The highest rock climb climbed in the UK today? Unicorn, Glencoe

Today, I took a slight gamble, as I wasn't absolutely certain as to whether it would be warm enough to head up onto the high mountain crags, but fortunately that gamble paid off well!

Unicorn takes the obvious left facing corner in the centre

Max Hunter and I took the plunge and headed up to Stob Coire Nan Lochan in Glencoe.  The climbs here start at around 900m, and with the crags having a northerly aspect, if anywhere was going to be cold, then it would most certainly be here.  Fortunately, our chosen route, 'Unicorn E1 5a' (5b in Gary Latter's Scottish Rock: Vol. 1) did catch the morning sunshine, warming the rock and with just a gentle breeze throughout the day, conditions were quite good throughout.  The route follows a very striking monolithic corner, before heading up a short chimney and can be climbed in 3 or 4 pitches.

Looking up Unicorn

I led the first pitch, which is said to be the crux of the route, and it did involve some rather precarious moves crossing from the initial rib to regain the main corner crack, and definitely felt more like 5b than the SMC Guidebook grade of 5a.  From here, Max led a soaring pitch directly up the corner crack, which had ample protection and some thought provoking bridging moves higher up.  There is an old in-situ belay at the top of the corner, but it probably warrants removing due to it's age.  I then led the final pitch, up easier broken ledges, taking care not to dislodge the numerous loose blocks, made worse by another hard winter, before tackling the final chimney.

The route is a 3 star classic, and after a bit of traffic will be much cleaner than it was today!  Well worth the gamble!

Clear views of the Aonach Eagach and Ben Nevis

Escaping for some guaranteed sunshine! El Chorro, Spain

The weather since the weekend has taken a bit of a turn, and has probably rained on the hour, every hour (except today). That's how it felt anyway, whilst trying to hatch plans for a climbing trip for the forthcoming ten days or so.  Staying in Scotland... cold and wintery over the next few days, the Lakes... warmer, but still rain forecasted, N. Wales... warmer again, similar forecasted rain to the Lakes, Cornwall... Could be quite pleasant, although with a bit of rain forecasted, and a 600 mile trip, is very hard to justify unless the forecast is near perfect, which it isn't quite.

So after much deliberation, we decided that the safest bet would be to head to sunnier climes, and in our case, the climbing mecca of El Chorro, in Southern Spain.  Getting from Malaga Airport to the El Chorro is very straight forward by publoc transport, and once there,  the climbing out in El Chorro really couldn't be any simpler. With a lifetime of climbing, both trad and bolted climbs, ranging from hard single pitch test peices through to some very adventurous multi-pitch routes, within walking distance of the fantastically run Olive Branch (which comes highly recommended, Mel and Gary do a great job of running the place!), and almost guaranteed sunshine, it's a sure winner.

So with temperatures forecasted to be in the mid 20s, oodles of climbing in very close proximity and great company, this promises to be an excellent trip, and hopefully set me up well for the trad season back in the UK later this month.

Here's a book review that I wrote a year ago or so, which should help inspire some of you to go and buy the book, and get out to El Chorro! 

http://kenapplegate.blogspot.com/2011/01/rockfax-guide-to-el-chorro-spain.html

Very wintery up high: North Gully, Ben Nevis

For the second and final day, working for Abacus Mountaineering, with Wes, Jamie and Gary, we headed back up Ben Nevis, to tackle something a little more technical than yesterday and to have a look at the ropework and management involved with pitched climbing.  What started off as a dryish day, soon took a turn for the worse during the walk up to the CIC Hut, but whilst we were being rained on, the crags higher up were being coated by another fresh dusting of snow.

Fresh snow falling on the way up to Creag Coire Na Ciste

It was very quiet on the approach, although we did pass an optimistic adventurer with his skis strapped to his back!  We made for 'North Gully II' on Creag Coire Na Ciste, which is a great little route, with an interesting first pitch containing a step of steeper ice, before easing off, and passing through some quite dramatic scenery.  With spindrift pouring down, at times some heavy snow fall, rime building on the higher rocks and with fresh south westerly winds transporting snow onto the leeward slopes, creating pockets of fresh windslab, it felt as though we were back in the depths of winter.

Just above the crux on North Gully

The three did well on the three pitches of climbing, and we had just enough time to fulfil their ambition, to reach the summit of Ben Nevis.  The Red Burn bumslide is now riddled with holes, and is nowhere near as fun as last week.  Other teams out on Good Friday Climb, which was reported to be in good condition, Smith's Route, Central Gully Right Hand (which is said to be thin and the left hand line is no longer in), another team in North Gully and Green Gully is still apparently still in good shape.  Monday will be very wintery on the mountain, but again, temperatures are set to rise significantly during Tues and Wed, before cooling down again. These freeze/thaw conditions could well help regenerate the ice...  The fat lady hasn't sung just yet!

Ben Nevis this afternoon

A nice wintery surprise: Ledge Route, Ben Nevis

Fresh snow this morning

Following a very mild Friday, with high winds, heavy rain and temperatures on the summit of Ben Nevis hitting 7 °C, I was a little unsure as to how wintery it would be for a two day Winter Mountaineering Course, working for Abacus Mountaineering, with Wes, Jamie and Gary. Fortune, it seemed, was to be on my side! Once the strong winds died, the temperatures dropped and the rain ceased, which all happened at once, at about 6am, it had left behind a reasonable cover of fresh snow down to about 700m. 

Final snow ridge of Ledge Route

Wes, Jamie and Gary had all climbed a number of grade 1 gullies, in the Lake District, and had plenty of experience summer hill walking and scrambling, but were after something a little more adventurous, and also were very interested in learning the rope work required to protect tricky steps both in ascent and descent.  My decision to head for 'Ledge Route II' was confirmed as we approached Coire Na Ciste, and saw that the fresh snow had transformed a previously quite bare Ledge Route back to its full winter glory.  Quick progress was made up this classic route, stopping occasionally to focus on various rope techniques, before making the summit of Carn Dearg, where there was at least 4 inches of fresh snow, and it was certainly very wintery up there.  We headed round to No. 4 Gully, and had a look at stacked abseiling to enter the gully.  On regaining the base of Coire Na Ciste, the clouds lifted and it was clear that a lot of the freshly fallen snow had melted, leaving Ledge Route quite black again.  The flatter sections will still be snow covered, but the steeper section will be back to bare rock.

Coire Na Ciste this afternoon

It was a very quiet day on Ben Nevis, with a couple of teams heading up into Observatory Gully and a couple of others on Ledge Route.  The ice that was on Good Eve's Buttress and Raeburn's Wall is starting to look at bit thin, as did Hadrian's Wall Direct, which is riddled with large holes.  I'm sure Comb Gully Buttress will still be fine, as will Comb and Green Gully and some of the gullys on Creag Coire Na Ciste.  Freezing levels are due to be at 900m tomorrow, so it could be another good day.

Book Review: Winter Climbs - Ben Nevis and Glen Coe by Mike Pescod

I've just finished writing a book review for Mountaineering Council of Scotland's quarterly publication, The Scottish Mountaineer.

As another great season of winter climbing draws to a close, perhaps a little sooner than hoped, I can honestly say that there has been one item that has made my winter climbing season that bit easier this year.  That is the seventh edition of Winter Climbs – Ben Nevis and Glen Coe, published by Cicerone.  The baton for writing this guidebook, which started off in Ian Clough’s hands, and passed through Hamish MacInnes, Ed Grindley and Alan Kimber, landed in the steady hands of local Mountain Guide, Mike Pescod, and it’s quite clear, from initial impressions, that the substantial task of compiling a new guide for the premier winter climbing area in the UK, has been done very well.

The cover shot of Dave Macleod on one of the finest ice climbs on Ben Nevis, Orion Direct, gives the impression that the route is far steeper than it actually is.  Whilst the route and climber seem to be the ideal choice, the angle could do with adjusting.  I’d go so far as to say that I personally prefer the cover photo on the previous addition, but, as with all books, it is the all important content that counts, and the introductory chapter, which covers topics including: Climbing Conditions, Weather and Avalanches, Access and Rescue Facilities, is a must read, condensing years of experience into an easy to read and understand chapter, which any new comer to the area should get to grips with.  

The guidebook boasts over 900 climbs, a number of which are new routes since both the last edition and the SMC’s guidebooks, but one of the highlights of this edition must be the photo topos for almost all the crags, which are not only highly functional, but very inspiring too, and along with the various climbing shots and anecdotes, has ensured that the guidebook has lived on the coffee table, when not in the rucksack, throughout the winter.  

Lastly, the guidebook bridges an ever growing gap between the SMC publications, and certainly for those who tend towards winter climbing on the west coast of Scotland, this guidebook is a must.