Kenny and Will having a blast in the Valley Blanch on the 31st of Dec

A good time was had by all on our Guides training out in the Alps, ten days in total of training, techniques and a ski induction. Fourteen days in a row on ski’s with a couple of days on Ice to finish us off at the end. I think my legs have only just about recovered!

An incredible three days of ski techniques training at Leysin to start the new year with.

Since returning to Scotland a few weeks ago I have been mainly busy working for Glenmore Lodge and it has been super WINDY, just about every day. I’ve had a good spread of work at the Lodge with some winter ML reassessments, tailor made GL winter safety courses, MIC training and some guided winter climbing.

Bruce Goodlad working a snow profile at La Grave.

I was out today working for myself (Elements) with Gian, he’s always wanted to climb Fiacaill Ridge, this is the winter grade II ridge that splits the two Northern Corries of Lochan and Sneachda. It was all going so well until three climbers got avalanched down in the Corrie and we decided to go and help.

Gain enjoying the very cold but excellent Fiacaill Ridge

Rescue 137 moves into up lift the final Cas.

Who would have thought, roadside Scottish water ice, last weekend. 

Road side ice in the morning, clipping bolts at Moy in the afternoon. Scotland’s got it all!

Dream Team! All the boys from the 2012 BMG intake.

JJ Keeping the faith and stomping into Sneachda, had to admit I had my doubts.

After getting back from the cinema and Inverness yesterday evening and having a look at the forecast I was struggling to get the motivation to commit to climbing the next day. 100mph winds, warm temps and needing to sort and pack a lot of stuff for heading out to the Alps, but some how Jon managed to convince me.

Amazed to see how much white stuff had held on Faciall Buttress.

As we walked in, the early morning gloom showed black crags ahead and what looked like black crags in Lochan. It’s fair to say I was dragging my feet as we walked in, questioning why I’d gotten up at 0620 to take a heavy bag for a semi wintery walk.

With only one runner at 5m in my 35m pitch, every time you hit turf it came as a welcome placement.

The climbing was good, if not a bit run out on my middle pitch. There’s loads of ice about, it’s still not quite bomber, more a mixture of ice, snow and crud.

Looking into a semi stripped No.4 Buttress

Our route ‘Rampant’ IV-5*, heads through the whitest of ground on the buttress. You can just about see a team following our clearing!

A better view of the route. 

So from car to car 4hrs 15mins, back before 1130, with a nice route in the bag. The joys of living in Aviemore.

I’m off out to the Alps for two weeks for some Guides training, 3 days of ski techniques, 1 day ski induction / test, 5 days of avalanche training and a days ice climbing teaching. With a few days off to enjoy New Year, ski and maybe climb some ice.

Hope everyone has a great New Year and all the best for 2013.

Cheers

Chadders

Looking out the window today at the Northern Cairngorms it’s a great day to be inside looking out! It’s wild and windy up there and has been all night, 100mph gusts and freezing level above the tops. Not for long though with a return to wintery hill conditions tomorrow.

Accessing the first pitch of our route. Ideal winter conditions.

I had a phone call on the 26th just before I went out ski touring, inviting me over to Glen Coe to have a look at a direct finish to a already stunning climb. How could I say no.

Jon Jones, getting us warmed up in the first pitch of the route.

A 0530 alarm soon had me picking up Jon J and winding our way out West, driving through some rain and a bit of wind low down we were all a bit unsure as to what we might find condition wise higher up?

JJ and Andy Nelson following the second pitch. I maybe should have tried harder to find gear rather than running it out!

Luckily we were in the company of local talented climber and all round good guy, Andy Nelson. He soon had us standing at the bottom of a very wintery, stunning looking lump of rock.

Andy showing us how it should be done!

The route had a pitch for everyone, with each pitch getting steadily harder. Andy’s intention was to go direct on the top final pitch. This was an education for Jon and myself in super thin hard climbing, which unfortunately resulted in an education for Andy as well, with some good air miles clocked up!

Andy checking out his options. How can he hook and stand on nothing and make it look so easy?

The direct finish was not to be today, with Andy muttering something about needing 5mm verglas rather than 2mm, for someone so stable he is quite nuts!

Pulling through the final roof finishing back on the original route.

The direct finish was not to be today but Andy was keen to be back on it soon, once the verglas fattened up!

Glen Coe Mountain Rescue Team sledging the stretcher down the Glen to the waiting Rescue 177.

After walking near enough back to the road, we met members of Glen Coe MR heading back up to assist a walker who had a lower leg injury and called for assistance. We politely offered to help and they unfortunately (for us) accepted our offer. So off back up the hill we shuffled to almost the area we had just finished climbing in. The mantra on the way back up was “it’s burning off the christmas excess”! Luckily Rescue 177 could land halfway down the hill, so even though the carry was tough in the snowy conditions we did not need to carry all the way out.

Home by 2230 last night, with ever so slightly cramping legs. Now enjoying looking out at the ming from the comfort of my warm house!

If your looking to climb some great winter routes or ski some fine Scottish winter days, please drop me an email at:     info@elements.gb.net    (I have dates free from the 26th of Dec to the 29th of Dec)

I’m rubbish at up dating my blog, but still folks seem to follow it! I’m going to try over the next wee while to be better at it. Ha, well see if that happens!

Naving across the Plateau in poor vis during a search.

I think I’m going to try and make it a more picture based Blog now that I’ve worked out how to down size my photo’s thus uploading them SO much faster!

Skinning back up from Strath Nethy last weekend.

Since my return from Antalia in Turkey about a month ago I’ve been working on a Climbing Wall Award, helping set up and run the final of the STS dry tooling comp at Glenmore Lodge, running a series of Student Winter Safety Lectures for the MCofS around Scotland, worked a Four Star Sea Training over on the West Coast, lots of Glenmore Lodge staff training days, had four wisdom teeth out (ouch), assisted on a couple of local rescues, had a days dry tooling at a new venue in the North East, had some good skinning and skiing action but as yet no recent winter climbing. Boo!

Setting out for a days sea paddling on the West

Deziree enjoying the views North

A bit of night time skiing action after work (got to get your hill hits any way you can!)

Conditions today looking into Sneachda

Conditions out on the hills today around the Northern Corries are wintery but with some high winds and temperatures plus some rain, it’s an ever changing picture. The rock in the Corries still held a large amount of the white stuff, unfortunately some of this white stuff is falling off and has avalanched in places.

It’s not great or safe climbing conditions by any means just now but is looking better towards and after Christmas.

Skiing today was good, if not a wee bit wet and windy. OK cover from the ski car park to the mid station, from mid station up the cover improves greatly. The snow on the Plateau was icy and crusty but we did ski some enjoyable spring like snow down into the Ciste Gully. Beware though the avalanche conditions are considerable in places.

Views to Sneachda today as we skinned on by

Drinking fountain on the road to the climbing areas

Thats me now well settled in to day five of a nice limestone climbing, bolt clipping holiday out here in Antalya, Turkey.

Before I left to come out here I had an opportunity to deliver an after dinner lecture on my adventures to a packed audience of students at Glenmore Lodge on the MC of S, Student Safety Seminar. I always get really nervous about speaking to a large audience even though my job involves a large amount of classroom and lecture based delivery. The inner belief that I will some how totally mess it up often overrules the confidence of knowing I can do the job.

Despite all of this inner angst, what ever happens happened and it seemed to go down really well. Speaking about times in your life that have strong and enjoyable memories always makes the job so much easier. I kept folks entertained with stories and photo’s from the Old Man of Hoy, a winter traverse of the Cuillin Ridge, skiing the gullies in the northern Corries and the North Face of the Eiger. This was closely followed by a fun and entertaining evening in the Lodge bar.

Me disappearing into the depths of the cave roof

This is is my first trip out to Turkey and it’s not been disappointing, so much climbing, on so many crags and all with-in walking distance of our flat.

Olive harvest time

The first four days of climbing have been good, with many fine routes up to 7a getting climbed. The only thing holding me back is the fear of falling off. I had been working on this quite a bit back in the UK taking good falls at the wall and getting my head into taking whippers. It appears that it does not transfer that well (for me) to the outdoors!

Greig getting some good air miles!

After a rest day today, there’s going to be no excuse, I’m just going to have to get on it!

Greig cranking hard through some steepness

The walk to the crags

After each good days cragging we deserve some of this……

Ptarmigan gathering in the base of the Corrie

http://www.elements.gb.net           06th/11/2012

On Monday Gordon and I headed back into Coire an t-sneachda with the plan for Gordon to experience a tech 6 mixed climb. Gordan has climbed many good ice routes on the Ben up to grade 5, water ice out in Norway up to WI 5 and mixed routes up to grade 5. So with his list of routes and grades there was only one obvious way to go and that was up, grade 6 here we come!

Gordon going large on the top moves of the crux corner

What can I say other than he tackled the climbed with the usual consistent determination and even seemed to enjoy it at times, well once we topped out anyway!

Gordon on the ‘The Message’ IV-6***

Gordon is one of life’s genuine inspirations and not just for climbing The Message. Having only learnt to climb a few years ago he’s been out every winter since getting the bug. He puts most of us to shame being in his mid 60s, trains hard every week and all that on the back of having a life threatening illness thats effected his life for the last ten years.

A view to match the good feeling as we walked off the hill

It was a real winters day on Monday with some strong winds, snow falling and cold temperatures through out the day. Compared with the busy day on Sunday, we had the crag to ourselves and only saw a couple of teams off in the distance.

I was back working for the Glenmore Lodge today, running an MIA problems solving refresher day. We spent this day at Huntlys Cave coming up with solutions to many scenario based crag rescues. Got to admit that I was glad of the warmer conditions today, hanging about on the crag.

Scot and Andy mid rescue……

It’s proper turbo melt down now on the hill, winter has been and is now in the rivers and lochs around the hills. It looks colder again this coming weekend but not enough for any more white, shivering, suffer’fest, climbing missions. But the next round of winter suffering can’t be far away.

Another fine day in the Northern Corries

Sometimes I wonder at the start of the season ‘will I enjoy this season as much as the last, will I be bored of the Northern Corries by now, will the routes still inspire or just feel repetitive’?

I can safely say that none of this has happened or will happen for sometime to come. Don’t get me wrong, I love the wildness and remoteness of places and climbs away from the common, well traveled honey pots. Some of my best memories burned into my mind through shear enjoyment of the climbs, views and experiences have been remote, off the beaten track days out with friends or work. Many folks give the Northern Corries a hard time due to their popularity and that’s true it is a busy venue on the right or wrong day.

Gordon in action

But this also adds something to the day if your in a sociable mood and the conditions are plentiful. Gordon and I met a number of good folks today walking-in, on the belays and walking out. Many folks I already new, which was good for a catch-up and some we did not know but we were happy to chat with. This on top of the excellent climbing and conditions, gave a welcoming and memorable day out for all the right reasons.

Gordon at the top of Hidden Chimney Direct IV-5

Gordon and I climbed Hidden Chimney Direct IV-5 today and up into Hidden Chimney. This was Gordon’s first day out winter climbing this season so we took it nice and steady, dusting off the summer cobwebs and getting gordon’s head back into the joys of mixed climbing, “it’s not like ice, you know”!

Topping out on Hidden Chimney

As we walked-in today we chatted about routes done and routes that Gordon wanted to do. High on the list of winter targets for this season was climbing tech 6 mixed. So after todays leg and arm stretch, tomorrow should see us on some steeper ground…….

Gordon has timed his two days up here perfectly, with tomorrow looking like the last cold day before temperatures rapidly go up on Tuesday. Here’s hoping we get something good done.

Just had a great couple of days out on the hill, all be it two very contrasting days and on both days I either forgot my camera or I’d not charged it. Muppet! Lucky Dunc was along today with his.

The clearing view of the snowy Sneachda today.

Yesterday I was out working for Glenmore Lodge , not a normal day at work by any means but great fun all the same. The Lodge has just taken on a new mountain clothing sponsor, The North Face and they were keen to get some photo’s of instructors at work! Thursday was the skiing and mountaineering shoot, what are the chances of a blue skies day, with fresh powder snow on a firm base and not a breath of wind on the 1st of Nov, F all I would have said but thats what we got. The skiing was short lived in Corrie Domhain, a maximum of about ten turns but a blast all the same. We did get some odd looks as we bumbled into the corries with ski’s strapped to our packs.

Very pleased with the conditions, no armchair UKC winter climbers could argue with this!

Having forgotten to charge my camera it was down to The Dunc to be snapping away today, this is a rare moment that A: Dunc has a camera and B: he actually uses it. Lucky me!

I’m sure I was waving to the camera and not falling off?

Today started off very calm as we walked into Sneachda, even as we drove up the ski road I was surprised at how much more snow had fallen. The obligatory stumble through the snow covered Corrie floor boulders is always much missed winter pastime but soon forgotten as the climbs are reached.

We opted for Mess of Pottage in Corie and t-Sneachda, all the crags in the Corie today looked well snowed up. Our route haul for the day was the ‘Messenger’ V-6 and ‘The Message’ IV-6, I’ve never done the Messenger before and this provided an excellent first route of the season sketch about, we even had to pull quite hard on the axes. The Message which I’ve done a few times now is always an enjoyable route with great hooks and a bit of tricky foot work needed.

Hello hot aches………. araarrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh

With it being so snowy today, all the clearing, pulling quite hard on the axes and the general winter thing going on, it proved ideal conditions for the much missed but never forgotten Hot Aches. If you’ve never experienced them, lucky you. If you want to experience them let me know and I’ll help set up a perfect day to experience this dark secret of winter climbing!

Off to Aberdeen tomorrow so missing what looks like an excellent winters day. However I have a long term client and friend Gordon arriving on Sunday for two days of winter climbing action. With the forecast as it is we should be in for some good conditions.

I never really intended for my blog to be a winter only blog, it’s not that I don’t do stuff during the summer. I guess I have more time to play with in the evenings when the nights start closing in and the weather is cold and ming like outside.

It has however started to put down the white stuff in the hills and yes I went out to see how it was shaping up. On Tuesday I walked in with Gordon and if you were super keen or super desperate you could have climbed something steep and whitish but we decided to save it for when winter strikes back. So we opted for taking our big bags for a walk! I went back in again on Wednesday with Dunc and we slithered our way up Faicaill Corrie an t-Sneachda, no crampons needed really but nice and snowy.

Looking at the forecast for the next week it’s mildish for a few days but then it talks about it getting much colder later in the week. Watch this space……

Just to remind us that we did have some good summer this year. Dunc high up on Angel Face E2 5c, Far East Walls, Beinn Eighe

This Wednesday up on Faicaill Corrie an t-Sneachda

It even cleared slightly for us

A pair of Grouse low down in the Corrie

Looking up to the crags in Sneachda last Tuesday, not quite white enough to climb on????????

Climbing at Gogarth at the start of the month, rock climbing can’t quite be finished yet, can it?