Author Archives: Simon Richardson

About Simon Richardson

Simon Richardson is a passionate Scottish winter climber

Hostage to Fortune

We had big plans for a route in one of the great east facing corries of Braeriach, but despite a good forecast, the weather had other ideas. When Roger Webb and I started cycling up Glen Einich early on Sunday … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Ice Climbing in the Sun

Since New Year’s Day it’s been a lean time in the Scottish mountains with astonishingly high temperatures for early January. The crags have been largely stripped with just easier gullies in the high corries remaining intact. On the plus side, … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes | Tagged , | Comments Off on Ice Climbing in the Sun

Clova Comes Up Trumps

January 1 was forecast to be a good day in the East, so Henning Wackerhage and I arranged to meet up in Glen Clova. We both had (party) commitments the night before which we meant we couldn’t meet up before … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Clova Comes Up Trumps

Stormy Week

The weather over the Christmas –New Year holiday period was very challenging with high winds putting the hills out of bounds for much of the time (for sensible folk at least). Rather frustratingly, the fluctuating temperatures were on the cool … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes, Winter Conditions | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Good Travel into Beinn a’Bhuird

Neil Silver and Simon Yearsley added a good new route on Beinn a Bhuird on December 27. “I’d always wanted to have a look at Dividing Buttress on this beautiful and remote mountain (no new routes had been added to … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Good Travel into Beinn a’Bhuird

Free Tibet!

Jonathan Preston and Andy Nisbet made a repeat (and first free ascent) of Potala Buttress, in Toll an Lochain of An Teallach, on December 27. “It was a route that had always interested me, in that it was the only … Continue reading

Posted in Repeats | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Free Tibet!

The Thread of Doom

Andy Nisbet is on a roll at the moment and has made a series of good ascents during this unsettled period of weather. Scottish winter climbing has always been about being in the right place at the right time, and … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Thread of Doom

The Copenhagen Interpretation

On November 3, Blair Fyffe made the probable first winter ascent of Blue-Nosed Baboon on Garadh Buttress on Ben Nevis. This summer VDiff went at a winter grade of V,5 and is described on Blair’s excellent blog. Whilst climbing this … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Copenhagen Interpretation

The End of the World

The wild weather, high winds and deep snow has shut down almost all winter climbing over the past few days, but yesterday the indomitable Andy Nisbet added a couple of new routes to Beinn Fhada with Jonathan Preston and Dave … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The End of the World

Even Better Conditions on An Teallach

Andy Nisbet returned to An Teallach on December 18 with Jonathan Preston and Dave McGimpsey to make a fine addition to one of Scotland’s largest cliffs. Here is Andy’s story: “There was so much snow on An Teallach a week … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Even Better Conditions on An Teallach