With over 50 winter routes under my harness this winter so far, Murdoch and I thought it would be a nice change to do a spot of sport climbing.  2 minute walk in, 10 quick draws on my waist and a lower off from the top.  Sounds ideal! I was unsure to how I cope without axes in my hand, finger strength will have surely evaporated.  My legs had increased in diameter due to repeated walking into the mountains over a long period of time with a weighty rucksack on my back.  So with heavy legs and weak fingers I was not feeling over enthusiastic about my ability!  I was very pleased when I managed to get to the top of all the routes without any falls or rests.  Starting off on Little Teaser (6b+), The Dark Side (6c), The Ticks ate all the Midgies (7a) and Pulling on Pebbles (7a+).  I was feeling good and there were a few more route to try but unfortunately the rain came in and the psyche ran down the crags as the rain did the same.  A 90 second walk out to the car ended a very satisfying day.  Bring on the summer.... (in a month though)!

Alan smiling despite his calf muscles screaming

Youth of today! Always playing on their phones!

Today in the snow...next week in Florida

I hate my new camera, no lens cover!

With amazing ice conditions on Ben Nevis at the moment, it was hard to stay away.  Today I was back out with Alan and Austin and they were both keen for some sticky ice.  We avoided all the masses heading into Observatory Gully and headed up into the Ciste and got pole position on Green Gully (IV,3).  Austin is off to work in Florida for 12 weeks so he was keen to get some cold climbing done and Alan had a cold and was keen to blow the last of it away.  I think today we managed both.  We had a team follow us up but as the ice was like toffee I don't think we knocked too much on their heads (sorry if we did).  It was very cloudy where we were climbing but cleared briefly once we were at the top of the route.  This thaw will be doing the ice routes a world of good as long as we get another good freeze in due course.  We made a quick wander down number 4 gully which is very stepped out and very easy to down climb into.  Another great day with Alan and Austin.

Murdoch leading up the 1st pitch

Murdoch approaching the belay on the crux pitch

Lou topping out on the crux pitch

Somewhere near the top, amazing ice

A walk down from Tower Gully

Murdoch questing up to the belay

Believe it or not but more ice climbing!

Today Murdoch and I were in search of yet another Cold Climbs classic to stretch our leg on and we ended up on Hadrian's Direct (V,5) with nobody above us!  It was magic! One big steep pitch followed by a reasonable amount of easy ground followed by some more steep ice.  John and Lou joined us at the first belay for a wee blether before Murdoch and I shot off to the top, down Tower Gully and to the base of Minus 3 Gully (IV,5).  Murdoch and I have both climbed Minus 1 and 2 Gully so we were well psyched to finish off the trilogy.  It was a super route, all 3 pitches were interesting and we both felt we had to use our arms on the crux 1st pitch.  We made our way back down a short section of North East Buttress before having a nice wander our.  Again many teams on Orion Direct, Point 5, Slav Route, all the Minus gullies and many more.  Again conditions are super and the psyche is high!

It was either a pre dawn start or a casual start.  Fortunately I had the option and opted for a 7am meet time with Al (thats the casual start).  The plan was to climb the uber classic Orion Direct (V,5) on Ben Nevis which we did after a little humming and hawing.  I very very very rarely climb ice routes below other people because I don't want to be whacked in the face with ice.  But we agreed that we would have a nice slow day following the crowds up the route.  With 3 teams ahead of us we weren't going anywhere fast but amazingly didn't get hit by any substantial blocks of ice.   It was a great route to do, really pleased we had a chilled out day, it did go on for a while though....

Al cold because he was waiting on a belay for a while

Take what you can

Ace exit groove!

The mighty Tower Ridge

Its great to see the mountains alive with climbers.  So many routes being climbed with about 50% of all the climbers on either Point 5 Gully or Orion Direct.  Slav route had an ascent, Blair, Ian and Nona climbed Astronomy  teams on Hadrian's, Zero, Minus 2 Gully and various other amazing routes.  What a winter were having!

First pitch of Royal Pardon

Paul making his way up to the belay

Amazing crux section complete

heading up to the crux of Stand and Deliver

Don't swing too hard

Doesn't get much better than this!

Psyched

It doesn't get much better than this.  Blue skies, no wind, ace company, sticky ice and bone dry!  Paul and I got the early gondola at Aonach Mor and made the brief walk over to the col below Aonoch Beag in strong sunlight.  We had several teams in our wake, Blair and Nona heading for Kings Ransom, Rich and his client heading for Royal Pardon as well as another team who backed off it yesterday.  Fortunately we were at the base of Royal Pardon (VI,5) first and were rewarded with perfect, first time placements and sticky ice.  It truly was a dream to climb.  A tense game of rock, paper, scissors meant I got the crux pitch which was brilliant.  We were fairly swift up the route, topping out at 12.30 so after a nice lunch break in the sun and a chat with Matt Pycroft (who was filming Andy Cave on Stand and Deliver) we went back in for another route.  Stand and Deliver (V,5) looked amazing so we fired in a couple of ice screws and we were ready to go.  Paul got the crux pitch on this which was hard.  Steep and hollow sounding but the ice was still fantastic.  Paul dispatched quickly, not surprising after his long run of ice routes over the last 3 weeks.  I finding it really hard to decide which has been the best day of the season for me, they just seem to be getting better and better!

Our last day climbing with Willie and Jason so we headed into Coire an Lochain in the Northern Corries for a change of scenery and a little more solitude.  Underfoot conditions were very favourable and saw us at the bottom of The Vent (III).  It was stonking.  Only one main pitch but an super bit of ice climbing!  Well worth a quick hit.  Great thing is that there was some fresh tat around a block which we abseiled off and found ourselves at the bottom of Ventilator (II) after a little approach pitch.  After climbing this fun little climb we abseiled back down and traversed into The Milky Way (III) which was chocked up to the max!  Gear was tricky but adequate and the belays were nicely dug out which was helpful.  Most routes seamed to have tracks up them and its great to see lots of folk out enjoying the great conditions.  It was sooo good today that I didn't even take photos....

Today I was out for the first day of two with Willie and Jason.  A few of them meet up every year for a spot of winter climbing and this year they fancied the Cairngorm's.  The other team went out with Dave Kenyon.  Jason, Willie and I wandered into Coire an t'Sneachda to see where the masses were heading.  With folk on, or heading to some of our intended routes we scanned the guide again for more inspiration and found ourselves making our way up Wavelength (III,4).  I couldn't quite see why it only got 1 star in the definitive guidebook but in the selected guidebook it receives its worthy 2 stars.  It was a great route and no push over at the grade, gear was a wee bit tricky to find but generally ok.  Dave and his team went up the Message (IV,6) and then did The Seam (IV,5).

This week I have been catching some large doses of vitamin D whilst working for Glenmore Lodge.  I have been out with a team of 6 complete newbies to the winter environment so we had plenty to get on with.  The biggest problem with the week I have just had is that all the group now think Scottish winter is always blue skies.  To be honest I'm pretty sure they have all become 'fair weather walkers'!  We had one day (Wednesday) which was cloudy, windy and cold.  The group felt this was the living end....to be honest it was still a good day in Scottish winter standards!  We ventured throughout the Northern Corries covering a variety of terrain and found ourselves wandering near to the crags which were littered with climbers.  There were a few times I wished I was strapped to a crag this week but to be honest it was really nice to be in the sun all day rather than some shady north facing crag.  It was a fun week, digging was hard work, cramponing was easy and sun burn was severe!  Must head back to the shady crags now!