Buchaille Etive Mor on a perfect day
As a winter climber all you dream off is a cold winter; a properly cold one. Unfortunately with this one I'm going to sound like a British tourist abroad moaning that it is too hot, but this winter is too cold... It is pretty hard to explain to the layman that the ice is only forming low down, and that the extreme cold is stopping the buttresses being plastered with snow, effectively stopping all the high end climbing. Or that the acres of powder snow are making many routes virtually impossible to access, unless you have the desire to swim waist-deep for several hours uphill. And finally to the roads, Britain's Achilles Heel in anything below freezing, making the continent seem like some efficient seldom troubled land....
The road to Glen Nevis
On Tuesday I hatched a master plan, I was to drive to Fort William, arrive by 12, meet with Di Gilbert and Kev Shields and head up Glen Nevis to climb the rarely formed Steall Falls, newly frozen in the recent cold snap. Seemingly they haven't formed as well since the 70's, so the attraction to go was strong. We would have a short day out, then the next day head down to Ben Udlaidh for some more ice. The temperature was low, the sun was to be out, what more could ice climbers wish for?
Firstly the A82 bit back; A truck and a bus decided to play chicken on a narrow bridge, resulting in both getting stuck. 6 miles from my target, and all I could do was get my head down for the next 2hrs waiting on the two lovers forced together to be pulled apart, while the snow continued to fall from the sunshine forecast sky. Kev and Di headed on up the Glen ahead of me, in Kev's swanky 4x4, probably watching some DVD's on the in car screens in the back while ploughing through the snow in absolute luxury, while I'd make my own way up in my humble Skoda, cap in hand to catch up. Just as I thought, "hmmm this road is a bit silly, perhaps I should park up and walk," I came across Kev, Di, Matt and Adam (Matt and Adam had similar fun in their van, read about it on http://hughesmountaineering.blogspot.com/ ) trying to persuade Kev's car to go in a straight line. The afore mentioned 4x4 was abandoned, we all retreated from the Glen to try and summon help to get the car. Alan Kimber came to our rescue, bringing his proper 4x4 to try and haul Kev back down. ,(thank you Allan, but please please rectify the accusation of us being east coasters on your blog. Kev and I have pretty thick skins, but even though Kev is partial to the term "Ye Ken" we are from the West! http://www.westcoast-mountainguides.co.uk/blog/blog.htm ) With the aid of another Land Rover, we managed to shift the car 10 metres. Imagine driving a car with no control down a single track road, with a ravine on one side and more ice than a devout Scottish Presbyterian father-in-law, and the decision to abandon was made easily. Back to the Fort for tea and medals early, until another rescue bid for the car that didn't deserve this much attention was made by the mountain rescue team of all people...
Dragged kicking and screaming from a warm pub to venture out into a blizzard to try and place snow chains too small for posing tyres in the dark tries one's patients. Try to drive the said car while it tries to drag the Land Rover down the ravine after it while you hang out the door ready to jump also does. Lets say another noble rescue attempt ended in failure and a return to the pub fro my dinner ordered 3 hrs beforehand.
Di searches for a weather forecast that promises whatever she plans. Joys of the net...
Our plans for Wednesday had now gone the same way as those of Tuesday... Di was of to lead an expedition in South America on Friday as well as battle the snow of the East, and Kev had to get the car down, or it might have lain for a month before the road suitably defrosted. After a night of Arctic training in Kev and Blair's 70's retro pad, I decided to at least get out for a walk, and scope out some routes that I wanted to photograph on. I raced down across a sublime Rannoch Moor to Bridge of Orchy, to try and catch up with Matt and Adam on Messiah, and to see Defenders of the Faith. Once again I may have not climbed or got any pics for work, but it was one of the most perfect days to be in the mountains. I descended in the sunset, with a herd of deer on the horizon as the sun fell casting an orange alpenglow over the whole landscape. It was worth it for that hour alone. Oh, and an RAC guy drove Kev's car down the track...
Creag an Socach near Bridge of Orchy
Matt and Adam on the last pitch of Second Coming
View North at sunset...
Deer on the near horizon above Glen Orchy at sunset
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