Monthly Archives: February 2019

Alex Runciman (1960 – 2019)

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Simon Richardson

Grahame Nicoll’s atmospheric photograph of Alex Runciman perched above the misty void on Number Three Gully Buttress (III) on Ben Nevis is one of my favourite winter climbing images. It is no coincidence that it was published in both the … Continue reading →

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Heavy Flak on Beinn Eighe

Posted on February 19, 2019 by Simon Richardson

Murdoch Jamieson and Uisdean Hawthorn pulled of a notable first winter ascent when they climbed Heavy Flak on Beinn Eighe on February 2. This summer E1 on the Eastern Ramparts was first climbed by Geoff Cohen and Murray Hamilton in … Continue reading →

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Blackmount Wall

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Simon Richardson

The heavy snowfall at the end of January fell without any wind and coated the Scottish mountains with a uniform layer of powder snow. This was a boon for skiers, but for classic winter climbing it needed to consolidate a … Continue reading →

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Far East Vishnu

Posted on February 14, 2019 by Simon Richardson

On January 30, Murdoch Jamieson and Guy Robertson added an excellent winter-only line on the Far East Wall of Beinn Eighe. One Man’s Mountain takes the obvious left-facing corner right of Vishnu. “Guy had tried it many years ago with Pete … Continue reading →

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Andy Nisbet (1953 – 2019)

Posted on February 9, 2019 by Simon Richardson

The British climbing community is reeling from news of the deaths of Andy Nisbet and Steve Perry on Ben Hope on February 5. All climbing accidents are tragic, but this one cuts deep to the core of who we are … Continue reading →

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Steve Perry (1971 – 2019)

Posted on February 8, 2019 by Simon Richardson

The terrible accident on Ben Hope on February 5 robbed Scotland of two of its finest climbers. The exact details will never be known, but it seems likely that Steve Perry and Andy Nisbet fell from the upper section of … Continue reading →

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Fives Wall

Posted on February 5, 2019 by Simon Richardson

When Iain Small suggested we pay a visit to Number Five Gully Buttress on the Ben, I was intrigued. This steep diamond-shaped wall nestled between Number Five Gully and Ledge Route has a south-easterly aspect and rarely holds winter conditions … Continue reading →

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Skye Twin Pack for Sakano and Bishop

Posted on February 5, 2019 by Simon Richardson

Masa Sakano and Tom Bishop had two excellent days climbing on Skye at the end of last week, which resulted in the ascent of an unclimbed gully in Coire Scamadal and a new Direct Start to the rarely climbed Franklands’s … Continue reading →

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Boswell Makes Third Ascent of Anubis

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Simon Richardson

Big news from the weekend was the third ascent of Anubis (XII,12) on Ben Nevis by Greg Boswell. The first winter ascent of this overhanging summer E8 on The Comb was made by Dave MacLeod in February 2010. It is … Continue reading →

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