Glencoe at it's finest......

Here are a couple of photos from the last couple of days. I've been working out on the hill for Jagged Globe, in Glencoe. Amazing weather with not a breath of wind.

The first is looking out to Loch Etive from the top of Buchaille Etive Beag and the second was taken on Stob Coire nan Lochan, beautiful surface hoar at the moment which sounds like little tinkling pieces of glass when you walk around.

Weather looks set to stay clear, cold and calm so more blue sky loveliness to come. Looking forward to my next non-work adventure - where will it be???
Oh and South Gully of the Black Wall gets into Cold Climbs too - the quest continues!

Beinn Udlaidh and Blue skies

Another perfect day in Scotland - I can't believe how amazing it has been up here this winter! Goregous sunshine but a chilly morning. Daisy was saying -10.

On Friday, Andy and I headed for Beinn Udlaidh for some continental style icefall climbing - along with the rest of the world it seems. Definitely not the place to be heading this weekend. This, of course, meant that the was no chance of getting anywhere near my target route of Quartzvein Scoop. We headed way over to the right to a route called Junior Jaunt (IV,5) which doesn't get any stars in the normal guidebook but came recommended by Dave Evans on the walk-in. Not a single other team on the route the whole time we were at the crag. The route starts out of Central Gully with a steep slab first pitch and a steeper icicle second pitch. I got pitch 1 (see below) which was about IV,4 and I actually enjoyed it too. Andy took the top pitch which was more brittle and very hollow sounding in places.

We reached the top in good time and could see lots of other teams also topping out, this meant Andy set off at about Warp 7 to get to another route before anyone else. Quarzvein still had about 3 teams on it, so we headed for South Gully of the Black Wall (IV, 4). At this point Andy took to belay bunny duty and handed over the rack of screws. Pitch 1 is a fairly mild pitch although it would have been nice to have a few wires for the bottom 20m until I got near some ice that would take a screw. But all was uneventful. The second pitch is steeper and harder and can be done in 2 ways at the moment either by nipping off to the right into a scoop and easier ground or straight up following the steeper ice. I decided that I was going to give the steeper stuff a go and with quite a lot of puffing and being rubbish at putting screws in with my left hand I made it over the ice fall and onto a snow slope. Phew! Then there was just the cornice to deal with, the last piece of gear a distant memory I was faced with the top of the cornice being at about the bottom of my ribs - hmmm! So demonstrating some great elegance I stuck one foot near my shoulder out to the side for a least a little help and then dragged myself up, with some fine quality knee action. Much to the entertainment of some other climbers who wished they'd had a camera!

We then had to scoot back to Ballachulish so I could meet my clients for the next 3 days, so thanks for the belaying Andy and for going bumbling with me!

More snowy-ness

Thought it was time for a little update, mostly not been going climbing in the last couple of weeks. After working in the Cairngorms I headed south home to New Mills, for a trip to Stepping Hill Hospital for some more back shenangains.

Back up for a weekend working at Glenmore Lodge which was frankly pretty casual, meet clients late and saunter into the corries for a while and then wander back for tea and cake.

Then hurtled back to the luxury chalet for a super speedy shower and then down to Fort William for the Jimmy Marshall night of the Film Festival. Andy and Dave Mcleod did a fab job introducing themselves and the film from the week on the Ben which was very successful. Check out the film clips on YouTube
A top evening Jimmy Marshall a great character and well impressive climber.

Then back to work this time for Jagged Globe and today we were out in Stob Coire nan Lochan, on a gorgeous day, perfect blue skies,then a big snow shower and then back to blue skies. Could cope with work if it was always like that!! Forecast is good for the rest of the week so hoping to get out climbing on Friday - watch this space!

Smith-Marshall Update

Days 1-2 - Great Chimney and Piggotts Climb now in the bag. Some film taken and good routes reported.
Well done boys.

Sunshine on the East

Just a quick one, I've been over East for the last few days. Had a couple of days working but thought I'd better go and get an idea of what was going on over that way and where the best conditions and spots would be for teaching stuff!

So I dragged Andy over there with me to get some top advice from someone who's worked over there lots and so we got to hang out together before he became a media star for a week. He's up on the Ben for the week filming the Smith-Marshall reconstruction for the Fort William Film Festival. They had a good day yesterday and it looks alright out there now so hopefully some good climbing and filming going on.

So anyway, it was a perfect day, gorgeous sunshine and visibility and good snow.

Not so the next couple of days when you could barely see 30m half the time! But I survived without getting lost or anyone putting sharp spiky things in themselves - a success!

North West Adventuring

Today was another LONG day. Infact it started yesterday. Ian and I drove north last night and slept at the carpark in his cosy van.

Which car park I hear you ask - the one for Beinn Dearg up in the North West nearly as far as Ullapool but not quite.

Up and walking by 8am we got some fabulous sunshine to walk in as you can see from the picture to the left. A fairly long walk (2 1/2 hours) but along a forestry track and a good path saw us underneath the crag and getting ready for yet another Cold Climbs tick - Emerald Gully (IV,4).

There was TONS of snow everywhere which meant that wading was the order of the day followed by lots of snow clearing. Pitch one was relatively straight-forward and took us to the crux icefall which was steep for a few moves and then the angle eased and the ice/snow got worse and you had to dig to get any decent placements, and one of my fingers is now suffering with a mighty bruise!

This is the belay below the top pitch, which is supposed to have another icefall but doesn't at the moment so some wandering around in mixed terrain is the option. This might be a pleasant alternative if there wasn't 2 feet of snow on everthing. Ian was in full clearing mode and I was submerged in powder for quite a lot of the time!

Good skills Ian!

Me at the top of the last real pitch.

We topped out and then began the journey back to the van, we had thought about following the ridge all the way but the excess of snow and lack of trail soon changed our minds and we dropped back into the glen and onto the path after a couple of kilometre. Making it back to known terrrain just in time to get out the trusty headtorches and finally after what seemed like an age back to the van, for some well earned treats that we had stashed.

Thank you Ian, for leading everything except the top out and for taking some fab pictures (all his except this last one of course!).

Ian setting out on the last pitch.