Author Archives: Simon Richardson

About Simon Richardson

Simon Richardson is a passionate Scottish winter climber

Exploring Stob Ban

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Simon Richardson

After being battered by wind and blizzards whilst climbing on Ben Nevis last Saturday, Helen Rennard and I were looking for an easier option for Sunday December 4. The forecast was for more snow and strong winds, so after a … Continue reading →

Posted in New Routes | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

All Alone on Aonach Dubh

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Simon Richardson

James Roddie has been exploring the crags of Glen Coe for a couple of years now, often as bold solo outings. His latest adventure was on Monday December 5, when he made the first ascent of Number 3 Gully Rib … Continue reading →

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Defenders of the Faith – Second Ascent

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Simon Richardson

Breaking News – I’ve just received a text from Greg Boswell to say that he has made the second ascent (on sight) of Defenders of the Faith (IX,9) today (December 6) with Will Sim. This route climbs the overhanging right … Continue reading →

Posted in Repeats | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Busy Weekend on The Ben

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Simon Richardson

When Helen Rennard and I walked up to the CIC Hut early on Saturday morning (December 3), we were expecting to find it empty. Instead, we found it full of the stars of the 2011 Scottish Tooling Series. They had … Continue reading →

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The Grade IX Tick List

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Simon Richardson

A remarkable aspect of last season was the number of Grade IX routes that were on sighted.  Previously, only a handful of routes at this level had ever been climbed on sight, but last winter we saw an unprecedented eight … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary | Tagged | 21 Comments

Full Winter Season Finally Begins!

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Simon Richardson

The unseasonably warm November temperatures came to an abrupt end on Friday November 25 with snow down to low levels across the Highlands accompanied by biting north-westerly gales. Dorsal Arête (II) on Stob Coire nan Lochan in Glen Coe saw … Continue reading →

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The Number Four Gully Marker Post Saga

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Simon Richardson

For some inexplicable reason, the marker post at the head of Number Four Gully on Ben Nevis was removed last week and flung down the gully. A few days later on November 14, in a very public-spirited act, it was … Continue reading →

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Rarely in Condition Winter Classics

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Simon Richardson

There is an interesting thread running on UKC at the moment compiling a list of rarely in condition Scottish winter classics. The concept is a paradox of course – a route cannot really be deemed a classic until it has … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Winter Conditions | Tagged , | 6 Comments

The Cuillin Ridge – A Winter’s Traverse

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Simon Richardson

So, what were you doing in early March 2010? You may well have been climbing on the Ben – the Minus Face was superbly iced at the time – but another venue that was in prime winter condition was The … Continue reading →

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Book Review – Skye The Cuillin

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Simon Richardson

I’ll start off by stating that I’m not particularly qualified to review this new guidebook. An infrequent visitor to Skye, I’ve only climbed a handful of routes in the Cuillin, and I only finally got around to traversing the Ridge … Continue reading →

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