Cornice Capers

Hi Alan,

The Ben is GOOD...
With the prospect of good cold, calm and sunny weather according to the forecast we headed your way. We needed a rest from the climbing and skiing in the 'Gorms. It wasn't quite the perfect day envisaged due to the biting easterly winds and cloud on the Ben's summit BUT the ice conditions were fantastic. We changed our original plans due to the amount of spindrift coming off the Orion face, Zero and Point Five and the fresh windslab build-up. It was too cold to hang around anyway! So we ploughed up Observatory Gully towards Smith's Route which looked and was stunning with good 1st time axe placements and ice screws where you wanted them, apart from the very top of the RH icicle - sure I took the left hand one the last time, though it was too thin...! Fi found that bit fun and got her own back by making sure I got
the cornice!

We met Bruce on his ski traverse from the Grey Corries and were rather envious of his speedy descent down the Red Burn though he wasn't really dressed for hanging around - not seen ski boots that colour for years either;-)

Anyway lots of good lines in condition though the traverse out from the basin on the Orion looked very thin? Zero Gully, Observatory Ridge, Hadrian's, Sickle Point Five, Tower Scoop, Indicator Wall, Kellet's Route, Cascade upper and Lower, Green Gully, Two Step Corner, Glovers, White Line etc. etc. were all looking good. However, some of the lower ice falls such
as the Curtain are now non existent.

The snow cover is fantastic. The best I've seen for some time and it was nice to descent the whole way from the summit plateau down to the CIC hut. It saves the knees no end. BTW the new NF path is great... Several of the classic ice routes should last into May so we'll be back a few times soon. I've uploaded a video to YouTube of our day out and it includes rarely seen footage of my advanced cornice technique please don't laugh... !


Kind regards,

Ron Walker