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I used to enjoy a spot of winter climbing, still would if I had the chance. Part of the problem nowadays is my regular partner of old turned into a teacher, so the random days off we'd take in the week to get the good conditions have now dried up. That said, we've both since had kids too.
Anyway, wondering if any STWers get out in the winter - nothing too challenging, Grade II-IV classics ideal. No promises on my part, but if there are others in a similar situation looking for a weekend or two's climbing over winter, I'm keen. I know there's UKC and Facebook, I feel like I know STWers better 🙂
It's always been my dream, except I live in Wales. Dozens of times we went up to find no snow, too much snow, wrong kind of snow. There were only two successful trips - once we climbed a frozen solid Idwal stream, and once we hit the jackpot with perfect conditions on an incredible day on the Trinities.
So I'm in! I'll need new gear though if it's more than II/III probably. Willing to drive up.
Getting the conditions, time, partner(s) really does feel like stars aligning stuff, but when it happens...
I've got a photo somewhere that we took at the top of Snowdon after topping out on the central Trinity at sunset. Crystal clear weather, snow on every peak southwards highlighted pink; we could see the Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire, Northern Ireland, the Lakes, and Southern Scotland. I'd post it but it's a 6x4 photo print and I don't know where I put it 🙁
Willing to drive up
Uh oh... Prepare for dissapointment/absent climbing partner... 🙃
OP. Good luck and tell us about your adventures. I was always mince at Scottish winter climbing, way too scary , stressful and dangerous for me. Combined with the fact I never really found a regular partner to go with.
A real revelation was a week in Rjukan. I climbed about 10 times more ice that week than I had the rest of my life. ( still not much TBH)
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Got me a little bit better, and eventually I struggled up a Scottish Grade 4, but then WW kayaking filled the "extremely exciting but a tad risky hole in my life.
I used to climb loads of winter did about 6 weekends in the bounce sleeping in the back of my ford fiesta when i was about 20. Best day was doing orion, zero and smith routes in a perfect blue sky day. So much easier now getting good weather and condition reports making the drive way less of a gamble.
But for some reason i stopped climbing about 5 years ago just kinda fell out of love but never got rid of my axes and boots. And the itch to get cold and scared is returning
There are several FB groups and UKC has a partners forum.
I'm going to head out Sunday although I'm not holding out a lot of hope...
Best day was doing orion, zero and smith routes in a perfect blue sky day.
Would love to do Smiths. And did Orion with a guide as a birthday present a few years back. It was amazing how quick we moved with someone so slick at belays (not me).
Would love to do Smiths
Of all the routes, summer and winter, from that era that was the one which impressed me the most.
I remember being up on Castle Ridge and watching two climbers scampering around a big fat ice column down in the gully beyond. Looked so perfectly what ice climbing is about and had to ask my pal which route it was. Not sure I've the mettle for it these days but with a strong lead I reckon it'd go.
Is Kinder Downfall in yet?
Done a bit over the years in the Lakes and Scotland during the good winters.
A mere mortal compared to some of my friends exploits mind.
Hoping to get more done, combined with split boarding this winter in the lakes.
Your pic reminded me when I topped out onto the Ben one NY eve with an inversion, the surrounding mamores were just breaking through the cloud like shark fins, magical day.
Smiths was good would have been a wild lead to do it cutting steos back in the day.
Always think that a lot of Scottish winter was about efficiency so that you are limiting sitting still. Remember belaying a mate on a early repeat attempt of some grade viii in wales was grim in 2 bug belay jackets
I remember being up on Castle Ridge and watching two climbers scampering around a big fat ice column down in the gully beyond. Looked so perfectly what ice climbing is about and had to ask my pal which route it was
The Shroud?
Aha! So I can remember how to post pics, I'll put up a few to get the juices flowing. That's Magic Crack a few years back.
Hot Toddy on Beinn a Bhuird.
Cherokee Chimney, Braeriach.
Poco Loco, Bidean.
Lap of the Gods, Sgurr na Lapaich.
Blood Sweat and Frozen Tears, Beinn Eighe
Der Riesenwand, Beinn Bhan
Sticil Face
String fellow, Ben Nevis.
Poacher's Fall,Liathach.
Darth Vader, Ben Nevis.
. I know there’s UKC and Facebook, I feel like I know STWers better 🙂
I clearly didn't read your post to the end, if I had I wouldn't have suggested FB and UKC!
Those pictures are amazing Spin ( apart from the Beinn Eighe one objectively speaking 😉 )
Poachers in particular looks amazing, and I even recognised Sticil Face from some old magazine. I guess that's the classic photo op.
Amazing.
even recognised Sticil Face from some old magazine. I guess that’s the classic photo op.
The belay is a bit back from the pitch so it is indeed a classic photo opportunity.
@spin Those photos are terrifying and inspiring in equal measure! Superb.
@jimmy I'd be up for heading out. Only been winter climbing a few years, but happy at those grades and have spent lots of time in snowy mountains and a while trad climbing. Edinburgh based, pretty flexible for last-minute mid-week condition chasing and weekends too. Can promise mediocre chat, moderate enthusiasm and decent snacks.
Spin takes me back a few years and also wins the internet, bravo sir, bravo
Spin takes me back a few years and also wins the internet, bravo sir, bravo
Happy to oblige.
Those photos are terrifying and inspiring in equal measure
I know what you mean but with one exception (Der Riesenwand, which we retreated from after the crux!) they're all pretty safe routes. I was always far more into snowed up rock than ice mainly because there's rock gear but also because there's just far more opportunities to do it in Scotland.
The Shroud?
Smiths, but I might be misremembering.
Der Riesenwand [the giant wall] looks serious(ly impressive).
Spin has, I’d say, owned this thread 😂
I’d be up for anything up to grade III but not til after Christmas!
Here's a few more for the gallery - consecutive days of a stunning high pressure spell in Feb 2016, the fourth day was equally amazing weather but neither of us could face another 4am wake up and walk in...
Gemini, Ben Nevis
Mega Route X, Ben Nevis
Stand and Deliver, Aonach Beag
Smiths, but I might be misremembering.
You wouldn't see Smith's from Castle Ridge so either you weren't on Castle Ridge or it wasn't Smith's! 🙂
Top of Glover's Chimney, looking straight down the other side.
Top of Glover’s Chimney, looking straight down the other side.
Ah ok, it would have been Smith's but from Tower Ridge.
A few more...
Gully of the Gods, Beinn Bhan
Ayatollah, Fuar Tholl
Pipped at the Post, Fuar Tholl.
War and Peace, Coire an Lochain.
Something amusing on Creagan Coire Cha-no.
Grey Mare's Tail 2010.
The Inquisition, Coire an Lochain.
Skyscraper Buttress, Sgurr nan Clach Geala
Where winter climbing meets mountain biking.
I found I could get a lot better at trad summer climbing largely by bullshitting to myself that I was in control. It never worked that way for me with winter climbing, the 300 footer down Centre Post Direct in crap conditions was probably the thing that sealed it for me. That and the zero body fat which made the interminable belay sessions in the freezing cold pretty unbearable. Hats off to those who do it though!
Spin has, I’d say, owned this thread
Yep so long as his aim wasn't to try to drum up some partners for his next foray 😛
Run for from the hills....
Loads from Martin Moran's stamping ground there Spin. Did you ever climb with him?
Mega Route X, Ben Nevis
That's some serious camera tilt 😉
But still lightyears beyond what I could ever imagine doing. Much respect.
Loads from Martin Moran’s stamping ground there Spin. Did you ever climb with him?
Sadly I never even met Martin never mind climbed with him. His and Andy's deaths were massive losses.
That’s some serious camera tilt 😉
Blame Mike P from Abacus, he took it 🙂 certainly felt steep enough at the time.
Spin - the one pushing the bike looks like coming back down the Slugain from Beinn a Bhuird?
Some older ones, late nineties mostly, before we all went leashless.
Point Five
Poachers
North Post
Cuillin Ridge traverse
...to be strictly honest we didn't do a full traverse, but bailed from the gap when it went dark again, having started from Sligachan at 11pm the previous night and done the first half by moonlight. No bivvy gear, just a stove for a brew stop on Banachdich.
Spin – the one pushing the bike looks like coming back down the Slugain from Beinn a Bhuird?
Yes, that's right, same day as the photo of Hot Toddy above. Failed on that due to not finding any gear on the crux.
I'd be interested to hear where people get to this winter so maybe we could keep the thread running? Also if anyone wants any conditions beta, especially Cairngorms and North West, let me know. I'm in Inverness and out most weekends when there's nick. Can be useful to have someone to ask if you're coming up from down south and not up to speed on what it's been doing.
to be strictly honest we didn’t do a full traverse, but bailed from the gap when it went dark again, having started from Sligachan at 11pm the previous night and done the first half by moonlight
Awesome. Ps that's way more than half isn't it....
Bloody hell... I was climbing ice when Point 5 and Zero were about the max for mere mortals. That pic of Point 5 up there ^ looks like beginner training compared to some of the mixed stuff posted here... Oh well... 🙄
Makes me all nostalgic but I know my bottle has gone, I don't seemm to find the time and my climbing mates have all gone their seperate ways. I suspect I peaked anyway in about the late 80's. Nothing ever like those above but did do, with 2 others, a first ascent, Moonlight Flit in the Rivals.
Great pics, we used to have a lads winter climbing holiday up to Scotland every year in the 90s and early 2000's. Nothing to the level above, mostly grade III, but still great times.
I know my bottle has gone
Bottle was always my problem when climbing. I like to be safe and lead climbing just isn't that safe, really. You rely on gear that could easily fail or come out (as it frequently did for me); and it really bothers me that the belay devices available aren't fail-safe, they are fail-dangerous. And even if nothing fails you can easily hurt yourself quite badly if you fall. This wasn't helped by the fact I wasn't able to climb regularly enough and the mates I did have thought top-roping (at crags) was a cop-out, rather than a way to be able to actually enjoy the physical act and challenge of climbing.
However I dearly love being up in the mountains and I really miss it. The best I could hope for now is simple classics, so you're not alone!
At 46 I'm probably too old to start climbing, certainly the icy stuff anyway. Been doing a bit with the guys from our team, I'll see where it goes.
At 46 I’m probably too old to start climbing, certainly the icy stuff anyway.
I wouldn't be too worried. There are plenty of grade II gullies full of snow that are pretty safe and easy but fabulously scenic. Even I wouldn't be worried about them and I am pretty nervous, as above.
EDIT as long as conditions are good and you take the appropriate precautions for being up in the mountains obvs!
There are plenty of grade II gullies full of snow that are pretty safe and easy
Hmmmm
And yet the same gullies can be a lot trickier, and not at all safe the next day. Especially taking into account the general lack of belays.
Yes I edited my post - a lot depends on conditions.
Quite possibly the least impressive winter crag I've ever been to but a fun, low stress day to start the season on Fionn Bheinn (Achnasheen)
At 46 I’m probably too old to start climbing, certainly the icy stuff anyway
I wouldn't rule it out, it's a pretty fine line between scrambling in winter and climbing and things like general fitness and hill skills are far more important than actual climbing skills.
Keeping this going.
Anyone fancy a trip next weekend (17/18th), conditions dependant obvs.
Mibbe next winter Spin, got a winter skills course with the team in Feb in Glencoe, hoping to mibbe stay up for a few days and get some winter scrambling in too.
Cracking photos Spin and Elliptic. Just looking at them has me shivering and stamping my feet
Brilliant pics on this thread. Way braver than I could ever hope to be. Stunning pics though.
So, mid February and it hasn't been a classic has it?
Aha, Holy thread resurection. And alas Spin's comment is quite apposite. Half a mo....
So my new boots finally arrived, in the middle of a thaw. A last minute midweek rummage on the internet last week took me to some hideous hole in the ground in the Peak District for....
https://flic.kr/p/2oeDMEY
Dry Tooling... it wasn't anything like as painful as it sounds, and actually I bloody loved it. Did 4 routes including a big traverse,
https://flic.kr/p/2oeGn4w
which was bloody excellent.
Not only was it my first DT, and my first winter route for nearly ten years, it was probably only my 10th day roped climbing in the last 6 years. All the old emotions and concerns, and elations cane flooding back.
It started off as just an excuse to try the new boots, but I'll be going g back as soon as I've found some monos.
And alas Spin’s comment is quite apposite. Half a mo….
Conditions have been way better so far this year. Which obviously doesn't mean everyone has had a good season!
Yeah, I stand corrected. I was just thinking of the Lakes TBH.
I'll put some pics up when I've got a minute.
Do you have any pics of grade threes 😉
You know, something aspirational rather than... dunno the word for it.
Insane 🙂
This winter, from the top down:
Basteir Chimney on Am Basteir, a good start to the season.
Erebus on Suilven, not the best shot but a pretty special place to climb.
Team selfie on summit of Suilven. About 13hrs into the day and another 5 still to go.
P2 of Seller's Tower on Sgurr nan Clach Geala.
P3 of the same.
Heading up Liathach.
P2 of Blue Rinse on Stob Coire an Laoigh.
Topping out on the same.
Anyone out this weekend or next week?
Excellent.
Wow, good stuff
Just had a scroll back through this thread and it uncovered some memories! Fingers Ridge was on my tick-list from the first moment I walked into the Northern Corries and was one of my first grade IV's. I'd decided to be more efficient that year and had practiced coiling a rope quickly in my living room at home and was SO GLAD to ahve done so when we topped out of that route into a hoolie.
I'd also completely forgotten that I'd done Poachers Falls on Liathach as well!
Fingers Ridge was on my tick-list from the first moment I walked into the Northern Corries and was one of my first grade IV’s.
That was the 3rd time I've done it, over about 25 years. It's just a really good, fun route.
When we got to that top crux wall it was obvious the team from the day before had done the first few moves then backed off. Hidden in the rime about 20cm above their high point was a perfect horizontal axe placement which made it fairly straightforward!
Nope, I do not need another hobby to fund, nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope...
Tbh, I dont have the network of winter climbers to be able to grab the 'good condition ' days anyway.
Back in the day I was a climber. Summer tad was my thing. I had the head thing dialed. Most grades I lead before I seconded them. Summer climbing isn’t that bad safety wise.
I enjoyed the grade 11 ridges and gullies. My only real winter route was NE Buttress on Ben Nevis, climbed as part of a memorable 5 days in the CIC hut. I won’t do the full story. But I just didn’t have the head for winter climbing. I think objectively I could see 2 problems. Firstly the medium you’re working with is less reliable. Secondly that’s backed up by less less runners
I think objectively I could see 2 problems. Firstly the medium you’re working with is less reliable. Secondly that’s backed up by less less runners
That's definitely the case on ice, much less so for snowed up rock.
Great thread. I still dabble but used to do more back in the 90s.
I remember driving up from Newcastle to Fort William, bivying in a scrubby wood in Glen Nevis overnight then doing the epic walk in to the Ben and Climbing Green Gully. Our first proper winter route and with a 45m single rope. It was basically run-out-full-rope / belay / repeat for the full route. And I took a big block of ice to the face from a party above as well so looked like I'd been into a car crash when we walked into MacDonalds in Fort William that evening (and ordered 2 Big Mac meals each). Then drove back to Newcastle.
Happy days.
Ampthill, I think grade eleven in winter is a decent enough standard!
I think he meant grade II (grade 2)??
Got the season started last Friday in amazing weather on Fingers Ridge.
Was thinking that looked stiff for a grade 1/2, then realised I was getting my Fingers and Fiachals mixed up 🙂
Postie stuck a note through the door saying he'll try again to deliver my new Nomics tomorrow. Still can't decide if it's a stupid waste of money...
New Sportiva Cubes last year, so need to get out and use them..
If anyone fancies a bit of dry tooling at Masson or Hodge, or some proper stuff lakes or Wales if we get any then let me know
I meant II not 11
So yes grade 2 🤦♀️
Postie stuck a note through the door saying he’ll try again to deliver my new Nomics tomorrow.
I liked my old ones a lot, especially as I got them for free* but the pommel design on the new ones put me off. I have Cassin X-dream Alpine now which are great apart from the stupid name.
* a mate had 2 with wobbly heads, I fixed both and kept one, the other another mate found on The Ben.
Less good but still definitely winter (just) in the the Northern Corries.
Spin
Force of habit has me buying adze and semi hammer for the Nomics.... Is that a waste of time?