Author Archives: Simon Richardson

About Simon Richardson

Simon Richardson is a passionate Scottish winter climber

Crazy Eyes – Second Ascent

A significant ascent on January 14 (one of the finest winter climbing days of the season so far) was the first repeat of Crazy Eyes (VIII,9) on the Far East Wall of Beinn Eighe by Murdoch Jamieson and Andy Inglis. … Continue reading

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The Prentice Pillar

On January 14, Iain Small and Helen Rennard made an excellent addition to Church Door Buttress in Glen Coe. They climbed the obvious fault on the lower front (west) face, just right of last season’s route Hoargasm (VII,8) climbed by … Continue reading

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South Trident Link-Up

Saturday January 14 was an excellent day for winter climbing in the Scottish Highlands and a number of excellent ascents were made. One of the most interesting climbs was a link up on South Trident Buttress on Ben Nevis. “I … Continue reading

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Clockwork Orange

Southern Highlands aficionado Stuart McFarlane is nearing the end of his quest to climb all the Grade V routes in the Southern Highlands. “After the strong north-westerlies had been blowing hard for a few days, I arranged to go climbing … Continue reading

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Creagan Cha-no Additions

“We had a cracking day out on Creagan Cha-no on Thursday (January 5),” Jon (Nettle) Foden writes. “Although conditions were thin on the trade routes, by sticking to the shady side of the buttresses Ivor McCourt and I managed to … Continue reading

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Topsy-Turvy

The topsy-turvy season continues. A brief thaw on January 3 followed by a dry cold snap was not the best recipe for good winter climbing. The Scottish mountains are unusually dry at the moment and the freeze thaws should be … Continue reading

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Cat and Mouse

The cat and mouse game of finding good winter climbing conditions continues. The forecast icy blast on New Years Day promised much for January 2, but the snowfall was significantly less than predicted and mainly limited to the Cairngorms and … Continue reading

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Blink And You Miss It

“Blink and You Miss It!” Mark Chadwick exclaimed on Facebook after making a well timed ascent of an attractively rimed Auricle (VI,7) in Coire an Lochain with Duncan Hodgson. Following the Christmas Day thaw and Boxing Day storm, winter conditions … Continue reading

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Winter on The Sentinel

This winter continues to be a frustrating one. A cold snap before Christmas saw Sophie Grace Chapell and I heading for the Southern Sector of Lochnagar. The buttresses on the left side corrie have a westerly aspect, which makes them … Continue reading

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Lean Times in Raeburn’s Gully

Before the high pressure properly set in at the beginning of December there were some fine days with cool nights. Winter climbing looked pretty hopeless, but the deep gullies high in the Cairngorms kept a little snow and ice. Several … Continue reading

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