26th & 27th March 2014 - Two Day Winter Skills Course

Loch Linnhe and Loch Eil from Aonach Mor

John visualising his self arrest

John practicing his self arrest

Digging a hasty pit

Enjoying a stunning first day

A lovely panoramic shot

The weather looking grim on Day 2

The crux peeking out between showers

Putting on crampons

John negotiating the narrow section of the ridge

Evidence of cornice collapse on Stob Ban

The weather clearing a little bit

The weather coming back in....again

I think its safe to say it has been an interesting winter. Interesting by the fact that the climbing conditions have been mostly rubbish, the avalanche count has been sky high and the number of days I have had off have been far too few!!! I have been running skills courses for West Highland college, and working at Outward Bound and Kilbowie in the meantime.

However, on Wednesday and Thursday I was out working with John, who I had the pleasure of guiding over the CMD arete during the summer. He had come back up to Bonnie Scotland from the Lake District for a 2 day Winter Skills course, and he was keen to be treated like a complete amateur. With this in mind, and with a decent forecast, we opted to take the easy route up Aonach Mor using the gondola. At the car park, we spent some time looking at winter kit and how I personally pack it in my bag and why. On the gondola we discussed pre-planning each winter day we go on, and discussed the necessity to look at weather and avalanche forecasts and to understand snow conditions in the lead up to your trip out.

Once we got out of the Gondola station we made our way towards the Nid Ridge, looking at boot skills, weather and snow interpretation and walking axe use. At the base of the ridge we found a likely spot to look at self-belays, which we practiced a few times, before progressing onto self-arrest techniques which we spent quite a lot of time practicing and refining. John certainly seemed to have great fun sliding around in the snow in all directions!

We had a quick snack and headed off up the ridge towards the fence posts, looking at different tactics when moving on snow (including avalanche prone slopes). We discussed avalanche awareness, and techniques to analyse the snow pack, including hasty pits, trench tests, axe plunges, slope angle and basic snow pack interpretation. John was thirsty for as much information as possible and we certainly crammed loads in.

We then made our way back down the line of the ski lift, looking at descent techniques and possible hazards under the snow. Time for tea and cake, and a recap of the day before discussing plans for Thursdays mountain day.

On Thursday, I picked John up nice and early, and we headed up Glen Nevis to have a look at our target of Stob Ban. It looked in reasonable condition, with enough snow cover to tick the final learning boxes which we required.

We made steady work going up the steep north face, finally reaching the top where the ground eases off. The wind was quite full on at times, with strong gusts making walking and talking a bit difficult. As we approached the crux of the ridge, we got our crampons and helmets out and discussed the different types of crampons, and the boot/crampon compatibility issues. After a bit of practice moving around in the crampons, we made our way up the mixed terrain and onto the short narrow section above. John took this all in his stride, easily overcoming the difficulties and thoroughly enjoying the challenge the ridge provided.

A quick jaunt up and onto the summit of Stob Ban for a spot of lunch, from which we enjoyed some fine views and a few more strengthening gusts of wind. Then down on our way to Mullach nan Corraine. We had great opportunities to discuss crampon and ice axe limitations, where and when to use this equipment and practicing putting them on and taking them off.

We made the summit of Corraine, and made a hasty exit as the wind and hail increased, making things a bit more difficult. A long stroll saw us safely back down to the car, where we had a bit of a recap of the two days to ensure that John had his expectations met by the course.

It was great to see John again, and we had a really enjoyable two days in the Scottish hills. It was lively, educational and exciting at the same time. Thanks John!

20th January 2013 - North Ridge, Stob Ban

Today Anna and I opted to have a quick short blast up Stob Ban via its North Ridge (I). After yesterdays tragic events in Glen Coe neither of us had the appetite for any big epics given the still poorly bonded snow condition, high winds and lack of consolidation.

We set off from the Lower Falls car park and followed the usual route, taking it easy and enjoying the views. We made the ridge in good time and got a few pics, but the wind was pretty gusty and icy cold. I was trying out some new Rab gloves I got and have to say I was massively impressed with how wind resistant and dexterous they were - excellent purchase! The scrambling on the North Ridge is straight forward but it is still a lovely route, and Stob Ban remains one of my favourite hills and the best last minute option in the area for a quick jolly! We had a good look at the snow pack in a few places and found conditions to be very poor on certain aspects. Yesterdays incident certainly reminds us to take all necessary precautions and not take anything for granted. Every slope, route and day is different and should be treated as such.

The wind was really the only issue, and on the only narrow section of the ridge it was very gusty so each step was carefully planned! Not many folk out today but we met a few; one on the summit and 4 others on the way down. Good to get out and about and keep the fitness topped up!! Possibly out again tomorrow but will wait and see...

Pics to follow....

20th October 2012 - A Local Gems

Looking down Glen Nevis

Anna slogging up the North Ridge

Approaching the interesting stuff

Anna looking back over the initial steps

The mist clinging to the western crags

The Lord of the Rings cast over on the Devils Ridge

Dropping back down into the Glen

So last week I was flattened by the dreaded Man-Flu. Normally I am able just to pretend I'm alright and get on with things, but this one hit hard and left me whimpering like a git. So after a few unwanted duvet days I zipped up my man jacket and headed out with Anna to tackle the North Ridge of Stob Ban. I did this Grade I winter route last winter and found it contained a few interesting steps but had some terrific views to boot. In summer conditions it is much less malign, but adds some fun scrambling to an otherwise standard slog. I was worried on the way up that my chest (which was feeling pretty rough) wouldn't give me the air I needed to move as quickly as I would like, but I was wrong and we made good progress. After a half hour shower as we neared the interesting bits the weather cleared somewhat to reveal some of my favourite views from the summit this wonderful mountain.

We were joined on the summit by a very friendly gentleman who was travelling in the opposite direction who had a lifetime of experience on the hills but was revisiting Stob Ban after 20 years - heres hoping it was as pleasant an experience as the first time round! We made quick progress down the East Ridge and dropped swiftly into the Glen where we lingered in the tranquility and solitude of the mountains - relishing the contrast from the nearby hillwalking mecca of the Ben. We did plan on a cheeky few drinks with some friends afterwards but got back quite late, and with the weather looking like a cracker the next day, we opted for an easy evening and early night!

Cheers :)

17th April 2012 - Kinlochleven to Fort William Charity Walk

Today I was out with the NC Childcare students from West Highland College supervising their charity event which was raising money for the charity CHAS. We were starting at Kinlochleven in the morning and finishing in Fort William in the afternoon - the final strect of the West Highland Way. The route follows one of the old Military Roads, built between 1749 and 1752 by General Wades lesser known successor, Major William Caulfeild. The route hauls steadily and at times steeply out of Kinlochleven, heading towards the Lairig Mor (Big Pass). Once this 250m haul is complete, the track levels considerably, and undulates gently throughout until it descends back down into Glen Nevis several miles ahead.

I have completed the West Highland Way 5 times in the past, and have always enjoyed this final section. It is not arduous, but has a remote and wild feeling once the Kinlochleven is out of sight. You are, however, regularly reminded that once upon a time our glens were much more populated than they are today. Nestled under the mighty peaks of Stob Ban and Mullach nan Coirean are the ruins of two settlements - Tigh-na-Sleubhaich to the east and Lairigmore to the west. I remember on my first trek up the WHW, Martin and I arrived at Tigh-na-Sleubhaich totally parched. We sat on its desolate doorstep and drank cartons of orange juice. To us it was heaven, and one of those strange memories you never forget. Once upon a time families dwelt in these buildings, utilising the river water and what ever livestock they owned. I often wonder how they viewed their landscape, how they lived their lives and how they overcame the hardships which they faced living in such a hard land.

Moving on from these ruins, the road veers sharply northwards, and we were soon in amongst what once was dense forestry woodland, but is now sadly replaced with stumps and scars. Along the road we came upon the Inverlochy Cairn, a pile of stones which reputedly marks the spot where the last Macdonald gave up the chase of their rivals, the Campbells, after the latters defeat at Inverlochy in 1645 as part of the War of the Three Kingdoms (of Charles I fame). Although there is a deep and interesting history surrounding this event, I will not go into detail now!

We were met at Blar a' Choarainn by Dave Hill and some of the other students from the college who provided snacks, refreshments and encouragement to the team.

We continued on our way, leaving the military road for some single track on our way to Glen Nevis, passing by the towering Dun Deardil - a vitrified Iron Age fort which holds superb and unparalelled view out across Glen Nevis as well as guarding the Lairig Mor pass. The term 'vitrification', which involves welding stone together using extreme heat, is still little understood, but it is believed to have been a widespread technique for fortifying settlements across western Scotland and Ireland. The lines of the walls can still clearly be seen, and is well worth a visit if you are in the Lochaber area. From here it was a casual walk down into the Glen, famous for being featured in films such as Braveheart and Rob Roy. We made our way to the Braveheart car park, where transport was awaiting us, little after 5 pm, a good 7 hour walk. Everyone in the group did an exceptional job, especially given many of them are not outdoor types or hill walkers. Their spirits were high most of the time, their team work was outstanding and the dedication to their charitable cause was inspirational. They raised almost £2000, a phenomenal amount for such a small group of individuals, so a massive well done to them!

11th February 2012 - Stob Ban

Anna doing some coaching

Looking back over the East ridge towards the Ring of Steall

Looking towards Mullach nan Coirean

The cloud rises

'The Fingers'

Today Anna was keen to take Aoife up Stob Ban, one of our  favousite hills in the Mamores. Although the weather forecast was a bit grim its a lovely walk, and quite short so its not overly taxing. This gave Anna a good opportunity to do some winter coaching on equipment and techniques while I strolled ahead. The East ridge was fairly uniform, the snow was wet and slippy but stable and the summit provided us with some excellent views yet again. We decided to carry on along to Mullach nan Coirean, making it a nice little circuit and enjoying the extremely warm winter weather, and changeable views as we went. From the second summit we descended towards Glen Nevis, but as always the boggy ground was awful and for the second day I had soaking feet! Anna did well conveying different techniques to Aoife and Aoife did well to put the techniques into practice, although they were unnecessary given the conditions. Another great day on the hills.