Scotland doesn't have big mountains, but it's hills have a long tradition of bold, traditional and fierce winter climbing challenges. They produce a fair share of top alpinists and after a few seasons, I can see why. It is a great place to develop and push your technical skills in mixed and thin ice climbing. It is esentially cragging, but can have a far more serious mountain feel.
Conditions are fickle and choosing the right venue or climb on the right day a real skill. It's been a funny season, a massive thaw stripping back early heavy snows, though ice remains on the higher venues. I headed out for a weekend with Chad Harrison, heading to Ben Nevis on Saturday, we managed to avoid most of the crowds by climbing a lovely thin ice route, Observatory Buttress Direct.
We dithered on Sunday, but after a late start we headed for the cliffs of Lochnagar.
We traversed under the cliffs, the line we had aimed for busy with 3 parties strung along it. We then spied a thin lick of ice at the back of a corner formed by a recent large rockfall. The guidebook gave us no clue if it had been climbed, or how hard, and it was intimidating, thin looking ice, framed by steep blank walls.
We couldn't resist however, as it was one of the most asthetic ice lines I have ever seen, and I soon found myself teetering up the thin ice corner, hoping it was well attached. It was more a mentally challenging climb than physical, sparse protection and fragile ice adding the the daunting feel. A slow, but steady lead and we were over the corner, It was now 3:30 and we needed to get a move on, so we moved together up around 150m of lovely ice to the summit, just making it back to the car for a lovely sunset. (More pics)
Edit: ScottishWinter reported on this climb, it appears we nabbed the second ascent!
Conditions are fickle and choosing the right venue or climb on the right day a real skill. It's been a funny season, a massive thaw stripping back early heavy snows, though ice remains on the higher venues. I headed out for a weekend with Chad Harrison, heading to Ben Nevis on Saturday, we managed to avoid most of the crowds by climbing a lovely thin ice route, Observatory Buttress Direct.
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| Chad starting the thin ice groove of Observatory Buttress, Direct Finish, Ben Nevis. |
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| Lochnagar. We climbed a thin ice groove up a pale scar on the buttress in the centre. |
We couldn't resist however, as it was one of the most asthetic ice lines I have ever seen, and I soon found myself teetering up the thin ice corner, hoping it was well attached. It was more a mentally challenging climb than physical, sparse protection and fragile ice adding the the daunting feel. A slow, but steady lead and we were over the corner, It was now 3:30 and we needed to get a move on, so we moved together up around 150m of lovely ice to the summit, just making it back to the car for a lovely sunset. (More pics)
Edit: ScottishWinter reported on this climb, it appears we nabbed the second ascent!
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