Avoiding chandeliers
Hells-lum-The Chancer (VI)
Is this winter never going to end? I hope not! Yet another great two days, this time with Richard.
Over to Hells Lum on Saturday, as I’d heard the Chancer (VI) had been done last week. Are we too late? We will see.
Richard and I climbed up the Goat track and on across to Hells Lum. The snow was thick but soft and the day was warm and reasonable (for summer rock climbing).
It would be Richard’s first route on the ‘Lum’ and if the Chancer was in, we’d have a look. That was as far as we got, looking! A detached first pitch, menacing chandeliers all around the second pitch. Not today, Jose!
Richard, taking the lead, made short work of the steep ice (a little soft by now) of the Hells Lum Gully (ii) and we were soon re-crossing the plateau and back down the Goat track. The forecast was for colder conditions and more snow on the morrow.
Hells Lum - the steep lower pitch
I met up again with Richard at Aonoch Mor Gondola station on Sunday morning and the east face beckoned us. Unfortunately, the lift operators were only allowing staff to take the four-man chair, as it was too windy for the public to use it(?). There were around thirty climbers making the long trudge up from the Gondola station that morning, and I lagged a little behind by the time some (but not all) of the younger climbers had crested the ridge. There was some snow in the air and it was quite windy. We decided we wanted a fairly quick and uneventful day today.
Down Easy Gully and across to Left Twin. It looked good, and I hoped for firm snow/ice.
The initial pitch was straightforward and I soon had Richard in the in-situ gear on the stance. Now the big pitch. Slightly irritated by another leader catching me up, then climbing alongside and past me, I switched off from him and gradually made height on this long but superb pitch. Four screws and a good tape sling for runners and I trended left after the steep section to a good-sized block for my belay. As I brought Richard up, I watched as a guy led a right-hand variant to Left Twin, looking much steeper and Grade IV, apparently? My Grade III was enough for today.
Aonach Mor - Left twin (III)
Richard climbed smoothly as usual on this pretty steep but solid pitch. He took over the leading for the easier and recently-travelled top pitch to the summit plateau, placing a good Deadman runner near the finish, this just in case there were problems at the cornice? This proved unfounded but I was happier anyway.
The wind had dropped on the plateau but everything was quite damp now. Time to head down for an early bath.
Poor weather, more snow, lower temperatures, all to come next week. Great news!