Eastern Slant, Aonach Dubh

I was back out with Wes and Sean today. Our original plan was to head up to Stob Coire nan Lochan, but with a number of teams making their way up there, we decided to peel off the path and enjoy a bit of solitude on Far East Buttress on Aonach Dubh instead.

The normal start to the route, which follows a steep groove struggles to fully freeze, and so rather than climb unfrozen turf, we climbed a few meters to the left, up a series of small rocky ledges, which was in much better condition. The second pitch is brilliant, and involves quite a long and sustained traverse, with interesting moves and good protection. The final pitch is definitely the crux, and tackles a short, steep chimney, again, with great protection and good hooks where needed.

Wes and Sean thoroughly enjoyed the route, and found it a bit more relaxing than yesterday’s adventure (which they still enjoyed, but perhaps with a slight bias towards retrospective enjoyment rather than immediate enjoyment).