Hey up, here are some pics of the Ben to encourage folk North !!

Cheers Dan

Danny Goodwin





Me, Jim Finnie and Dave Fitzgerald went up Stob Ghabhar yesterday. Dave and I did the classic Upper Couloir in fine alpine conditions. 'Rectum Flutterer' Fitzgerald managed to shorten to the rope so I couldn't include the ice pitch in my run out. Having 'stolen the crux from my grasp' he did at times appear to not enjoy the resultant position (he'll supply the appropriate excuses)! Grand route and excellent approach up the lower couloir…..and we had not only the route but the whole mountain to ourselves.

What a stoater!!!

Regards

Douglas


Dougie,
I was on holiday yesterday, so I just read your e-mail and had a look
at your photo's this morning. Well done Big Guy, but if, as you said, you
had the mountain to yourselves, why is there a lollipop man at the top of
the gully pulling you up?

Cheers ... Lance Legover.





....."What really happened".... according to one member of the party (?)


Now all of the monkeys have gone south with their chalk bags the weather is going ape. Sincerely hope it's not too rainy in North Wales!!


This is part of an old post, but I'd be surprised if the conditions have changed much, in fact they could have improved.

Hey Alan

Henning and I had a fabulous day out on Carn Etchachan last Thursday. Henning led the Guillotine (V,6) via the Route Major approach pitches, and I followed on a nice tight auto-belay. It's a classic Cairngorms route, with lots of delicate hooking and pointing on tiny grains and some nice off-balance torquey corners. And it was in classic Cairngorms nick-- lots of powder, plenty of crud, some frozen turf, almost no usable nevé. It's a wonderful route--Andy Nisbet (who's repeating it tomorrow, he said) is so right to upgrade it from one * to three *** in the new Gorms Guide. And Carn Etchachan/ Shelter Stone is a bigger and better and more atmospheric venue than anything in the Norries. It's only another hour from the top of the Goat Track, yet there was at most one other team in the whole Avon basin.
I should think this weekend will be full-on winter in the Cairngorms as well as the west!


Attached a few photos of 'the Guillotine' which Tim and I did. A very good, adventurous climb with a lot of variety that includes a hard chimney, a cave pitch and a crux overhang right at the top.

Best wishes,

Henning

Flattish walk in compared to the west coast. Good for an easy day!

Why the route is named Guillotine !


Womb-like climbing.


Great views.

Web topos of routes, the way to go in future?


Big crags with a good bivvy at the foot of the routes for hardy folk.



Hi Alan

Hope you're well. You may remember you took me up .5 last winter. I'm
trying to find a partner for an outing in the NW either tomorrow or Tues
- I wondered whether you might be able to advertise this on your
conditions page?

Regards,

Mark