Ben Nevis is definitely my favorite Scottish Mountain in the winter. Not only is it the highest but it’s got pretty much every climb you could ask for; Gully’s, mixed, icy faces and brilliant ridges.
On Thursday the weather forecast was good, the avalanche conditions were stabilising and it was time to tackle a bigger route and finally get to the summit after several windy days had discouraged us from heading up there.
I met my dad at the CIC hut in the morning and after a quick bowl of tea and a gear sort we were at the Douglas gap gully for 10.00am. There were a few other teams starting the ridge including a couple of guided parties so it was a good social ascent.
Tower ridge is a fantastic climb, alpine in nature with twists and turns, ascents and descents, and on a day like Thursday with good views and weather it’s hard to beat.
We caught up with team Devon just before the eastern traverse and followed them from there to the summit, it was great to top out with Joe, Jeremy and Kev who were overjoyed at having completed their dream route for the week.
There was a little slip coming down the abseil post descent at the back of Coire Leis. Fatigue and hard neve snow were to blame. No one was seriously hurt but it does remind everyone how careful you need to be, especially on the descent after a long climb. We were all back at the hut pretty soon though, safe and sound.
Tower Ridge and the NE buttress from the CIC hut
Approaching the Great tower
Joe Bellows seconding, and leading the Eastern Traverse
Mike Bradford after the Eastern Traverse
Axe belay at the Great tower, only the "gap" to go
Joe, Jeremy and Kev at the summit (nice views too)
It was an excellent day, and a pleasure to be climbing with my original mentor/motivator once again.
On Friday the Devon crowd were heading home, and it was the last day of good weather. The wind was due to increase throughout the day so a shortish route was called for to escape the wind by lunchtime.
I climbed with another Devon climber, Lou who was pretty excited at the prospect of her second ever Ben Nevis route. We choose Castle ridge which is a shorter version of Tower ridge in a way. Lot’s of moving together and a few short harder sections saw us at the top of the ridge where we turned right and headed back down the the shelter of the valley. Not such a nice day weather wise but a great route that I hadn’t done before.
Lou starting the first section on Castle ridge
The crux pitch on Castle Ridge
Goggles and belay jacket on, the upper ridge.
