Monthly Archives: January 2017

Snow At Last!

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Simon Richardson

Saturday’s (January 28) snowfall brought many of the higher cliffs into winter condition at the weekend. Ben Nevis was busy with many of the Early Season favorites such as Gargoyle Wall, The Clanger, Cutlass and Sidewinder seeing ascents. Notable ascents … Continue reading →

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Give and Take on Ben Nevis

Posted on January 28, 2017 by Simon Richardson

We are going through a very unhelpful weather cycle at the moment where snowfalls are followed by rapid thaws and the resulting dry conditions are locked by high pressure systems for days. We desperately need significant snowfall and a rapid … Continue reading →

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Crazy Eyes – Second Ascent

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Simon Richardson

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

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Simon Richardson

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

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Simon Richardson

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

Posted on January 21, 2017 by Simon Richardson

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

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Simon Richardson

“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

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Simon Richardson

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

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Simon Richardson

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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