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The Weekend...part one
Jan. 21st, 2008 07:40 pmSo..
SAT
- 1.30am - having had no sleep, joined carful at Middlewich and set off North
- 7.30am - arrived at Nevis Range, just outside Fort William. No sleep in car...
- 8.30am - at top of cable car/chairlift system. There is a charming blizzard at 3000 ft, but very expensive
mountain gear means this isn't too much a problem. I resolve to buy a balaclava before next time..
Very snowy and skiers about.
- 9.30am - Arrive on foot at the top of Aonach Mor. Head over the back to the top of the crag system. Mike looks
very unconvinced at the small trench being used as an abseil anchor, but is eventually persuaded to
head down the gully. The wind dies away as soon as we are on the lee side, and suddenly its all
stillness and snow as far as we can see. I get used to my axes and crampons, and head over to the
base of the first route. When I say base, its actually near the top of a steep snow slope...
- 10.30am- Spider Rib. This is a grade II winter climb. Its OK going second, except that big lumps of ice that
the leader breaks off tend to hit you. When a several kilo piece has had 30 metres to pick up speed,
its useful to sidestep. The climb itself was brilliant fun, with nice snow and ice to get the axes in
to.
- 1pm ish- Finish the route, and get over the cornice on top to be met by the blizzard again. Nice! After a cup
of tea and some chocolate, I decide to go for a wee. This is NOT NICE.
- 1.30pm - Rather than abseil again, I use my new found confidence to solo down the approach gully. This is
worrying, but OK.
- 2pm - We do another route, the girls having headed back to base to wait for us. This one is much, much
harder - a top end grade III in the conditions. There are 2 vertical steps of ice. I get in a right
state trying to take equipment out of the step while bridging with each leg on a slimy, icy bit of
rock and about as far apart as I can reach. I can't deal with the fiddly stuff in the extra warm
gloves I have on. I drop stuff...then one axe pops out and I swing round on the other one before
whacking the first axe in again. I decide I don't want to be here. Moving up to the next step, I end
up storming over the top using brute force. I decide this is the best place in the world to be..
The second pitch is just a snowfield so I get into the rhthym - axe, axe, step, step all the way to
the top. We realise we might miss the last cable car down, so route march all the way to the top
station. The girls have seen us coming and have beer waiting.
- 5pm - off the mountain and heading to the B&B for a nice cup of tea
SAT
- 1.30am - having had no sleep, joined carful at Middlewich and set off North
- 7.30am - arrived at Nevis Range, just outside Fort William. No sleep in car...
- 8.30am - at top of cable car/chairlift system. There is a charming blizzard at 3000 ft, but very expensive
mountain gear means this isn't too much a problem. I resolve to buy a balaclava before next time..
Very snowy and skiers about.
- 9.30am - Arrive on foot at the top of Aonach Mor. Head over the back to the top of the crag system. Mike looks
very unconvinced at the small trench being used as an abseil anchor, but is eventually persuaded to
head down the gully. The wind dies away as soon as we are on the lee side, and suddenly its all
stillness and snow as far as we can see. I get used to my axes and crampons, and head over to the
base of the first route. When I say base, its actually near the top of a steep snow slope...
- 10.30am- Spider Rib. This is a grade II winter climb. Its OK going second, except that big lumps of ice that
the leader breaks off tend to hit you. When a several kilo piece has had 30 metres to pick up speed,
its useful to sidestep. The climb itself was brilliant fun, with nice snow and ice to get the axes in
to.
- 1pm ish- Finish the route, and get over the cornice on top to be met by the blizzard again. Nice! After a cup
of tea and some chocolate, I decide to go for a wee. This is NOT NICE.
- 1.30pm - Rather than abseil again, I use my new found confidence to solo down the approach gully. This is
worrying, but OK.
- 2pm - We do another route, the girls having headed back to base to wait for us. This one is much, much
harder - a top end grade III in the conditions. There are 2 vertical steps of ice. I get in a right
state trying to take equipment out of the step while bridging with each leg on a slimy, icy bit of
rock and about as far apart as I can reach. I can't deal with the fiddly stuff in the extra warm
gloves I have on. I drop stuff...then one axe pops out and I swing round on the other one before
whacking the first axe in again. I decide I don't want to be here. Moving up to the next step, I end
up storming over the top using brute force. I decide this is the best place in the world to be..
The second pitch is just a snowfield so I get into the rhthym - axe, axe, step, step all the way to
the top. We realise we might miss the last cable car down, so route march all the way to the top
station. The girls have seen us coming and have beer waiting.
- 5pm - off the mountain and heading to the B&B for a nice cup of tea
