RB One, Mum nil, take two! - Sat/Sun 25th/26th April '09

A great weekend for Rebekah saw us drive through to Alien Rock in Edinburgh for the 3rd and final round of this year's Youth Climbing Series. RB was determined to do well and had been training hard on the overhanging lead walls and bouldering walls at AVW.
It was a great final round and the boulder problems in particular looked well 'ard! So hard (and reachy!) in fact, that nobody whatsoever managed to touch the final hold on the 2nd problem and nobody whatsoever managed to touch the 4th hold on the last problem.
By the time it came to the last and hardest route Eleanor, Rachael, Sophie, Bekah and Lyndsey were all tying for 1st place. But an overhanging 7a on tiny holds was sure to sort them out! RB did fantastically! This is just the sort of route that really suits her and the kind she trains on quite regularly and she won her very 1st placing at the YCS of 3rd place, I was so happy for her as she's put in a lot of hard work and it's been really hard to get her to the wall to train with it being so far away and with her being at her Dad's most weekends so unable to train then.
We had one quite disappointing moment however. We hadn't been aware of how the scoring was done over the 3 rounds and just assumed that they would take the scores from all the boulder problems and all of the routes over the 3rounds and add them all up to get the best 3 scores for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. So, with RB doing so well on that last route and being in 3rd position as regards points we thought that meant she would be going down to London for the finals. But it wasn't to be :o(
Had I payed closer attention to the scoring system, I would have realised that they get ranking points, so 1st place gets 100points, 2nd place gets 80 points, 3rd place gets 65 points and 4th place gets 55 points, etc etc etc. So, because RB got 4th place on the previous rounds she had a lower overall ranking score even though her final route/boulder score was really high. It was really close though with her being about 5 points in to 3rd place, but 10 ranking points lower for 3rd place. So, when the awards took place and someone told us how it all worked, RB was quite gutted after being so sure she was in 3rd place and I felt awful for not realising and paying attention to how it all worked! But she's still got her place for the Scottish Championships so she's looking forward to that.
Andy came round on Saturday evening once we were home from the comp and boy I just wasn't in the mood for climbing. Hell knows why as I've been dying to get out, but I was utterly knackered. I've been up late at night studying for a Maths exam and getting stressed about it, one minute thinking it's all going fine, then getting worried I'm going to mess it up. Add to that, getting up really early to be in Edinburgh for 9am, then volunteering to judge for the comp and having to look up nearly all day and concentrate, I was pretty gubbed. Slept like a log on Saturday night though, but was still feeling pretty flat on Sunday morning but dragged myself out as Andy had made the effort to come down for the day and was eager to climb Wandered at Clova and RB wanted to have her 1st rock session of the year too.
It was pretty cold up there and threatening rain all morning, with a little drizzle here and there. We warmed up on Parapet Route, a Severe I hadn't done (and wish I hadn't bothered!) Didn't enjoy the 1st pitch at all (that's all the routes on that wall I haven't liked the 1st pitches of!) The start was ok, until you got to an awkward and steep chimney, which I figured eventually but the next bit was a really undefined line with a few awkward moves. RB figured things out though and climbing with a minimum amount of fuss, unlike her mum who really struggled up the chimney! The top pitch looked nicer though, straight up arete/rib with nice big holds. I decided it looked easy enough to lead, a bit bold near the top but huge holds so I never once felt wibbly.
Andy was keen to get straight on Wandered, I wasn't as keen, not being warmed up enough to jump on HVS but couldn't be bothered 'discussing' it! It was starting to rain just a little as Andy was gearing up, but he decided to go for it anyway, saying he could lower RB off if it got too slippy and then ab for the gear. RB was keen to try it and Andy was going to belay up on the ledge of Beanstalk to keep an eye on her. As it turns out RB flew up the route like a wee rocket! The steep and strenuous nature of the crux posed not a single problem for her at all and she looked really cool headed up there, not like a wall rat at all but like a proper wee climber!
Not so for me though. It was stupid of me to jump on something strenuous like that without being warmed up as when it got to the steep ground my shoulders were killing me. That's the most painful they've ever been when climbing, I was nearly crying at one point from the pain, but refused to give up! Every time there was a rest point I had to let go and just let my arm hang down to release the pain. Pulling up over the crux wasn't too bad as it seemed to stretch them out, but I was bent right over with one leg flagging out into space and couldn't seem to make contact with the rock at all and flailed up a bit ungracefully!
Up on to the belay ledge and the rain started proper. Andy wasn't sure about the proper finish, thinking it might be best to go up Beanstalk finish at 4b seen as the rock was going to be soaked. I persuaded him that the holds were juggy on the 4c arete so he changed his mind and went up that way. But, he didn't go out onto the arete and climbed up the corner and crack above, before going round the arete, placing a bit of gear high up, which meant that I then had to go up that way too! And the way he went was far, far harder than going round the arete! You just need to take one step up, reach around and it's off balance, but there's a massive jug and big ledges for your feet! I ended having to try and climb up for this damn bit of gear, hold on to a high up finger jam to move up higher, but my arms were having none of it and I had to sit on the rope to get the gear out. The rest was easy enough, just needing to stop and hang my arms again to relieve my shoulders and then I was up.
On the way down, I noticed a jammed nut in Witches Tooth and I could see Andy eyeing it up. He didn't say anything as it was raining again but I said he should ab down and get it, if he wanted it. So, RB and I went and got ourselves sorted whilst he went for the booty.
So, I didn't lead much exciting this weekend, but still want to lead Alder and Proud Corner and I think Monster Crack looks really nice too. RB loved the look of Witches Tooth so Andy might give it a bash next time and see if RB can't climb her 1st E1.
A wee looky at the howf then back home for my home made pizza :o)

Cummingston and The Ben - Easter weekend '09

Just back home from Andy's. It is 2 o'clock in the morning and I'm too wired to sleep until I've sat for a while, had a cuppy and chilled. It's been a tiring weekend, but a fantastic one!
I didn't really have any plans in mind when I drove up on Friday evening after a bouldering sesh at AVW, but we decided to go to the Ben on Sunday due to it being forecast for frost Sat night/Sun morning and the weather was really better for cragging on the Moray Coast on Saturday.
I'd been talking about leading 'Centre' for quite some time and I also really fancied leading 'Left' which is a tad harder, HS4b (or MVS) for Centre and VS5a for Left. I was also taken with the route Stegosaurus. All fine and well talking about it, but in the morning I was getting so nervous, the butterflies in my stomach were making me feel sick! I don't understand why I get so nervous and work myself up into such a tizzy, but having climbed for 5yrs now I've just come to accept that I need a few grades in hand at the start of the day to get into the swing of things and get my head in the right place.
We started off with me leading Doddle Deidre (Sev) and I didn't half wobble my way up it. I had to give myself a stern talking to about half way up for being such a wimp and thoughts of, 'pah, you're struggling on a severe, you can forget about VS today!' were on my mind.
Andy led (well, soloed and dragged a rope up for me!) a Severe called Bombproof which was a lovely wee route up a steep wall on humongous jugs, oh jugs are fab! And that was it, time for Centre. I remember 2nding Chris on it last summer and finding it a struggle to reach the nose that juts out the corner, but then finding a hold that allowed me to reach and then struggling to get across and finally shaking my way up the rest of the route, so I was a bitty nervous about leading it. But I knew the gear was good and Andy convinced me that you could fling a sling around the big nose, though I was dubious and thought that once you were holding the nose you were kind of committed and wouldn't have time to faff.
But it was fine! And as it was, I managed to fling a sling round the nose before making the move and once you grab the nose, if you bridge out and lean right out, well you could hang there all day! Dunno why I struggled so on it last year as it really was a doddle! And once you're across you can bridge up the final corner in balance all the way and bung loads of gear in.
Nice!
Andy then led Right, HVS5b. I wasn't sure I'd get up it as it had wee cracks that looked minuscule to me! But I didn't have anything to worry about and although it was strenuous, my fingers can fit into those small cracks quite nicely and even though the route is steep and the holds small, everything is very positive and the friction on the rock is superb, god I love sandstone!
Right, I'm gonna do it! I'd been staring at Left for ages, working out where I was going to place gear and remembering that when I top roped this route with Chris last summer I totally flew up it without a care in the world. It's a tad harder on lead though! Bung in a couple of bits of gear lower down and then move up to the bottom of the crack and you can grab a handle jug (oh yes!) at the bottom of the crack, bridge your foot out on the nose of Centre and fling a bit of gear in the bottom of the crack. Aaaarg, that bit's not fitting! Shite! I've clipped that cam onto my krab with the nuts on it, I need those nuts NOW!!! Sort my faffing out and my arms are feeling it! Gear in, move back down, shake out. Oh no, dunno if I've got the energy for this now! C'mon! You were laybacking a 6b+ at the wall just on Wed, surely you can manage a couple of similar 5a moves on rock, with bomber gear at your waist? I go for it, layback one move, back step with the left foot reach up the crack, sink my fingers in nice and deep, bridge out, reach up again for a jug, bridge up higher, and that's it done! Woooooohooooooo! The rest is easy, easy enough to pose for the camera. Chuffed as hell! Feeling really good about my climbing at the moment. Only my 3rd trad day of the year and I've already led my hardest route ever, happy happy!
We set up a top rope next on The Prophet and have a go on that. Andy gets it on his second go, but I just can't get over the roof and am falling off all over the shop! Jeez, how can folk be good enough to lead this kind of thing?! But after seeing how Andy got it clean, I will know if we ever try it again. Tide is going back out now, but I want to leave Stegosaurus for another day (good to have something to go back for, and after only managing around 5hrs sleep last night, I'm knackered.)

Sunday. Andy suggested going up to the Ben. I knew if I wanted to winter climb then the Ben was pretty much the only option for tomorrow. The though of crowds was making me feel grumpy, but what the hell, I decided to try and be chilled out about it, and just put up with other people being on all the routes (I knew there was no hope in hell of getting Andy to agree to a mega early start! And the forecast looked to be better in the afternoon anyway) It was a lovely drive over. I was tired, having had another bad night's sleep, waking in fits and starts and my mind was in pondering mode. The light shining over and reflecting into Loch Laggan was calming and again I fall in love with our beautiful country. It just doesn't matter the things that go in, in day to day life, simple moments of reflection and beauty will always take my breath away and make me feel so lucky to be able to experience our lovely hills.

We figured that if we actually had a late start, then folks would be well on there way up the routes. And Andy didn't think it would be all that busy, convinced that the majority of folk have given up on the winter.
And he was right. Compared to the last time I was up the Ben 3 years ago, it was deserted! I was assuming there would be queues upon queues for any of the more popular routes, but there wasn't that many teams out at all.
Andy wanted to see if Indicator Wall was in nick. I was highly dubious! Me on grade V ice, yer having a laugh right?! I've seen photos of Indicator Wall and in my mind it's a steep cliff with vertical ice from head to toe! Driving up, and yet again I'm feeling sick with 'the fear'
Forgotten what a slog it is up to the Ben, but we can have a stoppy in the CIC hut for drink, a bite eat, get more clothes on etc before we go on our merry way. I was also pretty excited about the prospect of Indicator Wall and trying a gradeV and was questioning nervously about just how safe it was for me to be there. Belays, good enough if I fall off or need to sit on the rope (not that I'd dare! Can't seem to bring that wall mentality to winter! It's a good thing though I think?) And it's another slog up Observatory Gully. There are 2 teams on Point 5 Gully and the gully looks to be in good condition from what I can see of it. Further up, there is a team on Tower Scoop, a team on Smiths and a team going up Gardyloo Gully, and quite a few folk on Tower Ridge. We can't quite see Indicator Wall until we are in line with the bottom of Tower Scoop, and rats once we can see, there is already someone on it! But, it's not a gully and I'm not too fussed about climbing under someone. It looks amazing and not as steep as I thought it would be (though still steep looking!) so no way do I want to go to our fall back plan of Good Friday Climb. Looking across, there is someone on that already! So, our plan of folk being a long way up stuff if we had a late start, didn't quite work out as planned. But we figured that, by the time we'd geared up and gone up and traversed across to the base of the cliff, the teams would have moved on. Didn't happen though. The team in front were taking a bit of a while and the lower team had to wait for them to move up. Andy, in a rush as ever set off though and joined the 2nd of the lower team at the 1st belay before you could shake a stick! Turns out it was somebody he knew, so it was all very sociable. And secretly, I didn't mind in the slightest! It was quite nice nattering away to folk while your climbing, though I wasn't as keen on the shower of ice that fell down my neck when I was climbing pitch 1, and the bloke above pitch 2. Still, I tucked my head down and thought it could be worse if it was all windy and spindrifty!
The 1st pitch is nice, steep in places but with plenty of gaps between and the ice was so thick that you could often get your foot sideways to rest the calf's.
The 2nd pitch I found hard though! The crux was the steepest ice I have ever climbed! I was convinced it was vertical, but Andy tries to convince me that gradeV ice isn't vertical and the crux was only about 80 degrees. But but but it was super dooper steep and bulgy! Nothing technical though, and I come to realise that there is nothing to this ice climbing other than brute strength and stamina but I'm rather lacking in the strength department and I'm grunting a bit by the time I reach Andy at the second belay.
We don't have enough rope to reach the summit in one more pitch, so Andy leads out 15/20m of easy snow slope (bout grade II angle) and takes a belay there, as I've taken a fancy to leading the last ice pitch. It's nowhere near as steep as the crux and it's much shorter than the 1st pitch. It looked about grade II again from below, but approaching it I can see it's steeper than that! Still, if I can get up gradeV ice, then I can get up this step and hah! there is a perfect nut slot and insitu peg just below the step. Placed a couple of nuts and clipped the peg and the rest was fine and dandy, just pay attention to where you put your feet, the axe placements I don't worry about, they just sink into the ice it's so good! Then it's up a steep snow slope, skirt around the cornice and traversing underneath it on soft and wettish snow is pretty freaky, but take it slowly, making sure each foot step is solid. Snow gives a little and my heart jump out my throat for just a second! But then I'm there, poking my head up and onto the summit. Man it's surreal as anything! There LOADS of people up there! Walkers and tourists and other climbers all milling about taking pics. So weird, being on steep ice one minute and then thrown into public the next!
We decided to traverse around and down to Coire Leis, there was ice all the way up Moon Walk but I can't testify to it's quality! It probably wasn't the best of ideas going down that way as it seemed to take forever. Andy bumslid right down to the Col but I wasn't as brave, what with rocks peeking through (and me remembering the rock incident on Beinn Dearg at New Year!) and a drop down to the left! The snow was quite slippy and slushy and it's that kind of ground that I find horrible descending. Dunno why it is, but my legs can handle normal downhill, or gradeI downhill, but any kind of in between steepness and my legs don't seem to like it! It's like my hips and core/centre goes all weak and taking a step downhill feels all wobbly, and it's only been like that since my back got knackered a couple of years ago. Anyway, I got down to the col eventually where Andy was waiting with a rope.
'It's steeper than I remember it,' he says
Great!
I peer down, not too steep, but I'll take the rope for the top bit cos my wee leggies are tired by this point, and going down, my arms hurt as usual from the repetitive motion of plunging my axe in. It doesn't take long to get to the less steep ground again and Andy is off in shot on his backside again! (no wonder he's wearing a hole in the seat of his troosers!) I decide to try and bumslide too, but only do it in fits and starts. Find myself careening down out of control, try to break, can't get enough pressure on my axe so lean over it, which of course twists me round into full on axe breaking position! So, I half walk, half slide down and once past the snowline I tell Andy to carry on as I'm utterly boiling and need to strip off some layers. Off with my trousers (with leggings on underneath! Not running round the Ben naked, honest!) jacket and fleece, bite to eat and drink and a call of nature, find a wee track through the boulders and down to the CIC hut where Andy has made me a cup of tea (perfect boyfriend material :oD Can take me up grade V's *and* make me a cup of tea at the end of a long day!) and is chatting with Simon Richardson (the real one! That dude that Chris, John and I met down in Northumbria (see Northumbria holiday posts) last year wasn't SR as he isn't about 80 looking and is still def much climbing!) and Robin Clothier about this and that. I'm too knackered to chat much and sit feeling a bit drained, nursing my tea. Down in the car park, we are approached by a couple of folk, one guy who was on Tower Ridge, saying he had photos of us and another guy who was out on his own doing Ledge Route.
Stop off at Roy Bridge for a bar meal (and we're utterly stuffed!) then it's a long drive home for me over the Lecht, trying to dodge all the local wildlife who seem bent on suicidal missions this evening!

2nd round YCS and Clova - Sat 28th March/Sun 5th April '09

Last weekend saw the 2nd round of the YCS, this time held at our local wall Avertical World, in Dundee. The 1st and 2nd route and boulder problem posed no problems for RB but everyone was struggling with the last boulder problem (even the guy who set it!) and the last route was a killer, but fantastic spectator sport!
RB climbed really well considering she had fractured her toe just 4 days before! The nurse advised that if she wanted to climb her comp, then she should take a couple of days off school so she could totally rest her foot, keep it elevated, iced etc. And the bad toe was buddy taped to one of the others to give it some support and it didn't seem to give her too much grief.
JaimeD demo'd the 11-13 final route and found it really tough, about 7b reckoned!! Only one girl managed to complete it, one girl getting the 2nd last hold, the girl in 3rd position touching the hold over the 1st big roof and that put RB in 4th position again. It was a great round, and nice that it was local.
RB and I drove down to Edinburgh the next day to check out Alien Rock where the final round is being held in a few weeks time, but we were both quite tired. Led a couple of 6a's and RB did her 1st lead belay (belaying me up an F5) and she toproped a few 6b's and 6b+'s, finding them pretty tough though.

Having car problems just now so a day on the Ben this weekend was cancelled, gutted, was looking forward to yet another winter's day after being convinced I wouldn't get another! Still, Andy came down to mine and due to crap weather on Saturday we ended up at the wall, doing lot's of leading.

Sunday saw some much needed sunshine at last, hurrah! We drove up to Clova at the late hour of 11am and set off for Flake Route to warm up on. After trying to lead this with Chris last summer and having a 'mare on it, and feeling hormonal/out of it/crampy belly'd blah blah blah, I was keen for Andy to lead up to the Flake, where the guide said you could take a possible belay. I recall the top bit being a bit run out but the climbing being easy enough, and so it was. The start was just as horrible as I remember it, with me being convinced I was going to fall off that off balance, thuggy, udgy, squirmy, yucky chimney at the start, and this made me feel shaky and less confident the whole way up to Andy. Came very close to getting Andy just to lead the whole route, but no, stop thinking too much and just get on with it!! And I was fine, a bit slow to get going, really having to think about each move and convince myself that my feet were going to stick but I got there eventually, happy that I'd made the effort as if I'd bottled it, it would have ruined the whole day for me I think.
Andy wanted to lead Proud Corner next, a bold VS, one that has a reputation for spanking those who aren't confident at the grade! And of course, this made me nervous as hell! Andy seemed to cruise up it though which made it seem not so bad and before long it was my go. WHAT A ROUTE!!! This simply has to be the best VS I've done ever! Move after glorious move on really small but positive holds, steep and sustained but never overhanging. Every move felt good and in balance and the situations were just mind blowing! Beautiful! A climb I will remember for a long time and one that is now firmly embedded on my tick list!
Was feeling good, feeling confident, sun was shining, good memories of The Beanstalk from last year, so I decided I wanted to lead it. Now, there are a choice of 3 finishes at VS4b, VS4c or HVS5a. I sure wasn't doing the HVS finish and I knew there was one reachy move on the 4c that I just couldn't quite get, so I wanted to do the 4b finish, but was unsure where it went. We decided that I would go as far as the big ledge where the route splits after doing the crux and set up a belay there, then Andy would lead the top pitch. It was fun! Up a chimney, with a couple of steep moves near the bottom (gosh, I didn't remember it being this steep!) Then up to a tree and up a giant flake, steep but you can wrap your hands right round the flakes and the climbing just superb. At the top of the flake comes the crux, a huge and committing step leftwards and a massive rock across, all above your gear, I was buzzing! Set up a belay and we were unsure which way to go next. The 4b finish looked pretty dubious at the grade and Andy thought going direct looked more plausible. I was sure the 4b finish must look harder than it actually is, considering I'd already done the crux, but these things are deceptive! Still, the gear looked good going direct. It was steep though, and quite awkward in places, def not 4b that's for sure! Turns out it was the HVS 5a finish.
And speaking of HVS, Andy then wanted to do Wander, an HVS 5a. It looked hard!
'I'm not sure I'll manage this!'
And I didn't.
Andy found it tough and shouted down that the crux was reachy. Great!!! He belayed on a tree so I could have the rope above me on the hard bit and not take a swing if I fell off. I didn't fall off in the end but I needed a god damn tight rope and ended up hauling on a piece of gear as I just couldn't reach a big jug at the top of the overhang, oh to be 5-6 inches taller! And there's no way in hell I could use intermediate pinches and slopers, not with the bulge pushing me outwards.
The tree belay was horrible too, I was feeling pumped, annoyed for aiding, and annoyed at the route full stop! But we got ourselves untangled and it wasn't far for Andy to lead to the top. I got a bit gripped, unsure of how to move across and away from the tree as there didn't seem to be much to hold on to. Ended up stepping down onto a ledge and moving across that way and eventually finding a 'thank god' hold to move up on. The rest of the moves were steep but positive, still reachy, but do-able.
Never want to do that route again though, utterly horrid!
Not horrid enough to spoil what was a fantastic day though. Feeling good about my climbing at the moment. That's 3 trad routes I've led so far this season, a Severe, a Hard Severe and a Very Severe and looking forward to a summer filled with many more :o)
No photos this weekend.

Kirrie Hill, flashing V4, Ardverikie Wall and The Runnel - 22nd March '09

Not all on the same weekend though!
Weekend previously one of my 3 cats had torn his paw open. He likes to lie on top of my computer monitor and sook up the heat but on this occasion his 'thumb' claw got caught on one of the vents and ripped his paw open as he tried to get free. So, bloody cat, bloody computer and bloody walls where he had shaked his paw once free! And me £55 down, with instructions from the vet to keep him indoors for 2-3 days. Bang goes my weekend out on the hill!
Wasn't looking the best weekend for winter climbing anyway with strong winds, so Andy came down to mine and we headed over to Kirrie Hill for the season's 1st cragging session (though Andy had been to Cummingston to solo a few days previously) We were going well, I was nervous about being back on rock after the winter but it didn't feel stiff and unnatural and I was managing to climb 6a so that was good. The next day we picked up RB for a day indoors as she had missed her Wed training session as I had a Uni interview (finger's crossed!) RB decided to boulder mostly whilst Andy and I climbed, me managing a 6b clean that I've struggled on previously and RB flashing her 1st V4!!! And that was followed by cleanly climbing a 6b+, wee monkey!
Made it back out on the hill this weekend thankfully. We'd semi planned on a day out on Braeriach, perhaps to climb Vulcan, a V4, (winter route though, not boulder problem!) but Andy had a call from a mate of his the day before, who was standing above the Coire saying it looked guff, too warm and thawed and with hideous cornices and they were walking back out having not climbed. That was that plan down the drain, so I guess it was a day on a crowded Ben Nevis I had to look forward to. Still, sure Andy could find us something obscure to climb away from the hordes.
Andy had slightly different plans however! I'd mentioned on a previous email that if Braeriach was a no goer, then we could go do an easy mountain rock climb (aka a Diff or something) but that got Andy thinking about Ardverikie Wall on Binnean Shaus, low down, South facing and supposedly a good early rock option. Hmmmmm. I was dubious, had heard it was horrible when wet,
'It won't be wet,' Andy says, 'it's been dry for days.'

I'd heard stories of easier pitches but terribly run out, but sod it I thought, let's do it!
We got up around 7ish and arrived at the carpark maybe about 9ish, to be met with quite a few cars parked, some of which were definitely other climbers, we were going to have company. Still, someone had put a post up on UKC about the route a few days previously so it was inevitable that other folk would find there way there.
It was dank and cloudy on the walk in, with the cloud level getting lower and lower, accompanied by a thin drizzling of rain, great! And it wasn't warm. I hate rock climbing in the cold, the cold is for winter not for rock. Andy reminded me of the cold's great friction on the rock, and I reminded him of numb hands unable to feel anything of the rock. And so it was! What should have been enjoyment of a sunny classic route, was far from. We had to hang about waiting for a wee while in the clag and cold as 2 parties were up above us, but the lower ones weren't too long in moving up and off we set. Andy was to lead the harder pitches and me the easier ones but it didn't quite work out like that. My hands were completely frozen, numb and unable to feel the rock, most off putting and I wasn't enjoying it that much and couldn't really see up ahead or enjoy the surroundings. And the route was all slabby, I don't like slabs! I can climb them really well, but they always feel precarious to me. Still, the 3rd pitch *was* fantastic! Quite involved and very nice climbing indeed, so much so that I forgot about the cold and clag and once I got to Andy, the clag had parted and the sun was starting to peek out. Damn it! Why couldn't it have come out at the bottom of the route! We should have stayed in bed for an hour longer to get the best of the day. As it was the folk who had arrived after us, were catching us up but the sun was out now and I decided to lead the last pitch which was a bit run out in order of the day, but OK enough.
We then zoomed down and as it was early enough, decided to do Kubla Khan also, a ** Hard Severe. Oooooooooh, I did like the look of the 1st pitch! Much steeper than Ardverikie, but much, much more my style of route. It's funny the way some routes just scream out to you to be climbed and others not so much. Up a steep wall with nice little ledges and then up an even steeper wall above, with massive jugs to pull on. Shoved in a hex and a cam and then laybacked 2 steep moves onto another ledge and up another wee bit onto a big ledge to bring up Andy. The top pitch looked nice too. Slabby again, but steeper slab and the rock here is just so clean and the friction just superb. We were up in no time, but next was a dreaded abseil down.
I think Andy had forgotten just how much I hate abseiling, so when I was questioning the anchors, questioning whether the ropes would reach the bottom and then questioned about clipping my prussic into my leg loop (I normally clip it onto my belay loop) he lost his temper with me a bit, which of course fired up my temper as I simply won't be shouted at. I was livid! I ab'd down the route in a fury and still had steam coming out my ears by the time Andy came down.
'Am I forgiven?' There's that cheeky wee smile and sparkling eyes, and god damn, dinnae do that, yer making me laugh and I'm trying so hard to be a stroppy mare here and can't possibly be annoyed when you look at me like that! All forgiven, I can rant on about what a brilliant route that was and Andy points out some of the harder stuff on the crag, one route of which is a mental looking crack up a steep arete and wall, hideous!
The wind is picking up and it's a cold walk out, but the wind is exhilarating and I decide to run the last wee bit back to the car, can't go fast though as the sack weighs me down, but I dump my sack at the car, run back to Andy and then run back to the car again! I'm in the mood for running, all this tread milling at the gym is fine for keeping fit, but I need a run in the hills and soon! I think it is the wind that does it to me, it's fresh and makes me feel so vibrant and alive, that I want to run for the pleasure of feeling free.

Sunday, rock climb? The Ben? Quick day up Sneachda, maybe up the Runnel? Sandy Allan did it the other day with some folk off some Radio show and said there was still ice. Andy preferred to go rock climbing, but I was desperate for just another winter route as I'm not convinced I'll get anything else done this winter. The Runnel it was, neither of us could be bothered with an early start, drive and long walk up to a crowded Ben and the forecast looked better East anyway.

Up at 7am, and gawd I'm tired! Drag myself out of bed and ready, drag myself up to the coire, the wind is picking up and it's spittering rain and graupal. We solo up the start of The Runnel and my poor wee calfs, as usual, just hate this kind of ground. Funny, I can run uphill, I can run with a heavy sack full of climbing gear, I can walk for miles and miles and just keep going, but I can't walk up grade I ground without my lower legs screaming at me. The route was okay, very short lived though! Andy later said it was around 140m but it didn't feel as long as that. It was pleasant though and nice to get my axes into something, though I've decided for definite that I don't like the Grivel Clipper leashes, what a faff they are!

There were steps all the way up the gully and all the way up the ice in the chimney. I placed 2 token bits of gear in the chimney, which we roped up for, which were hard to clip as the wind was battering up the chimney and blowing my quickdraw all over the place! The ice had water running over the top of it and was dirty and cruddy at the top, but solid apart from that.

Rather windy on top! And getting windier, we decided to go down the Goat Track rather than get constantly blown over by going round the top. I was pretty damn nervous though, getting blown off down the Goat Track wasn't my idea of a good day out! I crouched down onto my knees at the top as the wind was relentless and popping over the top came a couple of blokes with a dog. Oh well, if the dog can do it...........

It was slow going at first until I felt more confident that the wind wasn't going to blow me off balance, but speeding up, my shoulder started protesting and protesting some more! Protesting more and more until it was a knot full of burning pain and my arm felt floppy, my hand weak on my axe. So hard to keep hold of it, I lean into the slope and just let my arm hang relaxed for a minute, before carrying on until the pain builds up to unbearable again.

This is infuriating! I wish someone could tell me what the heck is wrong with my shoulder. I think it's some sort of rotator cuff tendinitis but 'they' keep telling me it's from my neck. But my neck feels fine until they get me to do the stupid neck stretches which make my neck feel stiff and sore, not stretched and relaxed in the slightest. Stop the stretches and hey presto my neck is back to feeling normal again, funny that!

Anyway, down off the steepest part of the Goat Track and I can walk down, the wind has calmed just enough that I can keep my balance. It's raining though and Andy's not enjoying the wind and rain, but I feel refreshed and happy to have got out just one more time. I've yet to meet another person who enjoys the hills in the driving wind and rain, surely it's not just me?

We're back at the car for 12.30, not bad for a day's work!

Bekah - 2points, Mother - nil! 8th March '09

Not much to report on the winter climbing front, in fact nothing of interest at all!
Busy on Mum duty at the 1st round of the YCS at Ratho on Saturday, so no climbing. But Sat night I drove (slowly and tiredly) up to Andy's to go climbing on Sunday. Forecast wasn't inspiring, snow showers, blizzard conditions, gusts of 80mph. Nice! But out we went, at least wanting a short day. We could have gone into Sneachda or Lochain but as always new routes lured us over to Lurcher's instead. We had thought about the longer walk in from Rothiemurchus, but decided to risk going over the top as it was a quicker approach for where we wanted to be. Bad choice in the end. The walk in was fine at the start. At 9am the wind was ok, and just little drizzly snow showers, but it was picking up by the time we were walking up and past Lochain.
I got blown over a couple times approaching the cliff top and was finding it very difficult to get my crampons on as I didn't have any thin gloves with me, and find it impossible to do up crampons with thick gloves on. Gloves were off for 10seconds tops before hands became painful, so gloves back on! And it took a while of this on/off process to get the crampons on. Gearing up was going to be a nightmare! Add to that, my duff goggles that I'd gotten which in my few years of winter climbing I'd never yet had to use, managing to grin and bear any previous wind and spindrift episodes.
But, walking directly into the wind, with a front just coming in and with the spindrift howling up the cliff and over the top and right into our faces was too much for my wee eyes, and my eyelids kept threatening to freeze together which wasn't helping matters!
Getting down South Gully was going to be impossible for me, I just wouldn't be able to see! I just couldn't decide what to do though, I've only ever backed off from doing a route once because of crap weather, and I don't like it! I hate the way it makes me feel, torn between wanting to climb and not wanting to have to put up with crap weather, especially when I've had so many wonderful days. Andy decided for me though, and said, 'let's go down,' and I was grateful for him for making it easy for me to choose to go back. I was disappointed though, and spend a lot of the walk out thinking about it, and thinking I should have kept on regardless, esp when we passed other people walking in and knew other folk would be climbing regardless! But they would have sheltered points to gear up, where as we didn't! (although, in retrospect, Andy did later think we might have got shelter at a certain spot on the cliff top, and could have descended down the far end of the cliff, rather than down South Gully. Ho hum, we will remember that next time!)
So, that's that, no climbing for another week. And by next weekend I will be tearing my hair out to get out again! Early indications are that it will be a bit stormy again, hoping that won't be true!

RB has had a much better time of things the past week or two.
The last Friday saw the final round of Avertical World's winter bouldering series and we both took part this time. I wasn't climbing the next day, so felt ok about tiring myself out and my elbow wasn't giving me too much grief either. I did ok, much the same as I normally do, probably a little better on some problems, but crap on others!
Out of all the rounds, RB won 1st place for Junior Girls and won herself £30, she was really chuffed and is putting the money towards getting herself a new pair of climbing shoes as the ones she has are getting a bit tight.

The weekend after saw the 1st round of the YCS at Ratho. 3 boulder problems (with 3 attempts) and 3 routes. There were loads more kids there than last year, which was nice and it was nice for RB to catch up with some of the girls she had met last year.
The first route was really easy for all of them and the first boulder problem too. All the 11-13 girls made it up the 2nd route too but the 2nd boulder problem was causing a few problems for some of them, with only half of them making it first go, and 3rd go! The second route, a 6b, didn't seem to cause any problems for any of them
and they all flew up with ease.
The final boulder problem was tough! An easy start, then onto a horrible rounded and slopery pocket to reach up for a thick horizontal type pinchy thing (and this is where most had trouble) Next it was a big stretch across for a sloper and a struggle to get feet higher and reach up for the next sloper. Most folk came off here (including RB) and only the 2 taller girls completed the problem.
Poor RB though, she was first to go on the hardest route of the day, which she was hoping to avoid, but that's just bad luck.
She flew up the start of the route, making it look like a doddle, the tiny holds posing no problems for her small but strong fingers! She got to the crux but couldn't reach the next hold. I think she just had her 'stretch' for it head on, and in her struggle forgot to think about her feet. I was shouting up, 'fffeeeeeeeeet!' but she didn't hear. There was a hold out to the right and I'm sure if she twisted round, got her foot high on that, she might have been able to reach back and up for it. But so easy for me to say, down on the ground!
All the other girls were struggling at an earlier awkward section and one after one they peeled off, until 2 of the stronger, more technical (and taller!) girls flew past the awkward section and reached through the crux without a thought! Nice to watch! So, RB was 3rd on the hardest route, but one of the other girls had bested her on the hardest boulder problem so RB came 4th overall, missing 3rd place by one point!
Next round on Saturday 28th March at AVW in Dundee.

Climbing with royalty - 22nd Feb '09

Where to go, where to go, where to go! The forecast high winds made a new route Andy had his eye on, out of the question and the thought of crowds upon crowds of folk on The Ben, all rushing up for the same routes wasn't inspiring. Lochnagar was a possibility but again lots of folk heading for the same routes and would involve an early start I insisted as no way was I climbing a gully with folk above me chopping ice down and being too slow. Andy grumped a little at the thought of one of my early starts and then I felt guilty at being so pernickity as to what I will and won't do! In the end we decided that we'd go to Aonach Mor as even though it was likely to be busy, conditions were likely to be very good and with heaps to choose from that we could more than likely avoid the crowds.
God, I've forgotten was a slog it is up to the top of Easy Gully! The going was actually ok, bare of the sheet ice that I remember from my last visit up there but it's a steep slog and the top chair lift wasn't running so we had to walk a whole hour and a half, shock horror!
Wasn't long before we were gearing up though and ready to go. Peering over the top of Easy Gully, hmmmm, tis steeper than I remember it! Yes, I'll have the rope on option please! Over the edge I went, and it's not actually that bad at all. The only problem I was having was my blasted arms and shoulder. After down climbing just 10m my arms were going weak and my shoulder was hurting. Pissed off! How long have I had this stupid injury and how long have I had useless Physio which isn't making any difference in the slightest. I'm annoyed, but trying my hardest to resign myself to the fact that I won't be trying to lead any steep ice today. Frustrated but not going to let it spoil my day.
At the bottom of the gully we veer off away from the voices and clank of gear drifting in and out of the mist, for we have unclimbed ice to hunt out away from the popular routes. I am curious about the classics of course, but the thought of other people climbing and the lure of a new route is far too much to resist. And here we are at the bottom of the cliff, I'm anchored on and Andy starts off up a bulgy step of ice, looks nice, looks steep, are my arms going to cope with it? I start having my usual mental turmoil and chit chat, 'what if my arms are *too* sore to climb this? Is Andy going to be disappointed or annoyed if I'm in too much pain to continue? Is the belay going to be good enough to hold me if I fall off because of the pain?'
Andy is off like a shot though! Meaning the going is easy enough, so I stop fretting as much.
Funnily enough, my arms were fine, not a whiff of pain! My calf's however, aaaaaarg gaaaaawwwwwwwd they're screaming and burning! Because I'm so used to mixed and not ice climbing, and none of this front pointing business, my calf's just aren't up to it and I have memories of similar pain a few years back after doing The Web. Keep pushing on up though, battle through the pain. A wee brief respite on a more stepped bit and Andy whips out the camera, 'c'mon, hurry up, need to keep moving!' Then I'm there, aaaahhhhhh pure relief!
2nd pitch isn't so steep, but oh my, look up above..................Cornice of Doom! It's big, it's overhanging and it looks mean! But thankfully I'm stood in relative comfort and I can let Andy deal with it (I can offer moral support from below if need be :oD
My first big cornice. There's no digging through this Momma, it's over the top we go! Axes in to the body of it, step up, axes in again, haha I'm climbing overhanging snow! Axes over the top, thwack thwack, throw a leg up and over and heeeeeeeeeeeeeave! Wooooohooooooo!
Off to the hut for some light refreshment in 40mph wind and it's back down easy gully we go. My arms hurt again going down and I figure it's the repetitive motion of easy ground that does it, just like my arms hurt when plunging my axes on easy ground and the reason they don't hurt on steeper ground as the movement isn't so fast and consistent.
Below another unclimbed icy step. 'I'll lead this one,' I say, the words out my mouth before I can feel nervous about stepping into the unknown. We swap the rack over and I'm ready to go. I know after the ice step it's not going to be steep and I'll have run out of rope before I reach the steep rock I can see poking up above. It's nice going, the ice is lovely and chewy and my axes sink in with pleasure, ever upwards. And up and up and up and there's no gear, nothing anywhere! The higher I go the more conscious I am of the big run of rope hanging below me (I remember this from last time too!) I veer of leftwards to a small rock section but there's no gear to be had there.
'How much rope left?'
'About 20m.'
Right, I can reach the steep rock above in 20m I reckon, so off I set. '10m shouts Andy!' Eeeeeeek, am I going to make it, yes, just! And looky at that, 2 perfect cracks to take a bomber nut and a wee block to fling a sling round. Sorted. And then the agony in my arms as I take in the rope.
I can't see where Andy goes next as it's up and to the left round a wee corner. The rope is moving slower, hmmmm, harder then? And it's just as well I couldn't see what was coming next or I'd be bricking it!
A very steep groove, with just a thin and melting smear of ice. Have to be very careful and thoughtful here. There's a wee rounded edge I can use for my left foot to keep off the ice, and 2 good ledges of the right to bridge out on a little. Grrrrrrr, this is steep! I'm groaning from the exertion of it, praying my axes will purchase on the ice enough to hold otherwise I'm going to ping off with a bit of force as I'm having to lean right out to see my feet as it's so steep! And what is there at the top of the steep wall, but the sexiest bit of turf ever poking it's wee green tufts out through the ice, TWHACK, solid! Nae matter about dodgy ice for my feet now, that beauty will hold anything!
And I'm up, 'but what the hell is Andy doing?!'
He's perched up on a rocky tower, like a wee pixie, 'just you use that block down there to belay from,' he says, 'it's a bit awkward up here!' I'm wondering why he just didn't use the block himself but don't question it (he questioned himself later!' I wish I'd taken my camera, as he looked rather comical up there!
And again, it was the cornice of doom! Andy tried up and left first, but then we decided that up and right looked smaller. A long traverse through the top of a very steep gully ensued and the he was over, hurrah!
'Try and do this quickly Sonya, it's 20 past 4!'
Oh bollocks! 40 mins to climb this, back to sacks and back to gondola for 5, aye right!
The traverse is scary! I'm not thinking much about the rope above me, though I am conscious of Andy giving it a few wheeechs so it's sitting above me. The snow has a tiny soft surface but is rock solid underneath and you really have to boot your feet in to get purchase. But I'm across, and the cornice isn't as bad as the first one and I can wack my axes over the top first time off. Getting my leg up is harder though and knees come into action and much heaving. But I'm over, no time for chat, we're off in shot! Half past, no way in hell we're getting that gondola!
Half of me can't be bothered with the rush, pessimism, convinced we'll not make it, the other half of me is screaming inwardly at myself, 'c'mon, run run, you can make it, think of the pleasure when you do sit down on that rocking seat!'
It's so bloody hot! No time to get the Montane off, no time to get balaclava or helmet off. Just a brief moment to unclip crampons when the snow gets softer and we're going so fast it's like skiing downhill on your feet! There, what's that light just down there, poking through the mist? Oh yes, it's the top station, 9 mins to go, we're going to make it!
And make it we do! Sweet relief, the effort worth it and I'm buzzing from the run! Took us 1 and half hours to walk up to the top from the gondola and just 20mins to get down 550m,not bad!
Conditions were pretty damn good early in the day. Traversing along the bottom of the cliff, there was good bluey ice all along the bottom of the area where the Web is. The steeper buttresses looked a lot leaner and it was much too misty to see much else. The ice was fantastic, axe just sinking in and even when the pick was only going in a little, it was enough to hold. Turf was solid in most places also. Temps were milder than forecast however (and wind was lighter too!), just hovering at around zero we reckoned at summit level and milder than zero later in the day as the ice was starting to thaw and drip and the summit snow which was hard in the morning, was slush by later in the day.
2 new routes near where The Three Kings is, one gradeIII yet to be named, the other Lord's Groove IV4

Quinag - 13th Feb '09

Woke up at my folks house on Thursday morning to be greeted by tons and tons of snow and snow still falling! Hmmmmmm, bollox, was I going to manage the drive up North now? Spent the morning listening to the radio and keeping an eye on the Traffic Scotland webcams and deciding that the roads looked just fine.

Arrived up at Andy's around 3ish to a driveway full of new, fresh snow and had to spend the better part of an hour digging so I could get my car in. Then spend the rest of the day baking flapjack, a rather hot chilli and trying to do some maths study, until Andy and Ed got back from the North West.

We spent some of the evening eyeing up one another's axes (Ed has a ridiculously luminous handled pair or leashless Black Diamond jobbees which got us onto the discussion of leashless and clipper leashes) So, I ended up borrowing a pair of Ed's clipper leashes from his Grivel Alp Wings and fitting them on to my Tech Wings for a shotty to see how I liked trying out clipper leashes. Sad as it is, I was quite excited at the prospect of trying out a new toy!

Andy and I were up at 5.30am for the long drive up to Assynt (3rd day in a row for Andy!) The forecast looked like the very North West might catch the best of the weather, with cloud not coming in until later in the day. Certainly, the trail that they had broken in from the previous day was filled with icy footprints which bode very well indeed for conditions above.

The drive up was fantastic as I'd never been this far North in winter before, and seeing my favourite part of Scotland garbed in all it's winter glory was a sight for sore eyes. I only wish I'd thought to stop the car and get out and take photos of Ben Mor Coigach and the Fhidhlear Nose as that's one impressive piece of cliff! Makes my heart skip a beat every time I see it in summer, so seeing it plastered in snow was a dream!

But a dream it shall remain, as we had our sights on other things. It didn't take long at all to walk into the Western cliffs of Quinag and before long we were gearing up at the bottom of what Andy had thought might be a gradeIII gully. From afar it had looked simple enough, a wee steep step at the bottom, followed by an easy section, then another steep step at the top. Hah! Well, the steep steps were steep alright! And my neck and shoulder problems chose today to play up again, making my arms as weak as a kitten! The initial steep step would have been a little easier but the ice at the back of the gully looked a bitty dubious so it had to go mixed at tech5. Andy had said it was tricky and I was nervous as hell! It involved a really thin hook over a tiny chockstone in a crack, balancing up on this and then backstepping onto a small sloping foothold to reach up for a better chockstone above. And then being spreadeagled above and udging across a traverse. Andy had placed a big hex down in the bottom of the corner before the hard moves and said it might need a wack to come out. So, I gave it an almighty bosh upwards with my axe hammer and the whole thing came flying out the crack and winged up to hit me square on the nose! Aaaaaaaaaarg, my eyes were streaming and it took a good bit of self control not to burst into tears and say, 'waaaaaaah, I've had enough, let's bail!'

I led the easy middle pitch which was a doddle and then Andy led on to the next steepening. Only there was no belay to be found and I had to undo my belay and move up so Andy could find a belay higher, moving up steep ground with just one bit of iffy gear between us! I do so hate these moments! Oh there was ice and snow raining down as Andy tried to unbury a decent belay from somewhere, so much so that I had to climb up some more and find shelter in a wee corner lest I get knocked down by flying debris! But finally a belay was found and next followed a really balancy mantle shelf onto a ledge, followed by a wee axe traverse and then a huge thug over a bulge up to where Andy was. Thankfully the belay was ace, and next followed another steep corner at the back of the gully, with more precarious and rounded foot holds. I sure am fast learning that my crampon points will hold on the smallest and most dubious of footholds!

Anyway, I thought it was an evil, evil gully, really bloody hard! And I bitched and moaned about how gullies were horrible dank nasty places. But, by the time we were back at our sacks I was saying, well, it was ok really, actually the technical climbing was actually quite nice and involved. And it felt rather warm and glowy knowing that when others were plowing there way through deep, deep snow or on on thawing cliffs, we had this glorious mountain all to ourselves. And ok, the snow wasn't neve but it was okay, the ice was rotten as it was too low down but the turf was totally solid and extremely helpful (apart from the bottom pitch, where the turf was of the heathery kind!)

Epic on Beinn Liath Mhor - 8th Feb '09

Well, I got my wish of climbing and scaring myself! Though I think I was suffering more from exhaustion than fear this weekend, and I'm sitting here typing, the day after, still knackered!
I had arranged to climb with Diana again this weekend, original plan was Saturday, but high winds made us change our plans to Sunday. Where to go though, considering that up Aviemore way had seen the biggest dump of snow for years and the NW had just gotten a big dump the day before?
Well, the Torridon Youth Hostel webcam showed that there wasn't *too* much snow pointing up towards Beinn Eighe, so I thought doing something like the Ling, Lawson and Glover route on Sail Mor might be ideal, or had thoughts of Sgorr Ruadh and Academy Ridge or heading across to Glen Shiel to Creag Coire an t-Slugain with the option of Forcan Ridge if the clag was down. Diana was keen on Sgorr Ruadh, with the possibility of doing Post Box Gully if the Northerlies had blown the gully free of powder. I was dubious but happy as always to go have a look and we had plenty of options for buttresses and ridges if the gully was too dodgy.
The roads were a bit hairy coming from Diana's but she made it across to Andy's to pick me up and we arrived at Sgorr Ruadh carpark, leaving the car at 9am. The walk in was tough! Much tougher than I remember it! I must have been going good the day I thought that was an easy walk in. Even with the trail broken for us, my legs were still feeling the effort. Once up at the cairn, where the path splits off for Coire Lair there was no trail and the going got even tougher. It would be not too bad for a bit, then knee deep wading before falling into thigh deep drifts. When Diana was breaking trail, she fell into a boggy bit and the water went over her boots, soaking her feet. Hmmmm, not good!!! She was happy to carry on, thinking that the walk in would warm her feet and as long as we weren't hanging about at belays too long then she thought she'd be ok, hmmmmm.........We carried on though, foolishly!
Approaching Sgorr Ruadh, one passes the South facing cliffs on Beinn Liath Mhor. I had been attracted to one of the wee ridges of rock there and suggested that rather than ploughing on any further, we might go up and have a look at doing a new route instead. Diana was quick to agree! No way was Post Box Gully going to be a good choice in these conditions and it was so hard going that even Academy Ridge was going to be very time consuming with it being 350m long and the other route I'd thought of, Riotous Ridge was away further up the glen.
Now we had a problem of how to get up to the Ridge. The cliffs face South and it had snowed on a North Westerly so the South facing slopes might be a bitty dodgy. There was a fair bit of windslab on SE aspects and evidence of a lot of sloughing but to the right of where we wanted to be the slope was okay with boulders and heather poking through, so we decided to head up that way, checking the snow as we went. As it goes it was fine, not deep and there was no base and plenty of heather and rocks to feel secure. We thought we might get a belay at the base of the cliffs to make it safer to traverse across but reaching the cliffs we thought the bit we were at looked do-able so decided to climb here rather than risk the traverse.
Diana led the 1st pitch up a rocky band, then I had to avoid a deep snowy groove by climbing rocky bands to the right. A steep wall, saw Diana taking a left traverse onto a snowfield. I was attracted to a rib to the right, but it involved getting across a steeping of the snow, and the snow becoming steep and shoulder deep, no f*cking way! I went directly up instead where the slope felt more secure, and rocky. This gave Diana the option of having a belay to cross the dodgy snow or to go up the steep ground above. The steep ground option won and Diana brought me up to a brill looking turfy corner! I struggled with this bit, there was a ledge for your right foot but try as I might I just couldn't reach it and the axe placements didn't feel so great to heave up on. Eventually, I managed to dig out a tiny one point notch for my left foot, just enough to precariously reach up. Reaching up, again the axe placements weren't so good and my foot slipped off and I slithered back down, thankfully not long enough to weight the rope! This was pissing me off now! No way was this corner getting the better of me! My aggressive nature took over and I thugged my way up. Diana found it easier than I did, gggrrrrrrrr! She had unearthed a bommer axe placement, making life easier. I forget to do that when I'm struggling, my relative inexperience coming through, and wack blindly through the snow trying to find something. Much less energy consuming to actually clear the snow and LOOK for something! I think I'll remember that next time though! The corner led up to a rib and then to a delightful gully, with beautiful rock scenery and funky wee turfy and ice steps, then leading back out to the rib. We decided to move together at this point, knowing the angle was lessening and it had gotten dark by this point! My 1st time I've had to climb in the dark due to running out of time! Thankfully the moon was full and it was bright enough that we didn't need head torches. I was knackered by this point and just going on auto pilot, up and up and up, how long did this f-ing rib go on for! A snow slope led to the top and it was a case of 10 steps, puff and pant, 10 steps, take a breather and so on, up to the top. We had to keep moving though, Diana's wet foot was numb and we were worried about frostbite! It was getting cold and everything was freezing up and I couldn't get one of my gloves back on it had frozen solid! And my spares were buried at the bottom of my sack as I never normaly need them. Keep moving though and we warmed back up.
6.35 and the map showed a steep and wide ridge heading off eastwards down to the path. I'd left my crampons on, thinking we'd hit hard snow at some point but the snow was soft so I took them off and sod's law as soon as I took them off we would hit a hard section and the ground was steep enough that it would take forever trying to get down! So we kept to the bouldery edges. Unfortunately, that was taking us towards steeper and steeper ground until it got to the point where it felt too steep to carry on. Looking left, it seemed that there was a snowy ramp we could get down, but crampons had to go back on. The ramp led to more steep ground however, but I went further down to see if I could see away through. I ended up in shoulder high snow again, above a huge drop, feck that for a laugh! I tried to go round and back up but just couldn't wade through that, and with the threat of that drop always on the back of mind, I turned round and went back up the way I'd come down.
There was a huge, deep gully to the left and on the other side of this gully the slope seemed more friendly. What to do? We could either carry on rightwards trying to find a way down the steep ground, or we could go back up the way we had come and cross above the gully and down the less steep ground. It was hard to decide as we were both shattered by this point and eager to be off the hill! The up and across to the less steep ground won in the end, it was very unappealing having to go back up in my knackered state but it seemed a safer option and probably quicker, even though it seemed longer to go back up! It was hell though, my legs were screaming in pain, I was so thirsty and just exhausted. I can fully understand how some people just give up and curl up in the snow unable to go on. Diana agreed and we knew we were really pushing ourselves to carry on!
The ground was steeper than it seemed and we still had to go carefully, but before long we were down off the steep ground, thank god! All that was left was a long slog back to the car, and neither of us was looking forward to ploughing through the deep snow as the path was buried! It wasn't long though before Diana spotted a walker's trail through the snow, HURRAH! That was going to make life MUCH easier! Was still hard going though and I inwardly cursed at every little uphill section! We came to a stream and filled up our bottles, drinking greedily and carried on, each step a torture as both of us get problems with painful toes going downhill.
10.30 we got back to the car, Diana 5mins ahead of me. The last stretch through the woods was scary on my own! I get so spooked in the dark on my own, and add trees and shrubs and bushes, it's a playground for my imagination! Rustling bushes were hiding nasty bushes and mad axe murders ready to drag me off into the bushes to chop me up! Haha, you'd think I was 5yrs old, I can drag myself up cliffs, but still get scared of the dark!
Had to organise RB getting to school the day after so I could stay at Andy's, just couldn't face the drive home and the danger of falling asleep at the wheel. Next day and I'm still tired, an early night calls!

Slowly losing the will to live - 1st Feb '09

Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggg!!!!! I NEED TO CLIMB!!! It's been 3 long weeks without feeling scared out my wits, without thinking, 'oh my god, what the f*ck am I doing hanging off this cliff in the freezing, bloody cold! Come next weekend, if conditions are rubbish or I have a partner cancel on me, I *will* slit my wrists.
OK, drama over...........
I was supposed to climb this weekend with the wife of one of Andy's mates. Andy had been guiding all week, with today off and I wanted to climb yesterday and have today off too, so I wasn't knackered for my Biology exam tomorrow. So, Saturday it was (or wasn't as the case may be)
The forecast was changeable from day to day, but was slowly looking worse as the week went on. Friday's forecast had the freezing level lifting above the summits and being a bit blowie with gusts of 60 forecast. I was still keen to have a nosey though, with the option of taking the climbing gear for a walk if things were duff. But Diana wasn't so keen and had work that she needed to get on with and when Andy checked the Cairngorm summit forecast in the morning and it read gusts of 100mph, then I guess we made the right call by cancelling. Seems though, that Mess of Pottage was a bit more sheltered and some folk had made it up there to climb (Diana's husband being one of them! But hey ho, such is the nature of the game)
Decided to go for a hill walk instead, at least getting out on the hill was better than doing nothing. Either the hills down Glen Feshie way or the Monadh Liath were the nearest to Andy's that I hadn't been up before, so decided on the nearest Monadh Liath (A' Chailleach and Carn Sgulain)
I was feeling lazy and couldn't be bothered with an early start so pottered about in the morning, slowly getting myself woken up and organised. Was about 10ish when I finally pulled up in the Shephard's Bridge carpark, to be greeted by a billion other cars! Bollox, I wasn't really in the mood for a busy hill, much preferring solitude. But, busy it was, surprisingly, I didn't think these would be such popular hills. Folk seemed to be heading up the hill in a NW direction, but avoiding the path I made my own way directly up the hill, aiming up towards Creag na h-lolare. Was probably about half way up there when I started regretting straying off the path. There was a semi hard crust on the top of the snow which would hold my weight for a few footsteps but then I'd break through, sometimes fairly deeply and it was making the going hard work! I decided that heading right up onto the ridge would be exposed to the wind and started contouring round underneath instead to rejoin the path not far below the summit. And windy it was! The wind had blown something into my eye, couldn't get it out and my eye was streaming in protest! I did toy with heading back down in case it got to the point where I couldn't open my eye. But nah, I've had to drag myself one legged off the hill before, damned if a sore eye was going to put me off!
I nearly fell over a few times on the top as it was pretty icy and try as I might to avoid the verglass the wind kept blowing me on to slippy bits. I didn't hang around for long and ploughed on downhill, where above the Allt Cuil na Caillich the snow got too firm to plough down and heels were needed to dig in. Was a short slope though and soon enough I was fighting my way up into the wind again and onto the next summit. I sheltered behind a wee cairn for a bite to eat and then dropped down quickly, running and jumping down through the soft snow, was braw! Came to a steepening and could see folk out in front heading around the edge to where it was less steep. Peering over the edge though I could see a way down through the steeper ground and moving around a rocky bluff, I picked my way through and around a few wee rocky steps and across some scree and down a steeping, jumping into mid thigh deep drifts at points. Took a bit longer than walking, but was more fun! And then, jeeze what a slog back to the car! No path, heather bashing, breaking through the snowy crusts again, trying to avoid bog, unsuccessfully I might add after falling into a hole and getting my foot and lower leg soaking wet (and freezing!) But och, a day on the hill just isnae the same if ye dinnae fall intae a bog, min! After the slog and just where the path started up, there was a gate, just sat all on it's ownsome which amused me. It just looked so random sitting there, like a gate to nowhere. Took some photos of it, but these things never turn out how they looked at the time (or they don't if you've not a keen eye for photography!)
The sun was blazing down here, jacket was off, hat was off and it was nice to feel the sun beam down, so much so I started thinking about rock climbing! Bring on next week though, more snow forecast, hurrah!