Another "interesting" Scottish trip

After our last visit Jon and I were after a more normal outing up North. As well as getting avalanched with me Jon had managed to crash his car skidding on black ice on a previous trip so we were in a loan car from the insurance company while they patched his together again. Alex joined us to make 3 which was cosy to say the least in a Nissan Micra but once on the motorway we made good time, at least on the down hill bits. Crossing Ranoch Moor I slowed for the herds of deer crowding the side of the road, and settled behind another car. Within sight of Glen Coe I had just requested "the track" by The Fall - "Its a curse". When the carcass of a deer loomed 30ft ahead of us slap bang in the middle of road. I couldn't believe it as the car infront hadn't swerved or moved at all. I guess it must have been a high wheel base four wheel drive as the little Micra ploughed into the already dead animal. Initially there seemed little damage but within a few minutes it became obvious we no longer had a working radiator and the Micra was dead too. Luckily we managed to hitch a lift to Kinlochleven and crumble into bed at 2am. Jon volunteered to sort out the car aloowing me to hook up with Andy Turner for a day out.The dawn from Stob Coire Nan Lochan after a very pleasant approach on good neve.
A plastered Central Buttress with the long groove of Unicorn in the center a route that both Andy and I had both done previously.

We opted for the Duel IX,9 a route that took Cubby and Rab Anderson 7 seperate visits to heroically establish. Me on the wall pitch as the weather deteriorates, note the plume of spindrift above my head. Loads of verglass led to even thinner climbing than normal, with the crux for me high on this pitch just beneath the roofs. Unable to get at the rock hooks I had to chip 5mm edges into the ice to pull up with awful footholds 10ft above a cluster of dodgy gear. All in all I must have spent close to 3 hours on this pitch.
Andy making much quicker work of the 3rd pitch off width. We took 11 cams in all including two size 6s but due to the vergalss didn't place a single one. Superb route though, one I've been wanting to do for quite a while. Great to climb with Andy though, who gave me much needed confidence as I was fighting the demons of my last trip. Luckily the arm and back held out OK, although it was a very tattered Parnell who hobbled down to the road at the end of the day.

Throughout the afternoon a thaw set in which seems to be building further today. So even if we get the car sorted we will probably head home. Jon I think might be looking for psychological help after the run of luck he's had.

Ben and Glencoe winter report

I'd been planning a week in the Alps for my big winter holiday but they've had shed loads of snow and the faces were looking more like Patagonia than France. Interestingly the very conditions we crave for winter climbing in this country. With a very promising forecast I swapped Fort William for Chamonix and headed up with Andy Benson. Andy's particularly keen at the moment having had a superb trip a week earlier with Rich Cross (Sioux Wall, FWA Heidbanger and East Face Direct on Stob Coire). On the Saturday we were met with snow down to sea level (the pic shows Andy ankle deep at about 500m alt) and a 4 1/2 hour trail break up to the Ben, much enjoyed by every one who followedAndy approaching Trident buttress with the line of Devastation a summer E1 marked, which we think hadn't had a winter ascent yet.Andy on the steep start to the first pitch. Ther were 2 tough pitches but there was gear available at regular intervals although it involved a bit of digging and fiddling. As a result the route proved easier than expected probably VII,8 Sunday morning dawned a perfect winter day, blue skies and -6c. We headed up to the Raven Gully area on the Buchaille. Eventually opting for Ravens Edge, Rab Anderson's big VII,7.

This proved to be a superb and very sustained route which led us to climb the last pitch, a fairly savage offwidth, in the dark This pic shows Andy on the 3rd pitch, the open book corner with Slime wall and a plastered Guerdon Grooves behind him. As an aside we were able to check out Cubby's legendary route. Which lookeed very hard, insecure and bold especially without ice, although personally it didn't float my boat. The line which I'm sure was logical for the first ascent from afar looks very random and uninspiring, there are other unclimbed lines on that wall that do look superb however.

Ive got a couple more days up here and am thinking of heading up to the North West. For those thinking of coming up, temps have gone up a little, all snow so far has been unconsolidated powder, there is some ice, and exposed turf is frozen up high although most bigger clods were insulated by a blanket of snow and are pretty soggy. There's certainly fun to be had though.