Author Archives: Simon Richardson

About Simon Richardson

Simon Richardson is a passionate Scottish winter climber

Winter Begins

Winter has come early to the Scottish Highlands with a sharp cold snap and snow to low levels. Only a dusting of snow fell in the West, but the Cairngorms took the full blast of the northerly winds and the … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes, Winter Conditions | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Winter Begins

Nanga Parbat’s Mazeno Ridge

On July 15, Rick Allen and Sandy Allan succeeded in making the first ascent of the Mazeno Ridge on Nanga Parbat (8126m). This 13km-long route was first attempted in the 1970s and was widely considered to be one of the … Continue reading

Posted in Commentary | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Nanga Parbat’s Mazeno Ridge

End of Season Catch Up

Now the winter season is finally over (yes, it was still going strong four weeks ago in the Cairngorms), I’m conscious that there are several notable routes I have not reported. Although I strive to cover significant events through the … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes, Repeats | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Winter Season Finally Ends

With warmer temperatures now sweeping across the country, it looks like the 2011-2012 winter climbing season is finally coming to an end. The last six weeks have been unusually cold for the time of year, which has led to resumption … Continue reading

Posted in Repeats, Winter Conditions | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Winter Season Finally Ends

Book Review – Great Mountain Days in Scotland

Dan Bailey first appeared on the publishing scene in 2006 with Scotland’s Mountain Ridges. This appealing and attractive guidebook (more like a medium format book), which is well illustrated with OS-style maps and good colour illustrations, brings together the finest … Continue reading

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged | Comments Off on Book Review – Great Mountain Days in Scotland

Winter Continues

Cool temperatures and consistent snowfalls late last week resulted in some worthwhile late season mixed climbing conditions last weekend. Confirmed winter addict Guy Robertson tempted Andy Inglis out for some late season Northern Corries action on Sunday April 29 resulting … Continue reading

Posted in Repeats | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Winter Continues

Welcome to The Simulator

On Sunday April 22, Guy Robertson and I made a trip into Garbh Choire on Beinn a’Bhuird. This is always a special place to visit, especially so in winter, and we had a long day climbing a route on the … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Welcome to The Simulator

Winter – Not Quite Over Yet!

Winter has returned with a vengeance to the Scottish hills and there have been a variety of routes climbed in the Cairngorns and on Ben Nevis. In the Northern Corries, Fallout Corner, The Message, Fingers Ridge and Sidewinder have all … Continue reading

Posted in Repeats, Winter Conditions | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Winter – Not Quite Over Yet!

A Sniff of Winter

Almost without fail there is a cold snap at the end of every winter season. This year, the length and severity of it has come as a bit of a shock, especially after the warm weather at the end of … Continue reading

Posted in New Routes | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on A Sniff of Winter

A Ghost of a Chance

On Wednesday April 4, Craig Lamb and Joel Paterson took advantage of the recent icy blast with a well-timed visit to the Southern Sector on Lochnagar. After the recent warm temperatures (the week before folk were rock climbing on Dubh … Continue reading

Posted in Winter Conditions | Tagged , , | Comments Off on A Ghost of a Chance