Category Archives: Commentary

CIC Hut Winds

Posted on December 20, 2011 by Simon Richardson

James Dunn, who was in the CIC Hut on Ben Nevis together with Greg Boswell and Will Sim on December 8, has put together a brief video of the wind that day, and the damage to the CIC Hut roof. … 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 →

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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 →

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Revisiting the Third Man

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Simon Richardson

Andy Nisbet and Helen Rennard notched up their first winter ascents of the season with an ascent of The Third Man (IV,6) on the Northern Corries, on Thursday October 20. This was the first time that Andy had climbed the … Continue reading →

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Trilogy Traverse

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Simon Richardson

The first snows arriving on the Scottish hills last week reminded me of a recent conversation I had with Brian Davison. Brian is probably best known for the first winter ascent of Mort on Lochnagar. When he climbed it with … Continue reading →

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The View From The Other Side

Posted on June 6, 2011 by Simon Richardson

When Ines Papert and Charly Fritzer visited Scotland last February they were accompanied by German photographer Hans Hornberger. Hans has just compiled a brief video that captures some of the highlights of the trip including Charly making the second ascent … Continue reading →

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2011 Winter Season Review

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Simon Richardson

As temperatures shoot up across the country, winter is receding fast, so let’s take a look back on what has been a truly extraordinary Scottish winter season. Before attempting to single out any individual performances or trends, the part the … Continue reading →

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Doug Lang (1941 – 2011)

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Simon Richardson

Iain Small and I had just descended from the Ben the Saturday before last when we heard the terrible news that Doug Lang had been found dead in an avalanche in Coire Fee earlier that morning. The short message on … Continue reading →

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Darth Vader – Alternative Finishes

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Simon Richardson

Simon Yearsley sent me the above photo the other day asking me to clarify the finish to Darth Vader, so I’ve labelled the exits of DV and its surrounding climbs as they were climbed on the first ascents. I suspect … Continue reading →

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