Every winter picture tells a story

[sparnel]

Hi Dave  -  No, I wasn't lucky enough to get to that area with him...........went to Norway a couple of years ago, to Rjukan, to watch him & a couple of mates ice climbing..........not my scene! Hoping to get back up the Buachaille next weekend. Mind you, there's a fair amount of snow on it this morning and I won't be taking crampons, etc, so there's every chance it will be a low level walk.   Have a good Christmas and New Year and look forward to meeting up with you and the rest of the team in the Spring.

[sparnel]

MWM - our posts near enough clashed.............Rosie is well known to us............son has climbed with her.
If one is into ice climbing then Rjukan is the place to be!  Climbs right from the roadside.
My friend & I spent some time at the former heavy water plant which was the centre of sabotage attempts during the war. Very interesting place.

[ljmeerkat75]

Another great photo mwm hope this is whetting your appetite Dave for our winter climb on Tryfan if the snow ever gets here!!

[Rhino]

Hi Dave  -  No, I wasn't lucky enough to get to that area with him...........went to Norway a couple of years ago, to Rjukan, to watch him & a couple of mates ice climbing..........not my scene! Hoping to get back up the Buachaille next weekend. Mind you, there's a fair amount of snow on it this morning and I won't be taking crampons, etc, so there's every chance it will be a low level walk.   Have a good Christmas and New Year and look forward to meeting up with you and the rest of the team in the Spring.

Its something i want to get into over the next few years after ive built up some more experience and confidence, places like Norway are but a pipe dream at the moment but who knows where i could end up in the coming years. I certainly want to get into Scotland a bit more and in winter conditions so for the next couple of years i need to point the compass in that direction. I cant wait for the next forum meet after the last one and i hope i can make more next year and hopefully will get to Scotland with Dom and some others maybe at some point or on the forum meet later in the year if i can sort some dates out with work. Ill bring some Scotch on the next meet as well Bill, i owe you a few drams 

Another great photo mwm hope this is whetting your appetite Dave for our winter climb on Tryfan if the snow ever gets here!!

Hi luke, the pictures are making me drool    we certainly need the temps to drop and for it to start freezing and then for the snow to arrive but its certainly looking like the new year for sure. A winter ascent of Tryfan is going to be a buzz all right 


Another great pic Stuart 
 

[midweekmountain]

Once again thanks for the comments guys!!!!!!!

Here is a photo of the same route and almost the same bit of the climb with my son doing the climbing. It is in Colorado............

Great stuff, have done a lot of walking/climbing in Colorado but never in winter love the place especially Boulder. Whats the name of the ice climb and where is it?

MWM - our posts near enough clashed.............Rosie is well known to us............son has climbed with her.

Yes its a small world, I have always thought one of the best things about the walking/climbing/mountaineering scene is the fantatic people you meet. Will probably have a few mutual friends.

If one is into ice climbing then Rjukan is the place to be!  Climbs right from the roadside.
My friend & I spent some time at the former heavy water plant which was the centre of sabotage attempts during the war. Very interesting place.

Never been in the old heavy water plant museum but have done loads ice of climbs below it and belayed off its walls many a time.
Probably the best route I have done in that area runs straight down from the museum its called Sabateurfossen!!!!!!!!!

[midweekmountain]

This day out on Great Gable post is slightly different as the words are an excerpt from a contribution to my website by good friend of mine called Peri.


The signs were promising as we arrived at the FRCC hut in Buttermere. A dramatic sunset showed the valley and half-frozen lakes at their best. The hut was vast, warm and well equiped (power showers, mmm...) and we could see snow on the tops.

After a bewildering tour round the labyrinth of stairs and rooms we settled down to beers, guidebooks and planning. George, Jenny, Steve and Jan decided on the classic ridge walk from Red Pike to Scarth Gap, while Carlos and me hitched a lift with Guido, Nick and Matt, (Shaun was not arriving till tomorrow) to the Homister Pass for winter routes on Gable Crag.

Not having renewed the batteries on my alarm watch, I borrowed Guido's for the inevitable sparrowfart start. All too soon I heard it beeping. I felt I had hardly slept, but, anxious to redeem myself after several alcohol induced no-shows over xmas, I sprang up and headed for the bathroom. After a few minutes it still felt like the middle of the night and suspicion grew. I checked first Guido's watch then my own. Both read 12.05am. Guido had accidentally (he claims) set the watch to beep every hour.

The real saturday morning arrived long before dawn, and we headed off in brilliant moonlight.

After the usual heavily laden slog Guido Matt and Nick started up Pinnacle Ridge, a classic grade 3 mixed route, then followed on with Bottleneck Blues, an intimidating looking grade 4. Myself and Carlos had decided on Clark Gable, on the basis of it being an amenable grade (2/3) and relatively easily identifiable . Even so, I found the route finding quite tricky close up, and had to downclimb and try another tack a couple of times. It was a new experience climbing on rock sections with crampons and axes - I was very chuffed with my first bit of axe torquing, and quite nervous trying to chimney wearing crampons! Oh, and I also learnt not to hold metal gear in your mouth on winter routes. On the way back we ran into Shaun and some friends climbing on Green Gable - they had managed four routes to our one, Nick was waiting at the pass for us in his Land Cruiser and Guido had made a mighty curry complete with onion bhajis, poppadums and pickles-

[Rhino]

Oh, and I also learnt not to hold metal gear in your mouth on winter routes 

[midweekmountain]

The photo does not do it justice BUT this is where you realise just how big Ben Nevis is:-    Tower ridge is the first ridge on the right, The incident happened on the in the middle of the face behind.




Conditions were good and weather was fine untill late afternoon when it was due to deteriate. Four of use walked into the North Face of Ben Nevis our two mates decided to do a rapid ascent of the Grade III Classic Tower Ridge *** while we opted for the Grade V,5 Vanishing Gully** on the side of Tower Ridge a tough shortish route which should allow us an early finish before the bad weather hit-Well that was the plan.

Everything went fine for us and we finished our route on Tower Ridge in thick mist and snow, here you have an option of going up to the summit plateau or reversing the ridge down we opted for the latter.

We had not gone far when we heard a classic clattering and a aaaaargh followed by some more clattering, someone had taken a bad fall on the Orion Face area. We could hear them clearly despite not seeing them thro thick mist.

We shouted are you ok.

Cut a long story short the they were on Obsevatory Ridge the leader had fallen dragged the second of his stance so they were both falling when one of the ropes snagged on a spike, stopped them but they had been seperated and one of them was hanging in space.

This was before the days of mobile phones so we descended quickly to the CIC hut where there was (still is) a field telephone for emergency use.

Thankfully there were three guys in the hut but the (b)astards would not contact the police on just our word, after 20 frantic mins trying to get them to use the phone. I went over to the log book where every hut user has to sign in. Ripped out a page and wrote down the name of the three residents, I said its 17.00hrs I am going down to the fort bill nick a 2hr walk and report this incident & these three people have risked lives and delayed this rescue by 2 hrs.

So they reluctantly made the call.

Our problems were not over though, back at the car our 2 mates failed to show, so we reporting them missing. The rescue services were at the nick preparing to go out, they had a busy night ahead apparently 11 folks were reported missing, conditions were grim, I did not envy them.

We were lucky we found our mates at the chippy ar 23.00 hrs they had been slow in the atrocious conditions, we notified the police that they were safe and went back to our digs.

Monday morning at work a guy showed me the Daily Express there was a sensational full page 'artists impression' sketch of two guys dangling in space from a snagged rope showing  the rescue services lowering from the ridge above to reach them......

[ljmeerkat75]

More great photos and stories loved the one about the alarm he forgot to switch off the hourly beep (a likely story) helluva story about the guys arguing about calling the rescue services i wonder why they were so shirty with you do people make up stories or exaggerate the danger or something

[Innominate Man]

Great stuff, have done a lot of walking/climbing in Colorado but never in winter love the place especially Boulder. Whats the name of the ice climb and where is it?

MWM, the youtube video is Kennedy's Gully in the Ouray Ice Park (Colorado).


I like all types of climbing but have to admit there is something extra special when it involves the 'white stuff' which increases the experience into another dimension.
I would advise caution to those thinking about trying it for the first time - just make sure you build up your experience before letting yourself loose somewhere. Even insignificant errors can be very costly and it is all too easy to become a bit cavalier: I should know - I have made plenty of stupid mistakes !
A few years ago a friend of mine was on the climbers traverse on Bow Fell and came across the aftermath of an accident that had happened the week before. I remember reading about this particular accident before my friend described what he'd seen. I think during the course of one weekend two walkers/climbers were killed in Langdale and what he told me would be enough to put many people off for life. I can only guess at the story from what I read and what he told me:- seemingly a walker came off the traverse and fell down into Mickleden, without any arrest. It was a long fall/slide with rocky outcrops ......... So please be very careful, this was just a walk that somehow went wrong.

[midweekmountain]

Oh, and I also learnt not to hold metal gear in your mouth on winter routes

Yes you only hold metal gear in your mouth on winter routes once

More great photos and stories loved the one about the alarm he forgot to switch off the hourly beep (a likely story) helluva story about the guys arguing about calling the rescue services i wonder why they were so shirty with you do people make up stories or exaggerate the danger or something

Thanks Lee, thet were well known scottish climbers who should have known better, which was why I knew I had the right names in the hut logbook, nowadays we would have rung the rescue direct, what is worth knowing is that you can get a mobile signal from the corner of the CIC hut.

MWM, the youtube video is Kennedy's Gully in the Ouray Ice Park (Colorado).

Thanks just googled it, it looks like a classic

I would advise caution to those thinking about trying it for the first time - just make sure you build up your experience before letting yourself loose somewhere.

Absolutely, good advice, the reason I posted a rescue was to show the other side of the story.
I always think the ONLY way to learn winter outdoor skills is to tag along with guys who know what they are doing.

[AdanClinton]

I love the third pic .Looks dangerous but also courageous.

[midweekmountain]

I love the third pic .Looks dangerous but also courageous.

Some big fat ice on this photo so it takes good Ice screws making climbing at this point quite safe.

If you look to the left of the climber you can see a piece of line thread stuck in the ice, this is an abollockov (well it sounds like that) when you get fat ice its a very safe method of putting a sling into the ice.

[midweekmountain]

Daffodills at Brimham Rocks


Out yesterday doing a walk in Nidderdale, the idea was to make the most of the wet weather and get some waterfall photos. It never actually stopped raining as we walked up a muddy sodden path many parts above ankle level. Eventually we came to an impass so we decided to drop down to Todds in Summerbridge to get some wellies.

Armed with dry socks and our new aquisitions we managed to get negotiate the footpath to some stunning waterfalls. Continuing on the circuit just below Brimham Rocks I was suprised to see some Daffs in full bloom.

[midweekmountain]

Newlands Hause Icefall

An early start on another 7th January blessed with a big freeze instead of floods, armed with ice tools we first made our way up to Newlands pass. It was blocked with snow so we parked the Landcruiser as far we could then walked a couple of miles up to Newlands Hause waterfall grade III *, normally a picturesque beck with a twee little path for the tourists.


Starting from the lowest point of the waterall we followed a narrow gully with a series of short steep steps, which suited unroped climbing, this eventually lead to a platform below the main icefall. It looked in superb condition so once again we decided not to bother with the ropes and ascended about 20 metres apart, twas superb water ice and all to soon we topped out giving a total of 110metres of ice.


Then walked across the ridge parallel to the road to investigate some Ice smears on Robinson Crags that looked good from afar but didn't amount to much close up then cut straight down the hill to the truck after a 4km walk.
Our next venue was Force Crag Waterfall in Coledale, we parked in Braithwaite and approached along the Mine track.


The path stopped at the mine buildings and the rest of the approach was thro thigh deep snow,  High Force Waterfall is graded IV (4) ***. After some good sport on the entry pitches we gained a hanging cave area where a magnificent curtain forms in perfect condition, it was not fully formed today so we skirted to the left, probably a grade III on the day, by now the light was fading fast. Continuous ice took us to the summit of Force Crag after a total of 250 metres climbing. 

We returned to Braithwaite in darkness after 2 superb icefalls making a total of 12km walking and 360 metres of of ice.