Smiler Cuthbertson - Mountain Guide

Monday morning blues? Not us!

Anne drove west and met me in Inverness and we sped off to check out a crag (new to me). What have I been doing? Why had I not climbed here before?

Jetty Buttress, on Gruinard Bay. Access was less than it takes to get from the car to Tescos. However, it WAS raining most of the way across, and I had doubts on its proclaimed ‘fast to dry’ guidebook statement?

After so many treks up to the Ben this season, it was a delight to step out of a car and rope up, lightly clad and in rock shoes, at last!

With the car parked conveniently on the grassy verge opposite, we scrambled easily up to check out the V.Diffs and Severes noted in the guidebook. These were all higher up and to the left of the main face, which is quite impressive for a small crag.

As with the longer routes on the front, the shorter, more scrappy-looking climbs that we wanted to warm up on were wet and we waited and watched the breeze do its stuff, the weather improving now the rain had ceased. Soon enough, it was no longer possible to wait, so we chose a climb called Route 4 (VS 4c) , which looked reasonably, even if steep? The guidebook says ‘Strenous, a little wet in the back does not affect the standard’. No-one mentioned cold fingers and tricky thrutching up a wet and overhanging chimney!

I got up it but not without some concerns. Anne was quiet on her ascent!

Ok, then. If that’s the way this crag is going to greet me, I’ll take it easier from now on. 

With some sunshine trying to get through, the front face and its longer routes looked more inviting. Lily the Pink (H.S. 4a) was a dream. Lovely incuts and ample protection. This was what we came for. We followed that by the classic of the crag - Anthax Flake (VS 4c) - and although it is very steep at one section, the jugs on the warmer rock, now dry, gave the route some ambience and both Anne and I thought it was a super route.

Now getting into the latter half of the afternoon, I opted for one more route before driving back. Route II (VS 4b) didn’t please us too much as a final climb of the day. The line wasn’t too clear and one could wander into harder ground if not careful.  I opted for the more obvious left-hand alternative (the book said - 4c - poorly protected). but it seemed marginally better than the line further right. I may have been getting a little tired but it did seem harder than 4c (I’ll go back on a warm sunny summer day and re-do it!)

All in all, a great little crag and the central, front wall with the longer and harder routes, looks a magnet for me when better weather comes later in the season.

A great day out.

Smiler.

Another day, another climb. Monday saw me again back on Ben Nevis.  Today, Jo, the wife of David, my good friend and client, wanted some of the recent winter action before it vanished for good until next season.  Too right! David had been having all the fun.

It was too warm and dangerous for gullies or face climbs, and with most of these almost gone from their wintry state now, a repeat of Jo’s ascent of Tower Ridge one summer, many years ago, seemed the best idea.

The big 4 x 4 made mince-meat of the drive up to the Dam car park, and in lovely, spring-like weather, we followed the familiar track up to the CIC hut. No-one in today, in fact we were completely alone on the north side of the mountain.

After a short break above the hut for some drinks and food, we continued across and up to the col above the Douglas Boulder and onto the ridge proper. Dry and warm rock led me to the first belay where the angle eases. Jo was climbing well and soon joined me. We shortened the rope and moved together up the ridge, once more sticking to the steeper, more interesting rock climbing up the early towers, rather than skirting rightwards which I do quite often in full winter conditions.

The climb was going very smoothly. We made a fairly rapid time to the start of the Eastern Traverse, where we had another break and Jo passed me the collection of runners I’d placed along the way.

Looking across the traverse it was once again a simple yet exposed track, with some grass starting to show through. However, the height of the snow traverse had reduced considerably since last week, and I could no longer easily reach the peg runners under the roof, about 20 feet along the ledge. The traverse was simple and therefore I avoided a tricky little climb up to the pegs, as Jo would have an even more difficult and trying time getting up to and back down from these. So ignoring the pegs as protection, I continued across and clipped the good peg a little further along, where a descent is made to the final part of the traverse and around the corner. It’s amazing how, in good weather and no stress, there is time to look around and check out new runner placements. I came across a rock solid anchor, just around the corner, which seemed to shout at me…

 ”Hey. Haven’t you seen me before?”

“No, sorry, I don’t think so. I’ll use you now if I may?”

Turning the sometimes tricky blocks a little higher up proved OK and soon we were at Tower Gap. I pointed down Glovers Chimney.

“ This is where David and I climbed on Monday”.

The well-protected moves across the Gap were great fun. The more I do this section, the more I wonder why, all those early years ago, did I get a little fraught about this section? Maybe because of the snow and ice making it, well,  a little more tricky, and because other climbers still have real problems here, and are often turned back, facing a long descent, often in bad weather and often causing benightment, so don’t gloat I thought!

Today was superb weather and it made a huge difference to the crossing of the gap. We’d only been climbing for a couple of hours from the bottom of the Douglas Boulder and in a further relaxed forty minutes later, Jo and I were chatting to the many walkers on the summit.

We had the usual brief stop here before heading down to the top of No. 4 Gully. Today, the steep top section of the gully was even more laid-back, although I kept the rope on Jo until we were both in easier-angled terrain. Soon we had packed the gear and coiled the rope and were gamboling down to the rocks above the CIC Hut. I like descending No. 4 gully, if conditions are OK, because once down and in the Alt a’ Mhullin, the new track to the car park is effortless, as opposed to the slog down the ZigZags and across the Half-way Lochan.

Oh, by the way! Whoever (a Mr Evetts I think) dropped their Rock Concert tent in Corrie na Ciste, would you please send me the poles?

But if you really want it back, that’s OK by me.

Smiler