the buttress.

I made my way to the top of the Buttress via the rarely climbed Grade II* gully called "The Ramp". Solid nevé all the way - great! The Ramp is a really natural line, and seen from the Aonach Eagach or even the road, it is a quite attractive route too.

The lower sections of "The Ramp"

At the end of The Ramp there was 20m or so of easy mixed climbing to reach the crest of the Beinn Fhada ridge, and I made my way to the summit of Stob Coire Sgreamhach and descended down the Lairig Eilde.

Looking down "The Ramp"

I had a lot of fun today. The route I climbed didn't challenge me at all, but I wasn't looking for that this morning. I wanted to go climbing somewhere remote, rarely visited and requiring good mountaineering sense to get there at all - and that's exactly what I got.

Plenty of rime ice forming on the rocks

There are many of these areas in Glencoe…quite obvious crags and cliffs but which people seldom climb on, opting (understandably) instead for the well-known and easily accessible routes. A good sense of adventure and exploration can still be found in this popular glen if you know where and when to look.

James

Snow update from Ben Nevis (posted by James)

2012-01-12T05:16:00.000-08:00

Bringing in materials to repair the CIC Hut after "Hurricane Bawbag".

I didn't end up climbing anything this morning on Ben Nevis, as my routes of choice were either out of condition or still threatened by large cornices. No matter, as I'd rather wait until winter returns properly…quality not quantity for me this season.

However as I've had a fair few emails over the last requesting updates on snow conditions on the Ben, I took the opportunity to take some photos to keep you all informed of how things stand in terms of winter climbing.

There's no avoiding it unfortunately…the Highlands have suffered a severe thaw over the last week or so. All the buttresses and ridges on the Ben are looking pretty black and bare - Tower Ridge and Castle Ridge for example both being in "Alpine" condition at the moment, i.e with large snow-free areas.

No.3 Gully and Creag Coire na Ciste

However due to today's colder temperatures the remaining snow is firming up very nicely. All the easy gullies out of Coire na Ciste (No.2, No.3, No4) are still full, as are South Gully, Central Gully (I think…) and North Gully which are all threatened by cornices.

Coire na Ciste and Tower Ridge on the left.

There looks to be a fair amount of ice high up on the Orion face and Indicator Wall although I have no idea how thick it is, and whether it will be climbable or not by the weekend. At a guess, routes like Good Friday Climb and Tower Scoop might be pretty good in a day or two, but that is a guess as I haven't been to have a look!

The Orion Face

Lower down, Ledge Route looks like it may have some rocky sections, and most of the ice that was forming on the North wall of Carn Dearg Buttress is either gone or has reduced a lot. Both the Castle Gullies have got small holes in the snow cover - it looks like these could present difficulties, so I wouldn't recommend them as descent routes just now.

The Castle area

In Glencoe the only climbing areas with any significant remaining snow accumulations are Stob Coire nan Lochan, and the North East and North West faces of Bidean nam Bian. Forget Dorsal Arete or any of the other buttress routes on SCnL until we get fresh snow, and I'm not certain but it looks most of the gully lines are quite thin or have holes.

Raeburn's Wall and No.2 Gully

So…not great news but not all bad either! Especially with regards to the Ben, there's still lots to do - and given some more snowfall it won't take long for it to recover well.

Hope that's helpful folks, please don't hesitate to email or message me on Facebook if you need other details.

James

Momentum and more on winter training (posted by James)

2012-01-09T13:26:00.000-08:00

After a period of severe illness in 2008 I had to truly go back to square one and build up my fitness and strength from absolute zero. It was a formidable, unforgiving challenge.

But I learnt that all-important lesson from it - that the only thing harder than keeping up momentum, is getting back momentum once you've lost it.

I went for my first up-hill run for about 3 weeks today, and I could feel a definite (though small) decrease from my pre-Christmas fitness levels. I am strict about maintaining my fitness, but I suspect all but the most dedicated will have felt a similar effect after the festive period.

Everyone's motivations vary when it comes to fitness, so I thought I'd share some more of my thoughts when it comes to my own.

I made a very conscious decision a while back to no longer associate fitness with times, numbers, statistics, weight or calories. Many people (the majority?) prefer to measure their fitness in these ways, understandably as it is a precise way of charting progress and setting goals.

For me now, a high level of fitness has simply become an essential ingredient of my two main hobbies - i.e I keep myself fit for another purpose other than just fitness for its own sake and benefits.

More and more I'm becoming aware of the complicated psychology behind climbing solo in the mountains. Being very fit is an obvious prerequisite to regular climbing, but especially in winter, I'm becoming increasingly aware that the challenge is often only about 10% physical when it comes to soloing.

I put in a big effort during the autumn to be as fit as possible for the start of december. The physical demands of regular winter climbing can be pretty extreme, but it wasn't that so much I was doing it for. My ambitions for this winter are higher than they had been last year, and you always need to feel progress before taking on the next step up.

Regular up-hill running, upper-body strength improvements and triple figures of hill miles during the summer hasn't just meant that I am fitter than last winter, but that I know that I am fitter. That's has been the catalyst for a bolder outlook and more success this winter.

Knowing that you have improved makes distances seem less, slopes less steep, obstacles less severe. Even if the next challenge you face is your biggest yet, the confidence gained from preparation is to me always more important than the preparation itself.

Your mind must always be in the right place when you are going solo. Hopefully my confidence when it comes to photography will improve soon as well - here's hoping 2012 is a good year!

James

Thinking outside the box on Ben Nevis (posted by James)

2012-01-06T03:32:00.000-08:00

Garadh Buttress (III), the main buttress in the foreground

After a 3 week gap since I last went climbing due to Christmas, Hogmanay and a long period of bad weather, my psyche levels were at an all-time high yesterday morning to get out and test myself.

It has become clear by now that this winter is of a different breed to the previous two seasons…dominated by low pressure (so far) and weather to challenge even the most hardy. As a result my attitude has seen a definite shift this winter. I'm making sure that I get the most from every day I go climbing - and at the moment for me that means soloing routes that are going to put me to the test.

A rare few hours of clear weather and magnificent conditions on Ben Nevis

I liked the idea of soloing another route that wasn't well known or has much information regarding it….I'm really starting to enjoy the added sense of adventure and commitment you get when you have little idea what you're going to be up against.

Climbers beneath the Douglas Boulder

In February 1970, N.Muir and G.Witten did the first ascent of Garadh Buttress (Scottish grade III) on Ben Nevis. An obvious and aesthetic feature on the Eastern side of Coire na Ciste, yet not mentioned in any guidebook I've seen or logged on ukclimbing.com.

The easy start to the route

The only reference I've seen to it was in Simon Richardson and Ken Crocket's excellent book on the history of Ben Nevis - and I stored it in my mind when I read about it 2 weeks ago.

It fitted the bill. A snowed-up rock route with an approach and descent on slopes which weren't going to be too prone to avalanche.

So…feeling like a coiled spring after my break from climbing, I set off up Coire na Ciste towards Garadh Buttress full of energy and intent. The buttress as a whole is not at a steep angle, but once I started climbing it revealed its slightly deceptive nature.

After the initial easy rocks you reach a steepening, which as a whole is at an easy angle but the individual moves themselves were a bit more committing than on first sight. Areas of crust and cruddy ice made sure that I was concentrating fully on every move.

Looking down Garadh Buttress

I rapidly started to really enjoy it. After a small snow-field you reach the next steepening where most of the fun happened. I twisted through snowed-up rocks and icy slabs before making a down-sloping right traverse which was pretty tenuous - and it delivered me at the foot of the crux.

The crux was a short but steep ice bulge. I had to smash through a small ice-umbrella in order to get a hold for my left crampon and then looked for axe placements. My left axe was fine but I could find nothing solid for the right axe at all, and I started to get quite pumped.

Starting the crux

The key to the crux, and to finishing the route, eventually came down to a very thin placement of my right crampon on a very small and unstable "cauliflower" of ice. A fall here would certainly be fatal. I concentrated hard for a few seconds, imagined my next move precisely, and went for it with the knowledge that my mind was what was being tested, not my muscles.

And then I was past the crux onto easier ground, and that familiar buzz went through me - the kind you can maybe only experience when you're soloing. But it was slightly different this time. A route with no description, no information on route-finding, difficulties or other climber's experiences. Just a grade…and in Scottish winters, grades can mean anything.

A good start to 2012

James

Another amazing year (posted by James)

2011-12-31T06:11:00.000-08:00

The finest dawn I've ever seen, on Sgorr nam Fianniadh, Glencoe.

At the end of 2010 I was convinced there was no way the coming year could be as good as the 12 months I'd just had. I was wrong…and 2011 has been an absolute blast.

November: A day when I climbed Carn Mor Dearg and Ben Nevis, and then climbed North Buttress on Buachaille Etive Mor as soon as I got down.

It has been an amazing year - one of those when the rollercoaster has taken me to the highest highs and the lowest lows, but never given me a dull moment.

January: The summit view from Ben Lui, on the most beautiful day I've ever seen.

The whole year is to me now a blur…my camera and I and countless icy dawns and glowing sunsets, waiting and watching the light perform its dance and the world sing its song. And always making sure I was there to see it.

September: A view of Clach Glas during the Clach Glas - Blaven Traverse, Skye. One of the single best mountaineering days available in Britain.

At the beginning of January I realised something that has guided me for the whole of this year. I realised that I'd been in Glencoe long enough that in order for me to carry on taking "original" or exceptional (by my standards) photos, I would need to go to much greater measures. There's only so long you can live somewhere and keep taking photos before you need to find a new angle on things.

The same applied to climbing. It was time to aim higher and take a bolder approach.

January: Approaching the NE Face of Bidean nam Bian, Glencoe, on the way to the probable first winter ascent of Gateway Gully (II)

So I started waking earlier for dawn photography trips, putting more time into researching and exploring new viewpoints. Visiting more remote and obscure cliffs, hills, crags and ridges. Training hard in my spare time so that I was fitter and more prepared for the greater demands I was putting on myself.

December: Dawn light catches The Aonach Eagach, seen from the West face of Aonach Dubh on my way to the likely first winter ascent of Number 3 Gully Rib (II/III).

And all the time assessing and trying to improve my mindset as a soloist, the climbing discipline at which I have now become the most comfortable. I've learnt some massively important lessons about solo climbing this year and as a result I've managed to break a fair few mental barriers.

June: Quiver Rib (Difficult 4*), E Face Aonach Dubh, Glencoe - the steepest route of its grade in Scotland and one of the best solos I've done.

I've had countless wonderful days climbing and taking photos this year, far too many to mention. As always a few stand out….

May: Multiple crossings of the Aonach Eagach, Glencoe this year…the most memorable being a night-time crossing in a gale in August.

The best winter sunrise I've ever seen was on Sgorr nam Fiannaidh this February. Trudging through snow turning pink with the dawn, the entire West Highlands glowing the same rosy colour…one of the most staggeringly beautiful sights I've ever seen.

Five consecutive days of winter climbing in late February, and not a single cloud to be seen for the whole time. Perfect snow, perfect sun. Magic.

February: The view from topping out on the East ridge of Carn Dearg Meadhonach, after 5 days of winter climbing in perfect sunshine.

Battling my way up the rarely climbed "North Face Direct" (III) on Stob Coire Sgreamhach in a gale, and narrowly avoiding falling down a 10 foot deep crevasse that opened beneath me on an ice pitch.

December : Looking down the crux during a solo climb of Castle Ridge (III), my boldest winter solo to date.

The Lochaber Traverse - easily a candidate for the best hill-walk in Britain.

April: Mid-way along the Lochaber Traverse, A 22 mile crossing of 7 of the highest and finest Munros and finishing on Ben Nevis.

On-sight soloing The Great Ridge of Garbh Bheinn (Difficult) in June, a personally symbolic route and a committing solo.

June: Immense exposure during a solo of The Great Ridge of Garbh Bheinn, Ardgour. A route of the same scale and grandeur as the Ben Nevis ridges, but seldomly climbed.

Doing 69 new Munros taking me over half-way, the Clach Glas - Blaven Traverse, running Bidean nam Bian in a Clachaig split shift, trips to Assynt and the far North, the Aonach Eagach by starlight, a winter solo of Castle Ridge on the Ben….and many, many more!!

April: The amazing view along the Cuillin Ridge from my 100th Munro, Sgurr na Banachdich, Skye

It's been again great this year to bump into a surprising number of my readers either in the Clachaig or on the hill - I hope you find this blog useful or entertaining in some way, and I'll do my best to keep you up to date with news and photos from this wonderful glen.

March: A moment of magic seen from Gearr Aonach, Glencoe.

A very happy New Year to you all, and stay safe and have fun in the hills in 2012.

James

A jogged memory (posted by James)

2011-12-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

On Ben Lui on the 20th January 2011

On sunday morning I started the long drive back to my parent's home in Suffolk, back for a few days over Christmas. Rannoch Moor never looks so fine as when under a cover of snow with a clear sky ahead, and on sunday morning it was magic.

I had that pang of sadness upon leaving the glen, even though it would only be for 9 days. Leaving my current home for a previous one.

When we got past Tyndrum I pointed out to Nicole the sight of Ben Lui standing proud and magnificent at the end of Glen Coronish. Totally buried in snow without a single rock breaking through its depth, and just starting to catch the eerie glow that comes in the minutes before sunrise.

It's strange, what happened in the next few following moments. Tiny details, flashbacks and recollections from a day 11 months ago all came back in the space of a few seconds. I usually remember events by the photos which I've taken of them….and here, all of a sudden for a few moments, came back one of the little things that was impossible to capture.

The 20th January 2011, and I was breaking trail up the South East ridge of Ben Lui. A scene of singular grandeur was opening up in the view below me… a cloud inversion was quickly forming, billowing through the glens and extending from Glasgow to Knoydart. The sense of height, space and scale exceeded anything I've experienced even on 14,000ft Alpine peaks in Europe.

The blueness of the skye, the depth of snow, the crispness of the air above this layer of cloud…..In 6 years of climbing in Scotland, England, Wales, Switzerland, Italy and France, various things combined to make this the single most beautiful day I have ever seen on a mountain.

Some of the photos I got on that day are amongst the best I've ever taken. But in those few brief moments on Sunday morning when I saw Ben Lui on the journey home, the first thing I remembered wasn't anything I'd captured on camera.

In a rare gust of wind, a tiny tornado of snow twisted it's way a few metres over the summit. As it reached the gigantic cornice overhanging Central Gully I saw it dislodge a tiny piece of snow which fell off the face. I watched it…the air so clear that I could still make it out even after it had travelled a long way down the icy slopes of the corrie. And then it stopped.

I'd spent a while on the summit, soaking in the scene of perfection around me. Apart from that tiny snow tornado and the falling bit of snow, nothing else moved. Such an amazing lack of complication in those few minutes…time had stopped and was irrelevant.

Strange, that that's what I remembered first in that flashback on my journey back to England…somewhere that I associate with complication. Often I think Frederic Chopin was correct. "Simplicity is the final achievement".

James

Snow and sunshine in Glencoe (posted by James)

2011-12-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

A red deer silhouetted against the Aonach Eagach

I couldn't get out early this morning due to my car being in the garage, but it was such a beautiful day that once I was free I simply had to get out with my camera.

So I headed up the Lost Valley with a vague intention of having a look at the summit buttress of Beinn Fhada but decided against it due to lateness and the exhausting, deep crust of snow covering everything.

What a beautiful day. So far this winter days like this are a rarity…such a contrast to the 2009/10 winter when the blue skies and sunshine sometimes seemed endless.

So here's some pictures to wet your appetite if you haven't got out in the snow yet. Glencoe is looking absolutely stunning.

The Aonach Eagach looking grand

Ice falls on the East face of Gearr Aonach

Serious snow on Sgorr nam Fiannaidh

James

A solo to remember on Ben Nevis (posted by James)

2011-12-15T08:25:00.000-08:00

Looking down the extremely exposed vertical crux of Castle Ridge

Today I soloed Castle Ridge (III) on Ben Nevis, one of the great winter mountaineering routes of Scotland.

Castle Ridge

At about 11am this morning I found myself on a narrow snow ledge looking up at the crux. This vertical iced rock chimney is the key to unlocking this long climb, hard for the grade and hanging over a drop of several hundred feet. The feeling of exposure here is pretty insane…and any mistake would be unsurvivable.

Looking up at the crux, I was quite aware that this was going to be the hardest pitch of winter climbing I'd ever attempted to solo. I knew exactly how psyched up I would need to be in order to climb this chimney without fear and the gaping drop below taking grip.

Dawn lighting over The North East Buttress

Today was the day and I was feeling spot on. So I set to it. The amount of rime and icing in the cracks in the chimney made the pitch far harder than it could have been and for a few moments it felt desperate….but after some contorted and committing moves I had hauled myself onto the safety of the rocks above.

Heavily iced up rock en route

A sigh of relief and a high of adrenaline, having soloed an immensely exposed and committing crux.

The rest of the ridge today was in pretty good condition - under very heavy snow cover which is beginning to consolidate, though actually today the snow on the bottom half of the route was in better nick.

The approach slopes

There are huge accumulations in the entire Castle area of the Ben, the remains of a hefty avalanche evident underneath the area near "Boomer's Requiem". There's also loads of ice around, especially on the North side of Carn Dearg Buttress where even The Shroud isn't too far away from touching down.

Lots of ice around!

When I topped out on the plateau, I had that great feeling of a challenge accepted and achieved. Soloing routes is a very different business from roped climbing. So many different pieces need to come together before you can responsibly take on a solo climb that will test you. The mental stresses and rewards can be intense, and given the numerous complications and intricacies of Scottish winter climbing, the natural high you can get from a challenging solo is pretty hard to surpass.

The Shroud...getting there.

James

A promising two weeks (posted by James)

2011-12-13T06:02:00.000-08:00

Summit Buttess Ordinary Route, Stob Coire nan Lochan

After a late start the winter has definitely got going fully now, very fully in fact. There's been some very heavy snowstorms in the Western Highlands over the last two weeks, and there is now a huge amount of snow accumulated high up.

Thinking back to this time last year, there was in fact less snow build up on the higher tops than there is now in Glencoe and Lochaber. It was far, far colder though…and persistently so. There's no sign yet of the low-level ice-falls and double figures below freezing that characterised early winter last year.

A climber on the crux of Dorsal Arete

As I'm writing this the wind is howling through the glen, and an area of deep low pressure is burying the mountains with snow. It's all really good in the long run this - Ben Nevis has already seen a lot of routes done, and given the amount of snowfall things could shape up really nicely on the North face in the coming weeks.

Stob Coire nam Beith

When I was up there last week I was surprised to see the Castle Gullies already totally banked out (far earlier than last year) and ice routes like Mega Route X already fully formed.

Mega Route X, Ben Nevis

There's also been a lot of exciting news coming in of some very significant ascents - Greg Boswell's name associated with many of them. His onsight second ascents of "Defenders of the Faith IX,9" and "The Knuckleduster VIII,9" are big news - not to mention his first ascent of "The Big Cheese VIII,8" on Ben Nevis.

Something that has already struck me again this year is just how small the world of Scottish winter climbing can be. I so often see the same faces again and again on the hill, in the Clachaig, the same names filling up winter route logbooks on UKC… A lot of people come up from England and the Central Belt to winter climb. But it strikes me that number of true winter activists is quite small. Mainly guides and dedicated locals like myself, those of us who are out all the time in the winter come across each other surprisingly often.

It looks like temperatures might rise a bit next week, but there's still no sign of any general thaw. Fingers crossed! I'm starting to appreciate long periods of bad weather like this for one thing….it increases my psyche levels day after day, so once good conditions arrive again I'm in precisely the right mental state to contemplate a challenging solo. It always seems to work. Bring it on!

James

"Yankee Go Home" - posted by James

2011-12-10T09:19:00.000-08:00

The Aonach Eagach at sunrise.

Thursday's thaw and the past two days of hard freeze held the promise of great climbing conditions today in Lochaber, and I was not disappointed. Glencoe delivered on every level this morning.

Interesting skies over Dinnertime Buttress

Due to the closure of the A82 between Corran and Fort William, I was limited where I could go today. But I didn't mind…the starlit sky and frosty dawn promised great things, and to be honest I would have had a great time wherever I'd gone.

Stob Ban, Mamores

As I climbed up on fresh snow and frozen ground up Dinnertime Buttress on Aonach Dubh, the sunrise cast its golden glow on the snow of the Aonach Eagach. It was cold…the turf frozen hard down almost to the glen and a clear sky above. Yes…it was going to be amazing day.

Very deep snow in Coire nan Lochan

I'd chosen to go up Dinnertime Buttress as a more interesting approach to Stob Coire nan Lochan, as I had intentions for a quite obscure route on the summit buttress.

"Yankee Go Home" (III) takes a line up the low rocks left of centre, then moves right to the crest above.

About 45m left of Scabbard Chimney is a little-known Grade III route called "Yankee Go Home", distinct from the line of "Boomerang Arete". It's not even recorded on UKC but it is mentioned in the Glencoe guidebook and I thought it worth a look, especially as I was feeling the need of a challenging solo.

An icy corner

You start up a ramp to join a small snow-field and then climb steep corners in order to gain the upper half of Boomerang Areté. I was treated to great snow conditions - lots of nevé just where it was crucial, and some really nice steep snow-ice bulges in the corners.

A steep ice bulge

One of the corners was definitely at the upper limit of my soloing capabilities at the moment, and I'm currently climbing the best I ever have. Some very thin ice coating a blank slab made for a daunting move to escape to easier ground, and if it hadn't been for the excellent quality of the nevé I would have had an "interesting" time indeed!

Climbing a corner

When I topped out onto the areté I spend 20 minutes or so taking photos of what was going on around me, as Coire nan Lochan was a thrilling place to be today! There were many other teams out on routes of all difficulties, but the team on Central Grooves (VII,7) definitely took centre stage.

Central Grooves VII,7

There were also teams climbing Summit Buttress Ordinary Route, Scabbard Chimney, Spectre, Dorsal Arete, Twisting Grooves, Raeburn's Ordinary Route, NC Gully and Crest Route. Conditions were great….the heavy snow cover consolidating nicely and frozen turf everywhere.

Raeburn's Ordinary Route

The winter might have taken a while to get going, but it's certainly delivering the goods now!

James

Even more new snow! (posted by James)

2011-12-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

An impressive amount of snow has fallen on the Western Highlands in the last 24 hours. Considering the amount of fresh unconsolidated snow I forget any ideas of climbing anything today and went for a photography trip to the North face of Ben Nevis instead.

Heavy snowfall at all levels

Without any doubt, I've never seen so much snow so low down before on the walk-in to the North face. There was about 8 to 12 inches of level fall even in the woods just above the carpark, and from the top fence onwards the snow was approaching two feet deep in many places.

Thankfully a team ahead of me had dug a trench all the way up to the CIC hut, which must have been exhausting work. It was an absolutely beautiful place to be today with all the pristine new snow.

A cornice next to the CIC hut!

The Castle and Castle Ridge

Things look to be shaping up very nicely indeed in terms of climbing conditions, in the long run at least. There's enough snow around so that hopefully it'll survive the thaw forecast thursday and firm up very nicely at the end of the week. I was also pleasantly surprised by the amount of ice around, routes like The Shroud, Mega Route X and Gemini beginning to form.

The Shroud

If things play out the way the forecast suggests, there could potentially be some absolutely cracking climbing conditions on the Ben in a few days. Those who had manage to wade through the drifts today were climbing on steep mixed routes like Cutlass on the Douglas Boulder so there's definitely lots of climbing to be had right now, especially higher-grade mixed.

James

A blizzard and an obscure route on Aonach Dubh (posted by James)

2011-12-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

Towering high above Glencoe, best seem from the Clachaig, is the mighty West face of Aonach Dubh. Easily a candidate for one of the most imposing mountain faces in Scotland.

With the exception of Dinnertime Buttress it is steep everywhere, huge vertical and overhanging cliffs split by gullies and two horizontal rakes. In winter it is a very committing, intimidating mountain face…in some ways a nightmare for a solo climber as options for retreat are pretty limited.

The massive West face of Aonach Dubh

The mixture of wind direction, freezing level and heavy snowfall over the last few days combined to made the West face a good choice for buttress climbing today. So armed with a high level of psyche that's been building within me over the last week I started heading up the relentlessly steep lower slopes of B Buttress.

Ice starting to form on The Screen

Unluckily for me a it started snowing very heavily on the approach and I was treated to good old full on Scottish winter conditions…but I was in the right frame and I continued.

The weather starts to close in.

To the left hand side of No.3 Gully and to the right of The Pinnacle Face is a rocky rib that runs up to the Upper Rake. In some ways it is surprisingly like a smaller version of Curved Ridge.

The rib runs up the right hand side of the main buttress in the photo

I've been up it a few times in summer before but it is not recorded as a winter route in any guidebook that I've read and it isn't logged on UKC. But today it made a good climb at about Grade II/III - frozen turf, a lot of snow and with ice starting to form. It is broken by two small walls which were awkward with the unconsolidated snow and don't have many positive hooks for axes.

On the rib

The difficulties are by no means over though when you top out of the route, as you then need to escape from the face itself onto the easier slopes above. The steep traverse across the top of No.2 Gully is in many ways the crux of a climb on this part of Aonach Dubh, as the wrong snow conditions can make it a lethal place to be.

A small chimney

Fortunately although the snow was very deep on the traverse, it was also not sliding at all. So I managed climb rocky ground and tenuous ice and break out to the summit slopes above and to the left of No.2 Gully Buttress.

The Ballachulish Horseshoe

Then a blizzard started, and it got heavier and heavier as I waded through waist deep drifts in Coire nan Lochan. There is a great deal of snow up high just now.

Coire nan Lochan under heavy snow

So, a brilliant day. Exploratory climbing amongst rarely visited and intimidating surroundings…something I intend to do more of.

Amazing light on Sgorr Ban

For now I'm calling the route "Number 3 Gully Rib" - Grade II/III. I dare say someone else might have climbed it in the past, if anyone knows please email me!

James

Snow falling at all levels (posted by James)

2011-12-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

Here we go! The West face of Aonach Dubh from Clachaig this morning.

When I opened my curtains this morning I was greeted by that most exciting of sights - the Glen under a blanket of snow for the first time of the winter.

The North Buttress of Stob Ban, Mamores

Not much has settled in the glen at the moment, but from what I've seen there has been very significant accumulation at higher levels. There's been a strong wind blowing for most of the last week too so ridge lines are looking more bare than the corries where there is a lot of soft snow lying.

Glen Nevis this afternoon

If you're looking to go climbing just now then harder rocky mixed routes are probably the thing to go for, as the turf is still in the process of freezing and isn't quite there yet everywhere. Needless to say, the usual advice against gully climbs this early in the season applies too.

Heavy snow above Steall, Glen Nevis

But things are shaping up nicely - there's already been plenty of teams out in the Northern Corries in the Cairngorms. Hidden Chimney, The Hoarmaster, The Stirling Bomber and The Melting Pot to name a few have been climbed…the most exciting news at the moment being that Moran, Macpherson and Robertson have repeated Nocando Crack (VII,8) in Coire an Lochan. This trio along with Greg Boswell climbed an almost unbelievable number of new routes and hard repeats last winter - some of them amongst the hardest winter trad routes in the world. Hopefully we can look forward to more great things from them in the coming few months!

I'm hoping to get out somewhere myself tomorrow, with luck I'll have a few photos and more detailed information about conditions for you by tomorrow evening.

James

Thoughts on quality versus quantity (posted by James)

2011-12-02T05:52:00.000-08:00

A frustrating and grim day in Glencoe

I retreated off the Beinn Fhada ridge in Glencoe this morning, quite rightly so in rapidly deteriorating weather. But the very fact I was up there at all in such weather proves that today I am guilty of not practicing what I preach…i.e that patience is the the greatest virtue of a winter climber in Scotland.

It is so hard to remember sometimes that waiting out the bad weather and holding back until conditions are good is often the key to getting the most out of the winters. Last year we were all spoilt…generally speaking there was something (usually lots) you could climb between November and March, and as a result I hurtled through the winter months non-stop and ticked off a long list of routes.

But something photography has taught me is that a handful of special moments can be worth far more than all the rest combined. And when this winter is over, I'll look back and it'll be those moments, whatever they might be, that come to mind first. The ability to wait, to keep a constant eye on how conditions progress and then to spring into action when the time is right....that's what will get you your results, not the ability to do one-arm pull ups.

Going out in bad weather and conditions like today and turning around, if done often is not only demoralising, it is actively deleterious for a soloist like me. Andy Kirkpatrick wisely observes in his recent book that the soloist's mind can be full of nothing but positive thoughts. And so often when you back off a route you analyse in your mind whether you were justified in doing so….could you have pressed on if you'd just "manned up"?

My major goal for this season is a one that, if I do it, could probably only be surpassed in quality by a winter traverse of the Cuillin Ridge. But I'm going to need to be fit, really really fit in order to achieve it and enjoy it at the same time. So perhaps if on the poor weather days this winter I focus more on training and fitness than getting rained off the hill..…then it'll hopefully become a reality. Better to have one magical experience define a winter season, rather than a long string of "could have been" days.

James

The winter season begins in earnest (posted by James)

2011-12-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

Despite all the talk and hype during September that another early winter was on the way, that the season would kick off with a bang in October….the winter arguably did not start until today, the first day of December.

A nice dump of snow in Coire nan Lochan

The rain in Glencoe yesterday was so heavy and constant it was becoming slightly unbelievable. We had a bit of a Clachaig staff night out in the Kingshouse yesterday and during the evening the river flooded the exit road, so I had to abandon my car for the night.

Dramatic light over Buachaille Etive Beag

When I got a lift this morning to pick it up, the change in appearance of the glen was wonderful. Much of that rain had been falling as snow high up on the mountains, and this morning we were treated to crisp air, clearing skies and snow capped peaks.

Settled snow on the Devil's Staircase

Snow has fallen as low as about 250m but the freezing level is about 900m today I think. The Nevis range and the Mamores look to have had a more considerable dump than Glencoe, and I was treated to Ben Nevis looking on very fine form indeed during my evening run up the path under the North face.

Sgurr Eilde Mor

As is always the case with the start of the season, carefully considered choice of where to go will determine whether you have a chance of finding routes in condition or not. It's always so tempting to go in all guns blazing full of enthusiasm once the first snows arrive, but I've realised that one of the most important skills required of Scottish winter climbers is patience.

It'll be a little while before things settle down and we start getting a choice of routes to climb, and I think there's a thaw on the way maybe next week…but that's it now, it's winter!

James

Photography and reality (posted by James)

2011-11-28T07:12:00.000-08:00

I've spent a while recently thinking about the often large gap between the reality and the appearance of mountain photos. It's a complicated discipline, serious mountaineering photography. It's a long haul to accumulate the skills and ability required but when you start "getting it right" it is immensely satisfying.

But it can also be very frustrating too. So often it is incredibly difficult to truly capture moods or a sense of scale. Especially in winter when I am often solo climbing in order to get to good positions for photos, the whole experience can be a barrage on the senses. So when you yourself view your photos, you are very aware that most of the experience can be inevitably missing. Fortunately, other people will simply see what is in the photo as they weren't actually there.

The above photo is a good example. A climber high on Italian Climb on Ben Nevis, dwarfed by the huge cliffs surrounding him. The photo gives an impression of loneliness almost, of a climber tiny amongst vast surroundings. I like it, but it puts across a very different mood to how things actually were. The Ben was the busiest I'd ever seen it that day, an arena echoing with climbing calls, the sound of clipping karibiners and swinging ice axes. Several climbers were watching the team on Italian Climb, and you could see figures silhouetted on all the ridges. So the mood of the photo is totally different to the mood on the day.

With the second photo I hope I've done my job successfully. Despite being photographically quite poor it actually gets across the whole winter thing quite well. Getting dark with the temperature dropping and still a long descent to safety. Maybe it works because you can see I haven't put in a huge amount of thought to composition or technique, it's been taken by someone with cold hands who is racing against fading light to get down safely.

We put so much effort into trying to capture the little details and unique moments. But so often it's the things we can't capture, the sounds and sensations that really make the moment. I suppose then the challenge is to know exactly when and how to take the photo, and in a way so that your audience almost can feel those crucial sensations.

James

Winter again for a day (posted by James)

2011-11-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

Bidean nam Bian yesterday

One of the things I find most exciting about this time of year is waking up in the morning, opening the curtain and seeing a fresh snow-fall on the mountains. So I started the day with a smile yesterday when I woke to find snow down to 500m in Glencoe.

Pinnacle Buttress, Coire nan Lochan

The freezing level wasn't as low as had been forecast, leaving options for climbing limited, but I definitely wanted to get out and take a look at the snow. I'd woken late and didn't get on the hill until 11am, so Ben Nevis was out of the question.

Instead I just did a quick blast up Stob Coire nan Lochan, climbing a direct start to Dorsal Arete at about Grade III on the way. Dorsal was lean but acceptably wintery - but the strong winds had meant snow was distributed very unevenly in the corrie, the west side seeing the most accumulation.

Starting up a direct start to Dorsal Arete

Conditions were very "Scottish" on the summit and ridges…i.e fairly brutal. I was knocked over by the wind on a few occasions and got caught in several sudden squalls and white-outs. But I was loving it…it felt good to be in the middle of some proper Scottish winter suffering again!

A squall breaking over the Aonach Eagach

Unfortunately I think all the snow is probably gone by now. Torrential rain and about 12 degrees in Lochaber today. So winter only for a day…but if the weather forecasts are correct, it'll soon be back.

James

Photography on Skye (posted by James)

2011-11-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

I've dedicated a lot of the last 6 years to teaching myself the intricate details of mountain photography, and I've learnt a lot of lessons especially during my time in Glencoe. Always, always look where you are putting your feet…. If you are setting off on the hill and it is light, you are probably already too late for great photos…Being tired, cold and sleep deprived means you are putting in about the right amount of effort….It doesn't have to be fun, to be fun.

But without a doubt the most important thing I've learnt is that the ability to be in the right place at the right time is far more important than technical ability with your camera. Daily studying of the weather, researching maps and precise knowledge of your own speed and ability over rough terrain will take you far further than owning an expensive new camera will.

Brief clear skies over Loch Brittle

When you get things just right, when all your preparation comes together and you are there at the right time, when you know it's about to happen and you have a few seconds to make the camera do precisely what you want… I don't think I know many things more exhilarating.

Early this morning I set off on an unexpected trip to Skye after having a shift swopped with the intention of taking early morning photos in the Southern Cuillin.

Loch Brittle from lower Coire a'Ghrunnda

Everything came together just how I wanted for my photos. I did the walk towards Coire a'Ghrunnda almost exactly as quickly as I thought I would, meaning the sun was just where I wanted it. I knew there would be fragments of cloud coming off the sea, and as I hoped the low, bright sunshine created the precise moody effect I was after.

The Spur and Bidean Druim na Rahm

A bank of fog and rain came in off the sea as I reached upper Coire a' Ghrunnda so I decided to keep it for a day with views from the ridge. So I didn't climb anything today. But I really don't care. I was buzzing.

My photography has improved this year, I think. Each improvement has come through less sleep, higher motivation and more risk-taking. I'm not trying to make it sound glamorous, as it is not…it is hard work, dedication and self-imposed loneliness.

It is a different world now, to five years ago. Everyone can take good photos with the cameras available at low prices nowadays. The pursuit of exceptional landscape photos is becoming a more challenging task than ever…and however successful you may be it becomes more fun with every hurdle.

James

A warm November and controversy on Ben Nevis (posted by James)

2011-11-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

Warm sunshine on the Aonach Eagach

This day last year, I was wading through deep snow on the Cairngorm plateau having just dug a trench through the drifts on Fiacaill Ridge. The winter had started in earnest a week before, and it turned into one of the coldest Novembers for years.

Today however, I was climbing Quiver Rib on Aonach Dubh…14 degrees in the Glen, the rivers running surprisingly dry and not a flake of snow to be seen. Yesterday morning on the Aonach Eagach I was quite comfortable in a t-shirt and could really feel the heat of the sun on my face.

However despite my love and preference of all things winter, I am not letting out so much as a whisper of complaint. The Aonach Eagach was an even more magical place than usual yesterday morning….a patchy cloud inversion billowing around the summits and a Brocken Spectre following me in the mist for half a mile along the ridge.

It's always a place I go when I'm happy or contemplative, if something good has happened or if I just want to gaze down on Glencoe for a couple of hours. I think it might be my favourite of all places.

On a different note, on thursday evening I had a bit of a surprise on Ben Nevis. I climbed Castle Ridge at dusk and on my way across the plateau I was struck by the absence of the Number 4 Gully abseil post. After writing a blog post about my thoughts on this, I ran into a solid wall of doubt on UKC about the veracity of my claim that the post was not there.

I was quite correct in what I said. The abseil post was not there…instead it was lying some way down Number 4 Gully itself, having presumably been thrown down there by someone. Whoever it was, it was not the John Muir Trust - they have quite rightly promised a consultation on the matter and the post above Coire Leis due next year, and were not responsible for this action.

So the post had been removed. Yesterday morning, Al Halewood went up the Ben and put it back. Good on him for making such a direct move, especially as the whole issue has instantly become a very touchy subject amongst the Scottish mountaineering community. The post should remain there at least until the John Muir Trust have considered the opposing arguments concerning its existence.

Crucially though, Al has stated on his blog that the post is now not stable enough to abseil from without a considerable depth of snow supporting it. Constructing your own snow anchors, downclimbing the gully or choosing an entirely different descent route are the most sensible option this winter unless the post is reinforced.

The existence of man-made objects on the hills is a highly controversial subject. If we all accept that opinions vary considerably and respect differing points of view then hopefully the climbing community can actually assist bodies like the JMT and the National Trust for Scotland in their work, rather than being the hindrance that we are sometimes guilty of being.

James

The difference two months can make (posted by James)

2011-11-08T05:42:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks have been a serious eye-opener for me, in a good way. Yesterday was one of my longest days I've had on the hill, and I did it bouncing with energy with no fatigue….it was my 10th day on the hill in the last 11 days.

This got me thinking last night. At the end of this August I would have found such a continuous run of hill-days very physically challenging. More importantly though I just wouldn't have had the motivation.

So what did I change? It's all come down to giving more thought to the long-term rather than just day to day plans. In the previous two summers my activity has slowed and even stagnated as the season progressed, the grey and drizzle sapping away any motivation. My exercise would be hill-days and only hill-days, and as they became fewer and further between during the summer my fitness would always be at it's lowest come the autumn.

I place a huge amount of value on freedom of lifestyle, and I've always believed living each day as it comes and being spontaneous are essential parts of achieving it. But there are some goals and aims that you simply can't just pull off by a huge outburst of energy and willpower "on the night".

I suppose as you become more involved and talented in your hobbies, your goals inevitably become more ambitious. And this autumn has been a turning point for me, in that I've suddenly realised I need to start preparing more long-term if I'm going to achieve some of my ambitions for this winter and next spring.

With this in mind, this autumn has been one "tunnel vision" for me. As a result for the first time since starting my time in Glencoe I am starting the winter season at my fittest. Uphill running every other day has done wonders, and the improvement in my recovery time after exercise has been striking. I'm back to my (leaner) winter weight and my speed and precision whilst climbing have noticeably increased since August.

There's no point setting yourself a goal unless you really want it. And for it to be worth it, don't you need to have won it on merit? You never know what tomorrow or next week will bring, who you could meet and what could happen to make you measure yourself….isn't it always best to know you've given things your all?

It's only been two months since my change in attitude and direction, and some of my goals already feel a world closer.Who knows what next month will bring?

The possibility of achieving a dream is always more important than that extra hour in bed.

James

The Ben, the Buachaille and an amazing 9 hours (posted by James)

2011-11-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

The Highlands have been well and truly showing off over the last few days, revealing their real splendour again after being shrouded for so long under a veil of cloud and rain.

This is one of the times of year that I study the weather forecasts particularly carefully, always looking out for signs and clues that will guide me as to where will be exactly the best place to be for climbing or photography on any given day. Yesterday's MWIS forecast was what I'd been waiting for since the end of last winter - frost in the glens but warm sunshine on the summits, a winning combination for photography as it usual means one thing. Cloud inversions.

Early morning mist starting to break over the North East Buttress of the Ben

With this in mind I did the familiar trudge from the Ben Nevis North face car park in the dark and headed towards the beautiful Carn Mor Dearg arete, one of the finest viewpoints in the Highlands.

Dawn light catches Castle Ridge

The East ridge of Carn Dearg Meadhonach

As the sky brightened and the first of the sunshine lit up Castle Ridge, I could tell it was going to be a special day. But I wasn't quite expecting the treat that I would get when I reached the summit of Carn Mor Dearg. Not a cloud inversion as such, but an incredible blue haze and layer of mist across the Southern Highlands, a scene of almost unreal beauty.

I spent a while on the summit of the Ben, perfectly warm enough in a t-shirt, just soaking in the perfection of the view in front of me. I looked at my watch…I wasn't starting work for another 7 hours or so….it would be a shame to simply go back down already…

The Buachaile tempts me to extent my plans for the day....

So with a smile on my face and a spring in my step I ran down Ben Nevis as quick as possible, drove back to Glencoe and started up the climber's track up Buachaille Etive Mor.

I climbed my old favourite North Buttress, randomly bumping into Mike Martin who filmed me climbing the crux chimneys for a climbing film he is making.

Shadows and colours on Rannoch Moor

And 4.5 hours after I'd been standing on the summit of the Ben I found myself on the summit of the Buachaille, watching the sun set. I hadn't felt a single moment of fatigue in the entire day, and time had flown past.

Where I'd been only a few hours before

Before I started the run down Coire na Tualach, I took a moment to look over my shoulder at Ben Nevis in the distance. A warm evening glow was starting to spread of its slopes.

Definitely a day to remember.

James

A trip to Assynt and the return of the sunshine (posted by James)

2011-11-06T07:34:00.000-08:00

At last! After weeks on end of grey skies, rain and galeforce winds, we've finally had an absolutely stunning weekend in the West Highlands.

With a bright moon shining and a clear sky on friday evening, I headed North towards Assynt with some friends to make the most of a seemingly impossibly good weather forecast. I was sceptical….

Ben More Assynt

After a misty start on the ridge between Conival and Ben More Assynt, the cloud lifted and we were rewarded with bright sunshine and views to die for. Crisp light, sharp shadows and a chill in the air…how I'd been longing for it during the last few months. A few hours on a high ridge in cold sunshine - something I'd been guilty of taking for granted during the last two legendary winters, but that has definitely changed. Nourishing for the soul.

A Brocken Spectre on Ben More Assynt

Bright sunshine on Conival

During the drive back my thoughts keep turning to next year. The huge towers of Suilven, Stac Pollaidh and Quinag kept appearing through gaps in the glens, tempting me. Wouldn't it be an incredible place to try and live in for a while?

Dubh Loch Mor

The Quinag

I'd been to Assynt before on a climbing trip to the sea cliffs at Reiff, so I suppose I did know what to expect. But even so, I was still slightly taken aback by the wild magnificence of the landscape. What an immense place.

I'm back at Clachaig now. As I'm writing this the last of the evening sunshine is just casting a glow on the Aonach Eagach…the buttresses of Aonach Dubh are being thrown into shadow and there's a frost on the way. I am still in awe of my adopted home.

James

Some thoughts on soloing (posted by James)

2011-11-02T13:24:00.001-07:00

Going solo....

The winter months are always the season in which I put myself the most at risk, so at this time of year I often find it an important exercise to take a look at my own motivations and mind-set when it comes to risk-taking.

I climb solo nowadays, almost without exception. The last 50 mountain routes I have climbed have been without a rope, and nearly all of them without any company. Soloing in winter is in general the riskiest type of climbing out there. So…why do it?

I first discovered soloing as a very effective coping mechanism for the mental repercussions of a severe personal trauma during 2008. I'd finally found something that totally focused my mind away from the things I couldn't block out of my head any other way.

It started with that, but then I started to enjoy the same sensation for its own sake. The feeling of total and utter concentration….living more intensely with every ice axe placement than you do in an entire week of ordinary life. Nothing else matters but your mental and physical ability to get yourself up a climb and down safely, and when you carry it off on a climb close to your limit the feeling of achievement is hard to surpass.

In the last year or so I have deliberately set about to transform myself entirely into a soloist. I wanted to make soloing the discipline at which I am most comfortable. But this is where it becomes complicated. I don't climb hard by modern standards - I prefer long mountain routes to short technical stuff. But I am soloing close to my current uppermost abilities, not with a safety margin of a few grades.

At first glance this seems irresponsible, to be climbing close to my limit with no rope or safety system at all. Perhaps it is…But I do it with a mind-set that I've developed over the last year or so which makes it justifiable to me.

I have very few challenges in my day to day working life. Living in Glencoe is a wonderfully simple existence. But I believe we must constantly challenge ourselves in order to live a fulfilling existence. If we don't have the rollercoaster of failure and success to ride then we just live a straight line.

So for me soloing routes I'll find hard is how I ride that rollercoaster. I train to make sure I'm fitter than I realistically actually need to be, and I've learned that "can't be arsed" moments are when it's most important to get out. If I were to give up easily when it comes to things involving no risk, how could I expect to perform when my mental strength could determine whether I top out of a route or not? Every time I set out on a route I know that I must be on my best form, and razor-sharp awareness of your own ability is just as important as actual talent. And if you aren't "feeling it", you don't set out.

It's a risky business, and I've become very aware of the risks and the rewards. I've been lucky enough to experience both extreme fear and incredible highs whilst soloing, and in the last year I've had some of the most intense moments of my life - good and bad.

It's a dangerous rollercoaster, but one for me which is worth riding.

James

A few photos from the last week (posted by James)

2011-11-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

A stream in flood above Kinlochleven

The autumnal monsoon has been making photography very challenging for the last few weeks….and any climbing even more so.

However I've actually been out on the hill a great deal recently, mainly running and getting myself as fit and strong as possible before the winter season sets in properly. Added to that, a fun and extremely wet 24 hours was spent by a group of us at Culra Bothy celebrating Jamie B's last Munro. A landmark for me too, taking me to 150.

So here's my offering of recent photos, hopefully soon enough they will start to include snow again.

James

A rare bright evening in Glencoe

Pushing the bikes through rough ground near Culra Bothy

A moment of sunshine in Glen Lochay

Autumn colours in Glencoe

A pause for thought before the coming winter (posted by James)

2011-10-24T02:41:00.000-07:00

The risks and the rewards

At about 8:15am on the 28th February this year, I had one of the most memorable 10 minutes of my life. I was stood on the Aonach Eagach in the snow, watching the sun rise. I have seen dozens upon dozens of sunrises, but this was one apart. First it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck, then it took my breath away. And in the minutes that followed it imprinted itself on my soul. I will take the raw beauty of that dawn with me to my grave.

I'm often asked by friends and blog-followers just why I am so massively inspired by the winters in Scotland. That sunrise appears again in my mind's eye, and I briefly toy with using it as an anecdote to explain. But the truth is, there's no point. You had to be there.

October and November are the months which are exciting and frustrating in equal measures for winter climbers in Scotland. And I find myself sometimes wondering…why go to such lengths? Why invest so much of my time and energy in such a notoriously fickle endeavour as winter climbing?

Just now I'm in training mode, trying to get as fit as possible before the season kicks in properly. I'm pretty fit just now, but am I "winter fit"? I don't know anything as physically demanding as a full season winter climbing in Scotland, and especially in the early season there just seems to be a great deal of effort involved. Two exhausting hours post-holing through deep snow to find your route isn't in condition can really ruin your day….

So you go through the quite usual run of bad days, route failures, awful weather and "sod-it-lets-go-to-the-pub-instead" moments, and then one morning it all comes together and you have an amazing day.

"Amazing"….just a word, and not an adequate one. Moments that are quite common and usual in a standard day of winter climbing are far outside the experience of the vast majority of people. And that includes all the bad days…a 12 hour epic on Ben Nevis is grim at the time, but how much life do you live in those 12 hours? A lot, I think.

It's a strange old thing, facing the start of my 3rd complete Scottish winter season with the knowledge gained from past experience. I know that in the next 5 months or so in the mountains I will experience ball-breaking fatigue, fear and anxiety. I'll feel such cold that it hurts and at points I'll probably have to fight for my life.

But I also know I'll experience such moments again as that sunrise on the Aonach Eagach. And that a few moments in the right place, at the right time, can quite genuinely touch your soul.

Have a great winter everyone.

James

Another quick route before the thaw (posted by James)

2011-10-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

In my opinion the first rule of Scottish winter climbing is "get it while you can". So after having my appetite wetted by Ledge Route on tuesday I was determined to get in one more route before the promised thaw this evening.

When snow arrives at this time of year options are extremely limited, and doubly so for soloing. So despite having climbed it many times before, Dorsal Arete was my route of choice today.

Good to be walking in to a climb in the dark and snow again

I came across the first slushy snow just before entering Coire nan Lochan, and it remained slushy up until almost the level of the arete itself. I was slightly surprised to find Broad Gully completely full of snow, although all very soft and it would have been extremely hard work to ascend or descend.

A complete Broad Gully

Dorsal Arete itself was in acceptable condition, although with no frozen turf, soft snow and a fair few loose blocks around. Hopefully I didn't cause any problems for Jamie Bankhead who climbed it about an hour later!

Dorsal Arete today

It's all melting now, and by the look of the forecast most if not all the new snow will be gone very soon. But It feels great to have got out in the snow again, and to have dusted off the axes and crampons again. Hopefully in 3 or 4 weeks there'll be more snow, and fingers crossed it'll be back with intent.

James

Ledge Route in early winter conditions (a guest post from Alex)

2011-10-18T13:18:00.000-07:00

After months away from the mountains, how lucky for me that my return to Glencoe should coincide with a period of unseasonably wintry weather! I'm up here for a week, and on the first day I found myself once again tramping up the steep path from the north face car park towards the cliffs of Ben Nevis. My companions for the day were my brother James and fellow Clachaiger Mark; our objective, Ledge Route.

We didn't quite know what to expect in terms of conditions. Snow had settled on the mountain the previous day, but James and Mark believed crampons would not be necessary. All of us carried axes (I also took my crampons with me to be on the safe side). James also decided not to pack snow goggles, a decision he would come to regret!

Thanks to over-indulgence in whisky the night before, all of us were feeling a little rough as we slogged up through the forest. I perhaps felt it more than the others thanks to my lack of hill fitness after three months away from the mountains. Upon entering the Allt a'Mhuillin we came to appreciate that the Ben was looking much wintrier than we had expected.

At lower levels the snow tended to be soggy. The first 'ledge' on Ledge Route turned us back with a slick layer of wet snow on even wetter rock, so we took the detour around Moonlight Buttress and crossed No.5 Gully to take the higher start to the route.

At this point all of us had our axes out (although not strictly necessary) and I had my crampons on; the others chose a line of least resistance as the snow got deeper underfoot. Conditions improved the higher we climbed, and eventually we hit the freezing level and the rocks started to get icier. The others took care to avoid a slip.

In general conditions were surprisingly amenable: not too much wading but a good covering of snow, and some rime ice plating the rocks here and there. We were even treated to some spells of clear sky on the way up.

We reached the top pretty pleased with ourselves at having caught the route in such good condition. Immediately, however, the plateau decided to throw the worst of its weather in our faces! A gale blew a barrage of hail and icy snow in our direction; at one point the hail was so fierce that it felt like we were being pelted by needles. Mark and I wore snow goggles and were very glad of them. James staggered through the spindrift and near-whiteout conditions. It would be a respectable blizzard in the middle of the winter season, but for October it was quite a surprise!

On the way down the Pony Track we met a number of walkers, plus Alan Halewood who had been for a solo on Tower Ridge and found similar conditions to us.

Overall an excellent day on the hill, a good start to the 2011/2012 season, and of course it's very good to be back in Glencoe!

All photos (C) Alex and James Roddie 2011, all rights reserved

Autumn in the wilds of Inverlael (posted by James)

2011-10-15T03:18:00.000-07:00

Cona Mheall in striking morning sunshine

Anyone knowledgeable about the Scottish hills will know just how strong a reputation some of them have acquired.

Seana Bhraigh is a mountain with an almost mythical reputation - situated in the middle of the stunning Inverlael wilderness, it is often cited as the most remote Munro.

Seana Bhraigh - "The Old Height"

Early yesterday morning Jamie Bankhead and I started the long drive North to climb Seana Bhraigh and it's neighbour Eididh nan Clach Geala. As soon as we got to sunrise it was already shaping up to be a good day, with the brightest morning sky I've seen for a long time. It's been a dull autumn here so far, following a dull late-summer, and every moment of sunshine seems all the more valuable!

Amazing lighting during the morning drive up North

Just as we reached Aultguish we were treated to startling lighting - a low sun shining bright onto the hills with black clouds behind. That kind of lighting is always a photographer's dream, but added to the golden autumn hues all around and the sound of roaring stags, it was positively sublime.

Stac Pollaidh from Cadha Dearg

The walk itself was brilliant, and amongst the longest routes in Scotland for only two Munros. There is some very wild scenery to take in on the long haul to Seana Bhraigh - the huge corrie of Cadha Dearg being particularly striking.

An Teallach looking grand, seen from Eididh nan Clach Geala

And the view that reveals itself upon reaching the summit is awe-inspiring - An Teallach and the Fannaichs on one side, and the bizarre sky-line of Inverpolly on the other. Stac Pollaidh, Suilven, Ben Mor Coigach…..some of the very oldest mountains in the world.

The Inverpolly skyline - one of the oldest landscapes on Earth.

It seemed a very long way to continue to Eididh nan Clach Geala, and it was. But a landmark for Jamie B - his second to last Munro. A tiring day (7 hours driving and 28km walking) but a great day, in one of the finest places I've seen in Scotland.

James

Shooting stars, roaring stags and a midnight crossing of the Aonach Eagach (posted by James)

2011-09-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

A down-climb into the dark

One of the things that has always made me the happiest, wherever am I, is developing an intimate relationship with a place. Whether it be a small patch of woodland or a range of hills.

The thing I like about it is knowing exactly where and when to go to somewhere specific - a nook and cranny for every mood and any type of weather. And last night when I finished work at midnight, I just knew the Aonach Eagach was the place to be.

The best starlit sky I've seen since the end of the winter…the long arm of the Milky Way clearly visible stretching across the sky. The constellation Orion standing proud and firm, appearing to peer down on Rannoch Moor and the central Highlands. The Ridge was going to be a truly special place to be last night.

As I topped out on Am Bodach, the wind hit me. I hadn't realised how strong it would be…gale force gusts regularly battering the Ridge and buffeting me from side to side. But I didn't mind…I've done the Aonach Eagach many times and it has been totally different on each occasion, and a mid-night crossing in a gale definitely appealed.

The narrowest section of the ridge

Pitch black. No moon at all, leaving me to weave my way through the ups and downs of the Ridge by torchlight, regularly stopping to turn my torch off and just look up at the breathtaking star-scape above me.

It seemed an odd thing, seeing so many shooting stars on a night like last night when the wind was howling so loudly. I think of shooting stars on still, frosty nights on Ben Nevis when there is no sound at all.

The Pinnacles

A slight lull in the wind, and a hint of strange noises echoing in the corries on the North flank of the ridge. I brushed it off, thinking I was imagining things….but there it was again. Roaring stags.

The first I've heard this autumn, and what a way to hear them for the first time. Peering down into the black depths of the corries I couldn't see a thing, but there the stags were…roaring in gale at 2 in the morning.

On the way down, the clouds started to roll in and a few drops of rain started. The end of a few brief magical hours, when I was in exactly the right place at the right time.

James

Achieving my last goal of the summer (posted by James)

2011-09-27T04:32:00.000-07:00

Bidean nam Bian (1150m), the highest peak in Glencoe

Life spent living at Glencoe's Clachaig Inn is a wonderful, probably unique thing…and I doubt many people would believe a lot of it unless they'd lived and worked here themselves.

From your first day (and I'm on about day 930) you start hearing of legendary members of staff of days gone by, and the crazy and memorable things they did.

About 2 years ago Clachaig's renowned Jimmy the Bush told me about what he called "The Hageman Challenge" - to climb Bidean nam Bian and get back down in the 3 hour break of a split-shift behind the bar. Bidean is usually a 5-6 hour walk for most, but Hageman managed it in 2 hours and 10 minutes, a time impossible for me when I heard about it 2 years ago. Challenge accepted!!

I'm as fit as I've ever been just now, and September's weather has made me restless and with itchy feet. So yesterday at the end of the first half of my shift at 3pm, I found myself hurtling towards Achnambeithach in my car (the accepted start point for the challenge) full of energy and psyched to test my fitness to the full.

I've done the run up past the big waterfall into Coire nam Beithach many times, and it's always hard work. It is by far the steepest of the three corrie approaches to Bidean nam Bian, but also the most direct and the route that Hageman took when he did it. Despite the steepness I found a good steady pace straight away, a skill I've been toning a lot recently.

Up to the base of the cliffs of Stob Coire nam Beith, and then a blissfully level and fast run along to the base of the scree at the bottom of Bidean's North-West face.

Now for the hard bit…..the steep, loose and slimy scree slope up to the col between Stob Coire nan Lochan and Bidean's North ridge. It is grim going either up or down, a slope far more pleasant under firm snow. It is an almost impossible slope to run up, so this is the slowest part of the course.

And then the final pull up the North ridge of Bidean, and 1 hour 16 minutes and 1 second after leaving Achnambeithach I found myself on the summit.

A 2 minute rest to contemplate, and catch my breath…a smile spreading across my face as I knew that if I looked well to each step on the descent, then I had it in the bag.

Leaving the summit I knew the descent down the scree would be grim, and it was. It is slimy and loose as a result of the snow that covers it for half the year, and on a wet day like yesterday it is hard to keep level when going at speed.

Down off the scree, and I increased my pace to full throttle. It is a steep and risky path to run at speed after rain, but it was just one of those days when I felt on top form and I descended Coire nam Beithach the fastest I have ever done.

2 hours, 9 minutes and 47 seconds later I found myself back at my car at Achnambeithach, with plenty of time spare to have a shower before starting my next shift at 6pm. Chuffed.

So….with this I have achieved the last of the three main goals I set myself for this summer. On-sight soloing The Great Ridge of Garbh Bheinn, getting mid-way through the Munros, and Bidean in a Clachaig split-shift.

Of the three though, I think perhaps yesterday's success was perhaps the most significant for me. It is not a massively impressive time to run Bidean by the standards of "dedicated" hill-runners, but it is significant as along with the last few weeks I think it might mark the start of me hill-running simply for the sake of hill-running.

Bidean in 2 hours in winter conditions? Now there's a thought….

James

Some thoughts on running, fitness and "winter training" (posted by James)

2011-09-21T09:37:00.001-07:00

September has on the whole been a pretty wet, blustery and cold month so far….or at least it has been whenever I've had a chance to get on the hill. As a result my hill-mileage has been fairly low for the last few weeks.

But September is not a month to be idle with the winter just around the corner. One of the most important lessons I've learnt about winter climbing is that no matter how fit you are, being just that little bit fitter would always make things easier and more enjoyable….so September is for me the month when I always try and step things up a gear or two.

I've made an important discovery recently - that although I don't particularly enjoy hillwalking or climbing in bad weather, I seem to enjoy running all the more when it's raining. So I've been doing a lot of running in the hills, and enjoying it far more than I have previously. There's a simple reason for that…I'm just fitter than I was this time a year ago.

Fitness, training, and weight loss seems to have been a common theme with a lot of my friends recently so I thought I'd give some of my thoughts on it here. Nearly everyone I know (including myself in the past) who has made a big effort to change their lifestyle, fitness or weight has found it extremely hard work, requiring a lot of determination and willpower. This is fair enough, as you are you repeatedly putting your body through stresses and strains that it isn't used to, you have to learn to say "NO" to that packet of crisps or that pint of beer, and most importantly you have to be able to keep on doing it.

Yet I have managed to significantly increase my fitness year on year since coming to Glencoe, and it isn't very often it has seemed much effort. And this increase in fitness has been very deliberate, as when it comes to mountaineering greater fitness is the key to open so many doors of opportunity.

So how have I done it, yet managed to rarely see this hard work as effort? It has been very simple…it just comes down to variety. I've deliberately stopped the monotonous "training regimes" I used to try when I was a teenager, I rarely weigh myself and it's not very often I measure my times or speed when I'm out running or walking. I just vary what I do. Take this week's runs for example - Coire nam Beithach on monday, the Lairig Eilde yesterday, Coire nan Lochan today. Next time I go out I might go hillwalking instead, and the time after that I might go climbing. Or whatever I fancy.

The basic key for me when it comes to increasing fitness is to try and *feel* it rather than measure it, vary what I do and where I do it, and to keep a constant eye on the prize. For me that prize is greater likelihood of being able to achieve long term winter climbing goals or long-distance mountain challenges, for others it will be different.

Not everyone has the privilege of being able to run, walk and climb in the type of surroundings that I live in, but I think it's something you can probably apply to wherever you live. It won't work for everyone, many people will prefer to see results in terms of numbers - but the key is to find what works for you.

James

A great start to the autumn on Skye (posted by James)

2011-09-16T04:07:00.000-07:00

Clach Glas - Blaven Traverse (grade Diff by route taken)

After 6 days of torrential rain, the starlit sky and frost which greeted me at 4am yesterday was a sight for sore eyes.

The promise of a great morning ahead, so I headed to that most awe-inspiring of places, the Cuillin of Skye. A few days ago a mate of mine had suggested the Clach Glas-Blaven traverse as one of the best days you can have in the Scottish mountains….enough to get me curious!

Perfect weather on Clach Glas

It turned into one of those days which started great and got better with every moment. As I started the walk-in, the sunrise slowly lit up Blaven and Clach Glas. The sky started to turn more blue and the moon sat just above Blaven's South ridge. And all the time a real chill in the air.

The NE Face of Blaven - the crux of the route follows a chimney up the steep right-hand ridge line.

Emerging at the ridge crest was a moment I'm going to remember for quite a while. The whole of the Cuillin Ridge suddenly in view, to me unquestionably the most impressive panorama I've ever seen in Scotland.

The view to Am Basteir and Sgurr nan Gillean

The traverse is great, absolutely great. Soon after you start the climbing you come to the view of the North Ridge of Clach Glas, and it is quite a sight to behold -Ashley Abraham was quite right in giving it the nickname of "The Matterhorn of Skye".

Clach Glas - "The Matterhorn of Skye"

The route up the North Ridge looks improbable for a Moderate climb, and it is a devious line requiring good route-finding skills. It takes you through absolutely sensational surroundings with false-turns possible all over the place. In fact the whole traverse is a test of good route-finding, especially when soloing as I was.

Crisp light and cool air

Down to The Imposter, the great vertical bastion underneath the summit of Clach Glas, and then a long down-climb to The Putting Green - a rare patch of grass on the ridge.

The Imposter

From here you weave upwards through complicated ground to the crux of the route, the 18 Metre Chimney. It's a fun crux, very in keeping with the Diff Grade - i.e some reachy moves and a few small holds but never serious, and I felt perfectly secure without a rope.

The crux - The 18 Metre Chimney

And then on to the summit of Blaven, and one of the absolute best summit views I've seen yet in Scotland. Lochs, the sea and islands on every side, the Cuillin Ridge standing proud before me, and not a cloud in the sky.

James

A September storm in Glencoe (posted by James)

2011-09-13T04:24:00.000-07:00

The River Coe going mental....

I think I'm fairly safe in saying that we've just had the rainiest 5 days in Glencoe since I arrived in the spring of 2009. I have never seen such continuous torrential rainfall.

As a result the River Coe is putting on an absolutely spectacular display…showing off, frankly! The water level is the highest I've seen it, and the steeper, faster sections are raging torrents which are almost frightening to look at.

Down by the village quite a lot of trees on the banks of the river are fairly submerged, and the water level is starting to look a bit close to the bottom of the bridge.

Just before the bridge into Glencoe village

I've been up and down the glen a bit in my car having a look at things - the waterfalls are really worth taking a look at! I dare say there will be a few surprised drivers when they turn the corner at the Meeting of the Three Waters. As for the Allt Coire nam Beithach (the waterfall underneath the W face of Aonach Dubh), all I can say is that just now it is absolutely immense.

The Allt Coire nam Beithach

The rain is still getting heavier….

James