Busy on the Ben: Number 3 Gully Buttress, Ben Nevis

Following some quiet days on Ben Nevis, today was a stark contrast!  Understandably, as it is one of the few mountains still managing to hang onto it's winter coat.  There was a very steady stream flowing up hill alongside the Allt a'Mhuilinn today, comprising of teams of climbers, all with similar objectives in mind.  I was working for West Coast Mountain Guides today and was out with Ashley and Dimitri.  They had both climbed Tower Ridge a couple of weeks ago, and had found it to be at the edge of their comfort zones, so were looking to climb something of similar technical difficulty but perhaps without the length of Tower Ridge.

Ashley and Dimitri on the first belay

The gearing up spot in Coire na Ciste, beneath the Trident Buttresses resembled something from a school playground, with numerous climbing 'gangs' in varying stages of readiness.  Whilst gearing up, I noticed that Number 3 Gully Buttress had a team leaving the first pitch and with no one else heading that way, decided to go for it.  Fortunate really as it had been my number one choice from the outset.  Conditions on the route were overall very good.  The snow was firm enough, and the ice was, for the majority of the route, in good shape.  I was keen not to simply 'guide' Ashley and Dimitri, so we looked at belays, tactics, leader placed protection, protecting traverses and in-situ gear amongst much else.  The ice higher up on the route was quite thin, and care was needed not to destroy the remaining patches!

Views across Coire na Ciste

A thin, but climbable Two Step Corner

A thin, and climbed Quickstep

We pretty much had the route to ourselves, as we never really did catch up to the team ahead. Another great day to be out.   Both 'Quickstep V,5' and 'Two Step Corner V,5' were complete, just, and there was a brave team on Quickstep, but I didn't quite see them negotiate a pencil of ice barely the width of my waist!  Other teams on Green Gully, The White Line, Banshee, Central Gully & RH of Creag Coire Na Ciste, Central Gully of The Trident Buttresses, Comb Gully amongst many others and reports of numerous teams on Point 5 Gully.  Freezing levels didn't really drop through the night as forecasted.