Hi Alan, hope you're enjoying the southern Spring!We talked about this recently and thought that October ice climbing was a remnant of the pre-global warming era. Well, it's good to know that it's not all over yet!105 years to the day after Raeburn, Walker and Walker's first ascension of this Gully on Creag Meagaidh, I repeated the feat. I must admit that it was marginal and scrappy lower down but nevertheless provided some interesting challenges and doubtful moments!Higher up things got better but the water was still running underneath and the hollow squeaky sound from the ice made me traverse left onto the buttress at the crux pitch.Nonetheless it felt like Winter and I was immersed in each difficulty that the thin conditions threw at me.The final pitch was easy as the NE wind had ensured there was no cornice and alas it was all over much too soon.I hope the pics turn out OK - You can see how much the ice is trying to form - Smiths and higher up Ritchies had a lot of ice forming.- it probably won't last long though as things are due to warm up - but what a great start!I was too tired to do much today so went for a walk up Ben Vorlich - no pics as I left the camera in the car but still a really nice end to a birthday weekend.Best regards.

I guess this was the first October ascent of Raeburns gully this century - 105 years to the day after the first ascent by Raeburn, Walker and Walker.As you can see - lot's of ice forming early in the season..It's a great start to a hopefully long season!
Ken