Photo: George Reid in .5 Gully by Christel Langeveld
Sunday night saw a team of 3 blokes and a bird walking into the CIC with ridiculously big rucksacks full of essential kit like wine and whiskey. Kirk Watson and Robin Smith, Tom Marshall and myself headed into the Ben for a few wicked days climbing!
Photo: Team on Tower Ridge by Christel Langeveld
On our way in we met Claire, who told us she had been filming Dave MacLeod and Joe French on Don't die of ignorance but she had left them to it as they had been on it for a very long time and it was getting to cold to stand around with the camera and after watching Joe dangling and screaming with pain as Joe ended up in a predicament on the traverse it had been a full on day.
Photo: An overview of the Ben by Christel Langeveld
I met Dave and Joe later as they were coming of the hill properly broken but it had been a success Dave climbed free and Joe did an amazing second, super tough with major complications on the way up as you can read on Dave MacLeod's site. What an inspiration and what a amazing night to come of the hill....the Ben was moonlit and sparkled by the stars...it was an incredible sight.
Photo: Looking into a moonlit Coire Na ciste by Christel Langeveld
On Monday the weather gods were super kind and the teams headed of to their objectives. There were a lot of people on the hill..all arriving with big smiles...and leaving with even bigger ones!!
On our walk into the Comb Gully buttress we saw folks on Italian Climb Right hand which looks wicked, see photo below. People on Tower Ridge, Folks on Vanishing Gully, well people everywhere really.
Photo: Team on Italian Climb right hand by Christel Langeveld
Kirk and I went for Green Gully. A wonderful classic thin on the gear but climbing although cruddy in a few places overall fine and there were even a few ice screw placements on the way. Down no 4 Gully to coffee and biscuits!
Photo: Me topping out Green Gully by Kirk Watson
At night we met Steve Hammond and Nick Arding who had done Orion Face and they were beaming...in super nick at present! Ice screw heaven apparently! Fairy Wyffe (Blair) and Gaz had also been out for an adventure and climbed Hadrian's Wall direct on overall good mountain conditions but kinda cruddy ice and difficult to protect. Many others enjoyed this fine day.
Photo: Could it get much better?...by Christel Langeveld
On Monday evening George Reid came up to join me for a climb on Tuesday. We headed off to do .5 Gully...It has been the best winter climbing day I have ever had!!! We shared out climb with another team from Northampton, Martyn Frost and his mate Niall. They couldn't have been a better team to share the climb with. We had a right social up there. It was great.
Photo: Martyn Frost in .5 Gully. by Christel Langeveld
The climbing was good and the ice pretty all right. The 3rd pitch was a bit hollow and ice axe placements weren't really positive. Feet ballet it was!
Photo: Climbers' tools by Kirk Watson
The upper 3 pitches covered us with spin drift. The snow was good though in the upper section and there was ice to be found for belays. The weather had turned to proper winter just after midday and when we topped out we were in snow blizzard and white out. We had to navigate our way back to Coire Leis. Photo below, George starting the 3rd pitch of .5 Gully.
Photo: George Reid to set off on the 3rd pitch of .5 Gully by Christel Langeveld
At the hut we met the other guys who all had a great day. Kirk, Dan and the famous team of T. Marshall and R. Smith all climbed Smith's route and something else which I can't remember, could have been Zero Gully! Two other guys from CIC climbed Psychedelic Wall, which was thin but good. Tim Blakemore, Steve and Ian climbed Vade Mecum. Miky Brownlow and partner climbed Slav Route after the day before ticked of the Citadel in the Cairngorms! Fit bloke or what? Steve Hammond and Nick Arding climbed Zero Gully and said it was a great route but pretty serious due to the lack of any real security in the form of belays or runners (there was one good belay at the top of the first pitch).
All in all another wicked day for all of us.
On my last day Kirk, Des and I climbed Comb Gully whilst Tom and Rob, Richard and Niall did .5 Gully. When they came back they were on absolute high! They all loved it!!
Photo: .5 Gully by Christel Langeveld
Photo: A close up of .5 Gully by Christel Langeveld
Comb Gully was a great way to finish of my adventure on the Ben this week. Another classic....the first section is a snow plot but then you get to two lovely pitches of fine climbing. Very thin on the gear but that means less faff or hanging around to get it in or out!!! As we topped out it was pee soup again at the top. Plan was descent via no 4 Gully. We didn't pay any attention to where we were going as we were in highly intelligent conversations....so we had relocate and walk back up...three 'professionals' ehh???? Great fun getting ourselves back though.
Photo: Me heading up to start of Green Gully by Kirk Watson
Tim and Ian climbed Cascade today which was in great condition and it was marvelous watching them! There were folks in Vanishing Gully and on Italian Climb right hand. There was a team on Glover's Chimney. Two Step Corner had a team on it and there was a team filming on the top of Number Three Gully Buttress but not sure what they were on.
After coffee and pack up at CIC I had to make my way back down, boohoooo I did not want to go it was so good!!!
Photo: Climber on top section Tower Ridge by Christel Langeveld
Had a lovely walk back to the upper car park where I met Tim who gave me a lift back to North Face car park which meant I could go to climbing wall at night for a wee climbing session to cool down.
As from today it is going to be a busy time with work but I am wonderfully recharged after this beautiful week.
Thanks to Kirk, Tom, Rob, Des and George...You guys have made my week magic!!
Photo: George Reid and I after topping out .5 Gully by Martyn Frost
My advise to all climber maddies out there...go and visit the bonny Ben soon....it is in such wonderful condition...don't miss it!!!! Get out there, live it and love it!!
Have fun out there,
Love,
Christel
Photo: All smiles... by Kirk Watson
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