Soll - Ski Welt, March 18th-24th 2012.

Another sunny day on top of the Hohe Salve. Myself, Martin, Eddie, Brian, Katie, Mick and Steph, had a top week in Soll. Very warm in the afternoons, with the home run getting choppy sometimes but all ski-able.   

Avalanche debris on the lower slopes of the Hohe Salve. We weren't sure if it was natural or man made? We did hear various blasts during the week so maybe the Ski Welt people thought with the mild weather it was safer to release some of the snow higher up. 

Somewhere below the avalanche site, on the way back to Soll near the Siller lift.

Oops!

Mick and Steph, showing off their new skills in the main bowl by the Stockalm, Hexen6er, Rinner and Salvenmoos lifts.

Empty slopes below the Hohe Salve chairs.

Nice view over to Westendorf from the Hohe Salve again.

Snow angels or exhaustion?

The small church at the top of the Itter gondola. I'm ashamed to say that this is the first time I've bothered to go over to it in the six years or so that we've been coming here!

Martin, Steph, Mick, Katie, Brian and Eddie, on the eight man automatic chair at Scheffau.

Martin, Katie and Eddie, out with the huskies at the Igloos and Ice Bar at Brixen im Thale.

"Which one is the toilet?"

Katie and Brian enjoy a non existent drink in the ice bar! (bit pricey). 

It's nice inside, but everyone was outside in the sun.

Mick and Steph in one of the ice bar's "booths". Note the skins on the seats.

The "instructors", haha.

High on one of the Alm hut roofs over in Westerndorf.

This late in the season you have to expect some varied piste conditions.

Thankfully it was just ski-able across to Westerndorf.

Westerndorf summit cross with ski tracks along the arete!

Threading the Needle, 11th March 2012.

With the prospect of little in the way of winter climbing (at our level !), myself and Ian decided on some easy-ish scrambling in the Lakes. The forecast was also a bit better further south and so we headed for Seathwaite with The Climbers Traverse, a "threading of the needle" and Sphinx Ridge. The walk via the alternative path alongside Taylorforth Gill was pleasant but sweaty in the unusually warm weather, and the Climbers Traverse was equally enjoyable. The low cloud came and went as we approached Napes Needle and we finally got a view of our route between the needle and the crag behind. The way up between the Needle and the main crag needs some squirming and grunting to get up before a brief rest on some blocks before the tricky (in the wet) downclimb.    

As it turned out, it was damp in the shaded side of the needle and together with the very polished rocks we didn't fancy trusting our boots on the greasy rock. We had put harnesses on in case of this so all we had to do was get out the 30m roped, place it round one of the blocks and abseil down.  

Ian abbing down through the gloom on the other side of the needle. We then made our way around the face of the crag to the Dress Circle for a well earned cuppa!  

Sadly there were no views of the Scafell's to be had through the cloud and there was only just a view of Napes Needle itself.

  Somehow I managed to draw blood, either on the way up through the needle or on the abseil down! 

 Sphinx Rock through the cloud and Sphinx Ridge behind it. There are various descriptions for getting onto the ridge, but in the past, in good weather I have tackled it direct from behind the Sphinx. Most guides have it as a grade 2 scramble, however today it proved really awkward and needed a bit of a cheat by pulling on some gear as we climbed up to the right of the slab into a notch in the first tower!? I can only guess I went left up the more exposed slab to the left the last time I did it? Obviously the more direct route is harder ,maybe Diff or V-Diff? 

 We did see a (very small!) brocken spectre further up the ridge though.

After the enjoyable scramble up Westmorland Crags, we were rewarded with a cloud inversion over Styhead and Wasdale, with the Scafell's in the distance.

Looking over to Langdale with Harrison Stickle and Pike of Stickle and Windermere behind.

Some of the locals down in Seathwaite.

They Say Anyone Can Play Guitar: Finlayson D-1G - My Brand New Guitar

 Check out this new blog from a friend of mine who's just starting his journey to rock'n'roll stardom, including a dodgy video of me trying to play his new acoustic in the shop, (jeez).  

They Say Anyone Can Play Guitar: Finlayson D-1G - My Brand New Guitar: Armed with plectrums in our pockets my friend and I went shopping today - and I got my first guitar . It's a standard dreadnought style acou...

Ben Nevis - Ledge Route and Carn Mor Dearg Arete - 12th Januray 2012

A 4.30am start from Edinburgh got us to the North Face car park at about 7.30 ish and already it was filling up fast! A ninety trek up to the CIC Hut was made easier by the new path and soon we were at the foot of No 5 Gully, just in front of the crowds gearing up behind us. It was quite gloomy and the low cloud looked like spoiling the day and with no view of the Carn Mor Dearg arete, we were doubtful as to it's condition and whether it was worth doing?      

Willy heading up towards No 5 Gully across old avalanche debris. 

"Wise man of the mountains". Willy taking in the (gloomy) view at the base of the first ramp.

We took gear and a rope, but the snow was good and the first ramp was well covered including the small step up near the top which was hardly noticeable. 

The whole route was well covered, and after the "wall" section which only bare at its very end, the rocky spine opened out into a fine broad arete before the final steeper section.  

Gordon on the the final section.This is a little steeper but offers no great difficulties with plenty of snow and a brief glimpse of sunshine through the cloud at the top.

At the top of the Ledge Route, Carn Dearg, we made our way around to the summit, passing all the gullies and buttresses and attempting to identify them. The easiest is No 4 Gully seen here. Easy because it has it's (in)famous marker post!  

At this point the cloud lifted to reveal an amazing cloud inversion with views of all the major Ben Nevis landmarks which prompted some frantic happy snapping!  

There were some amazing and very large overhanging cornices on most gullies. This one on No 3 Gully seems to almost draw you in!  

Almost alone on the final slopes to the summit plateau.

Considering the weather and the busy car park, we expected the summit to be alot busier, although I suppose most climbers avoid it if they can.

The Ben Nevis summit shelter surrounded by a sea of snow.

Looking over the north face towards Aonach Mor and the CMD Arete (closest). I was trying to create a broken spectre, bottom left, but I couldn't get close enough to the edge to get my shadow inside it!  

Glenshee - skiing, 5th February 2012.

Top of the Tiger chair (Cairnwell), open at last!

The new Baddoch chairlift saves some time getting up to the Cairnwell Cafe.

Looking back across to the Cairnwell and the racetrack from the top of Butcharts Poma.



Caenlochan poma up to Coire Fionn.



Looking somewhere back towards the Spittal from the Caenlochan poma.

Trying to ski and film going down the gully at the bottom of Coire Fionn!

Where is Curved Ridge!? 29th Janaury 2012.

After a dark-o-clock start, myself, Gordon, Mark and Willy arrived at the Lagangarbh car park at about 0715. We kitted up in the dark and set off in search of Curved Ridge. As we walked in and it became light we started to get a little concerned about actually finding the start in the very low hill fog that was shrouding the Buchaille. Having done Curved Ridge several times in summer, we knew it can be a bit tricky at the best of times to spot it from below (it's easy from the road though!).   

A brief stop in the gloom by the Waterslide Slab. Even here visibility was still poor.  Our first mistake was to go a little too far past the slab before ascending and heading back right to end up above it. However giving the very poor visibility, I'm not sure we would've found the base of the route that easily anyhow. As it was it soon became clear (and so did visibility - briefly) that we were too far left with the possibility of ending up on D Gully Buttress. In the end, discretion became the better part of valour and we traversed and descended back to the Waterslide area of the mountain, still with no clear view of anything above us.
As it was, we had the ropes out and placed the odd runner here and there to keep things safe, plus a belay or two for some tricky "lowers", and eventually made our way back to the car.   

     

We decided to stop at the Kings House Hotel for a refreshment almost got a clear view of the Buchaille in the company of a Deer Stag in the hotel car park!
As they say, you win some, you lose some and in the end we did the right thing by not blindly continuing up onto to possibly more dangerous ground. 

Deer Stag keeping a close eye on us whilst he poses for the camera!