Kevin Rutherford MIC

Hill and climbing conditions for the Scottish Highlands.

www.ecossemountains.co.uk

Winter Courses - Winter Skills, Winter Mountaineering, Winter Climbing & Norway Ice based in Rjukan

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Ben Nevis

Winter work just finished on Sunday with a day on Ben Nevis with Colin. After a lot of chat in the North Face car park and watching big squally showers passing by we finally decided to wander up to the CIC hut. There had been a lot fresh snow overnight and it felt windier than the forecast. Teams were on Hadrians and Point 5, Hadrians looked ok but Point 5 looked very white with a lack of ice?after some safe route finding and snow pack observations we finally made it to Tower Scoop which was in great condition with fat blue ice, routes above here like Smiths and Indicator Right Hand also were holding blue ice. 2 quick steep pitches and a great bum slide got us back down to the CIC hut safely before further big squally showers passed through dropping what felt like bucket loads of hail and graupel. Winter work has finished but winter on the hill hasn't, your always learning in the winter environment. Big thanks to everyone over the winter for the work, support, chat, banter......