Any Winter Climbers? (Scotland)

to be strictly honest we didn’t do a full traverse, but bailed from the gap when it went dark again, having started from Sligachan at 11pm the previous night and done the first half by moonlight

Awesome. Ps that’s way more than half isn’t it….

Bloody hell… I was climbing ice when Point 5 and Zero were about the max for mere mortals. That pic of Point 5 up there ^ looks like beginner training compared to some of the mixed stuff posted here… Oh well… 🙄

Makes me all nostalgic but I know my bottle has gone, I don’t seemm to find the time and my climbing mates have all gone their seperate ways. I suspect I peaked anyway in about the late 80’s. Nothing ever like those above but did do, with 2 others, a first ascent, Moonlight Flit in the Rivals.

Great pics, we used to have a lads winter climbing holiday up to Scotland every year in the 90s and early 2000’s. Nothing to the level above, mostly grade III, but still great times.

I know my bottle has gone

Bottle was always my problem when climbing. I like to be safe and lead climbing just isn’t that safe, really. You rely on gear that could easily fail or come out (as it frequently did for me); and it really bothers me that the belay devices available aren’t fail-safe, they are fail-dangerous. And even if nothing fails you can easily hurt yourself quite badly if you fall. This wasn’t helped by the fact I wasn’t able to climb regularly enough and the mates I did have thought top-roping (at crags) was a cop-out, rather than a way to be able to actually enjoy the physical act and challenge of climbing.

However I dearly love being up in the mountains and I really miss it. The best I could hope for now is simple classics, so you’re not alone!

At 46 I’m probably too old to start climbing, certainly the icy stuff anyway. Been doing a bit with the guys from our team, I’ll see where it goes.

At 46 I’m probably too old to start climbing, certainly the icy stuff anyway.

I wouldn’t be too worried. There are plenty of grade II gullies full of snow that are pretty safe and easy but fabulously scenic. Even I wouldn’t be worried about them and I am pretty nervous, as above.

EDIT as long as conditions are good and you take the appropriate precautions for being up in the mountains obvs!

There are plenty of grade II gullies full of snow that are pretty safe and easy 

Hmmmm

And yet the same gullies can be a lot trickier, and not at all safe the next day. Especially taking into account the general lack of belays.

Yes I edited my post – a lot depends on conditions.

Quite possibly the least impressive winter crag I’ve ever been to but a fun, low stress day to start the season on Fionn Bheinn (Achnasheen)

At 46 I’m probably too old to start climbing, certainly the icy stuff anyway

I wouldn’t rule it out, it’s a pretty fine line between scrambling in winter and climbing and things like general fitness and hill skills are far more important than actual climbing skills.

Keeping this going.

Anyone fancy a trip next weekend (17/18th), conditions dependant obvs.

Mibbe next winter Spin, got a winter skills course with the team in Feb in Glencoe, hoping to mibbe stay up for a few days and get some winter scrambling in too.

Cracking photos Spin and Elliptic. Just looking at them has me shivering and stamping my feet

Brilliant pics on this thread. Way braver than I could ever hope to be. Stunning pics though.

So, mid February and it hasn’t been a classic has it?

Aha, Holy thread resurection. And alas Spin’s comment is quite apposite. Half a mo….

So my new boots finally arrived, in the middle of a thaw. A last minute midweek rummage on the internet last week took me to some hideous hole in the ground in the Peak District for….

Dry Tooling… it wasn’t anything like as painful as it sounds, and actually I bloody loved it. Did 4 routes including a big traverse,

which was bloody excellent.
Not only was it my first DT, and my first winter route for nearly ten years, it was probably only my 10th day roped climbing in the last 6 years. All the old emotions and concerns, and elations cane flooding back.

It started off as just an excuse to try the new boots, but I’ll be going g back as soon as I’ve found some monos.

And alas Spin’s comment is quite apposite. Half a mo….

Conditions have been way better so far this year. Which obviously doesn’t mean everyone has had a good season!

Yeah, I stand corrected. I was just thinking of the Lakes TBH.

I’ll put some pics up when I’ve got a minute.

Do you have any pics of grade threes 😉

You know, something aspirational rather than… dunno the word for it.

Insane 🙂

This winter, from the top down:

Basteir Chimney on Am Basteir, a good start to the season.

Erebus on Suilven, not the best shot but a pretty special place to climb.

Team selfie on summit of Suilven. About 13hrs into the day and another 5 still to go.

P2 of Seller’s Tower on Sgurr nan Clach Geala.

P3 of the same.

Heading up Liathach.

P2 of Blue Rinse on Stob Coire an Laoigh.

Topping out on the same.

Anyone out this weekend or next week?

Thread resurrection for another winter!

Got the season started last Friday in amazing weather on Fingers Ridge.

Excellent.

Wow, good stuff

Just had a scroll back through this thread and it uncovered some memories! Fingers Ridge was on my tick-list from the first moment I walked into the Northern Corries and was one of my first grade IV’s. I’d decided to be more efficient that year and had practiced coiling a rope quickly in my living room at home and was SO GLAD to ahve done so when we topped out of that route into a hoolie.

I’d also completely forgotten that I’d done Poachers Falls on Liathach as well!

Fingers Ridge was on my tick-list from the first moment I walked into the Northern Corries and was one of my first grade IV’s.

That was the 3rd time I’ve done it, over about 25 years. It’s just a really good, fun route.

When we got to that top crux wall it was obvious the team from the day before had done the first few moves then backed off. Hidden in the rime about 20cm above their high point was a perfect horizontal axe placement which made it fairly straightforward!

Nope, I do not need another hobby to fund, nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope…

Tbh, I dont have the network of winter climbers to be able to grab the ‘good condition ‘ days anyway.

Back in the day I was a climber. Summer tad was my thing. I had the head thing dialed. Most grades I lead before I seconded them. Summer climbing isn’t that bad safety wise.

I enjoyed the grade 11 ridges and gullies. My only real winter route was NE Buttress on Ben Nevis, climbed as part of a memorable 5 days in the CIC hut. I won’t do the full story. But I just didn’t have the head for winter climbing. I think objectively I could see 2 problems. Firstly the medium you’re working with is less reliable. Secondly that’s backed up by less less runners

 I think objectively I could see 2 problems. Firstly the medium you’re working with is less reliable. Secondly that’s backed up by less less runners

That’s definitely the case on ice, much less so for snowed up rock.

Great thread. I still dabble but used to do more back in the 90s.

I remember driving up from Newcastle to Fort William, bivying in a scrubby wood in Glen Nevis overnight then doing the epic walk in to the Ben and Climbing Green Gully. Our first proper winter route and with a 45m single rope. It was basically run-out-full-rope / belay / repeat for the full route. And I took a big block of ice to the face from a party above as well so looked like I’d been into a car crash when we walked into MacDonalds in Fort William that evening (and ordered 2 Big Mac meals each). Then drove back to Newcastle.

Happy days.

Ampthill, I think grade eleven in winter is a decent enough standard!

I think he meant grade II (grade 2)??

Got the season started last Friday in amazing weather on Fingers Ridge.

Was thinking that looked stiff for a grade 1/2, then realised I was getting my Fingers and Fiachals mixed up 🙂

Postie stuck a note through the door saying he’ll try again to deliver my new Nomics tomorrow. Still can’t decide if it’s a stupid waste of money…

New Sportiva Cubes last year, so need to get out and use them..
If anyone fancies a bit of dry tooling at Masson or Hodge, or some proper stuff lakes or Wales if we get any then let me know

I meant II not 11

So yes grade 2 🤦‍♀️

Postie stuck a note through the door saying he’ll try again to deliver my new Nomics tomorrow.

I liked my old ones a lot, especially as I got them for free* but the pommel design on the new ones put me off. I have Cassin X-dream Alpine now which are great apart from the stupid name.

* a mate had 2 with wobbly heads, I fixed both and kept one, the other another mate found on The Ben.

Less good but still definitely winter (just) in the the Northern Corries.

Spin

Force of habit has me buying adze and semi hammer for the Nomics…. Is that a waste of time?