Winters back

15 January 2012

Wintery on the tops today with the ground well frozen and patches of ice and bomber hard neve on Ben Donic. This is a great hill for a short day with lots of interesting rock features. Jane did well as we led the way in the mist and high wind chill to the summit for soup, coffee and cake ! Craig was having a Simply Epic mountain biking day with Peter and co. http://outactive.blogspot.com and Bill was having a well earned rest...

 

 

The Germans are coming ...

6am, A82, 8º, stag keeping roadside watch, wave to the lucky tree, head-torch, North Buttress ... 8am Daylight, route stripped, we head to North East Zig-Zags. This is a Jimmy Marshall route that terminates on North Buttress (I don’t know anyone who has climbed this). Pitch one and I "bail", it looked wintery but it was all slush. We swim down Crowberry Gully and across to Curved Ridge. This is the 3rd time I have climbed this route in 6 weeks. I agree with Craig, it`s a great route that goes in any condition and always provides “sport”. For sport we climb and move together till after the "open book corner, " then “bail” (bailing is often more exciting that climbing). 3 full length abseils and some down-climbing made for an interesting and exciting day.