First Blood

Recently my job as a climbing magazine editor has been particularly frustrating. Despite a rather late start to the winter season it seemed everyone was making up for lost time with a string of very tough sounding new routes and repeats of several of last years hardest routes. Finally just before Christmas I was able to stop reading about everyone else's fun and get some action myself. I hooked up with Greg Boswell and James Dunn hoping for a few days high standard adventure, unfortunately as soon as I arrived temperatures began to soar. We got out early on the first day realising it could be our only chance and managed a fine first winter ascent. I had an inkling the E2 Jumping Jupiter could be promising and so it turned out with a committing and steep start followed by thinner technical climbing with a slightly bold feel. Greg led this first pitch and after both of us had tried the summer second pitch, Greg led through a lefthand detour to finish. I reckon it's worth 2 stars and Greg reckoned VIII,8 (it certainly felt a good grade harder than the neighbouring Time Traveller).

After that rain stopped play apart from a quick visit to Birnam and a chance to do my back in on Fast and Furious, followed by a training session in Greg's cave. Despite the rain it did feel great to give the winter rat a decent tit bit. Here's hoping there's plenty more to come.

Ship of Fools

After a month or more of reading about everyone else having fun up in Scotland I finally managed to get up there myself. A great day out with young hotshot Greg Boswell, and nice to end the season on a high note rather than watch the season fade away.

We knew we'd need to head high for conditions, and it doesn't get higher than Indicator Wall. I had my eye on Ship of Fools a route established by Iain Small and Simon Richardson in 2007. Greg starting up Pitch 1

I'd been intrigued by this route ever since I read Simon's exciting account of their first ascent in the new Ben Nevis history book "...his monopoints only half penetrate the ice before they hit rock; his tools barely reach their first notch. There are no gear placements in sight. Iain commits to a meticulous dance. Every placement, each step, has to be perfectly executed the first time;a second kick, or another swing, and the delicate skein of ice will shatter....The ice sheet vibrates as he makes his second placement, but it holds his weight as he manoeuvres himself over the roof and levers his right crampon onto a finger-width, sloping notch. Four moves later and he reaches the foot of a narrow ice ribbon. It is solid, ten centimetres thick... I breathe a sigh of relief. I've just witnessed one of the finest leads in Scottish ice history."

With a write up like that I couldn't wait to find out what Ship of Fools had in store.
Me on pitch 2, contrast with the shot below of Iain on the first ascentIt turned out that the route was in different condition than on the first ascent. Whilst whiter the crucial ice patches were often not weight bearing and so I climbed a little to the right of Iain's line. Not as elegant but still highly exciting. The quality of the white stuff made sure that all 3 of the top pitches needed our full attention. All in all a superb route and great to pull over the top and belay on the summit trig point of the Ben. Finally on ice that didn't fall off as soon as it was touched.
Greg Boswell, a name to watch in future seasons (Greg blogs about his adventures here http://gregboswell.blogspot.com/).