Curved Ridge, Glen Coe

Today saw a team ascent of Curved Ridge on Buachaille Etive Mor in more stunning conditions. It was much like a summer alpine route with dry rock, blue skies, sunshine and snow. We even had a glacier to contend with in our descent. We avoided Coire na Tulaich but dropped into it lower down just to marvel at the size of the avalanche debris, definitely the biggest I have ever seen in Scotland. A stunning day to finish my winter season here in Scotland.

Aonach Eagach

I took Rick and Ben along the Aonach Eagach in Glencoe today. This grade II ridge is the epitome of winter mountaineering and it was a glorious place to enjoy the sunshine and views today. The recent thaw has stripped a lot of the snow but we only had the odd mixed section which is all good experience for the boys. A stunning day! Huw took Steve and Mick along the CMD Arete to the summit of the Ben and I have also had Dave working for me who climbed Thompsons Route on the Ben with regular client Jude. They reported great styro foam snow ice but little in the way of protection and they also witnessed number 4 and number 2 gully avalanche in the heat, both pretty sizeable by the sound of things. 

Winter Mountaineering

It has been another stunning day here in the Scottish Highlands. I have been joined for 3 days by Mick, Steve, Rick and Ben for a winter mountaineering course. For our first day we headed to the West Face of Aonach Mor and climbed Ruths Gully (1) with the boys leading the route for themselves in two teams. This allowed us to progress their summer scrambling and winter walking skills onto winter mountaineering ground with a bit of refreshment and the addition of some new skills too. A great day out and tomorrow is forecast to be just as good!

Winter Skills Thank You

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the photos and even more so for such a cracking week!  We haven't stopped grinning since we got home – we were hoping to learn new skills and to stretch ourselves in a winter environment, but I don't think either of us had anticipated having so much fun in the process!  Your technical skills speak for themselves, but you also have a special talent for creating a warm, inclusive culture in the team – it really did feel like a bunch of mates going for a great walk, despite the fact that we were all strangers to begin with!  That's something that can't be taught – I suspect it has a lot to do with your evident passion for what you do and a complete lack of ego.  You're one of the few people out there making a living doing something you truly love – how many of us get to do that?!

We're looking forward to doing a scrambling course with you.

All the best,

Natalie & Mike. Winter skills 5 day - March 2014

Winter Skills Weekend - Thank You

Hi Rob, I just wanted to say thanks as well for the whole weekend, it was absolutely brilliant, loved every minute of it. you are an awesome guide - we were all saying afterward that you're great - really knowledgeable and experienced, but totally down to earth and easy to get on with. (and a lot less intimidating than that scary snow hole dude) (wouldn't want to meet him down a dark mountain ally.. gully).. so, thank you again for an awesome weekend.. i'll be definitely intending to book another course in the near future.

also.. fyi.. I did try and make a solo ascent of The big Ben nevis on Monday.. on my todd. I went through all the weather reports and avalance reports in the morning, and it all looked good.. . however when I got about halfway up at around 700m, and at a point where the path crossed the red burn, I had to turn back.. you may be able to tell from the attached photo (img6846)- it was a major avalanche risk. the snow was knee deep, and I was at risk from it either giving way below me and sliding me into the gully/burn or from the overhanging cornices above.. you can actually see in the photo wp201403 that a couple of people had decided to go straight up the gully vertically, instead of following the path to the right and into the deep snow.. I chatted to one guy who'd made it up that way who said it was not too bad getting up, but he encountered a couple of white outs while on the summit plateau.. im, glad I didn't head up there, I think I need to do one of rob's navigational courses before im confident to navigate in a white out on top of the ben!

anyway, thanks again Rob for a brilliant weekend. and thanks to everyone else, I got on really well with all of you.. and now im sat at home wishing I was still in bloody fort William! I even wore my goggles in the lounge last night so I could pretend I was still on the mountain!

oh. that reminds me. after I turned back from the red burn section on ben nevis, I then dug my own snow hole in some deep snow near the tarn up there. pretty good job I did I reckon. just with my axe 'n that. just about big enough for two. had my lunch in it and everything..

cheers everyone!
Ben - Winter Skills Weekend, March 2014

Winter Skills Day 5

For the final day of our winter skills course in Scotland the wind has picked up with the forecast showing 80mph gusts on the summits. We made a concerted effort to climb the Wee Buchaille in Glencoe but were beaten back! Nonetheless we enjoyed some great views, proper Scottish weather, exfoliation due to graupel and lunch in someone else's snow shelter as well as a refresher on the ice axe arrest skills we covered earlier in the week. We finished a great week in the Clachaig, thanks very much all!

Aonach Mor

The team and I headed onto Aonach Mor today. It was bright and pleasant this morning although fairly warm, the temperature has then dropped through the day and it was snowing heavily this afternoon as we made our way off the hill. We had a day looking at emergencies such as snow shelters, summoning assistance and what to do if you witness an avalanche which gave some tired legs a bit of a breather and worked the upper body digging muscles instead! 

Thank You

Dear Rob and Kate
Thank you very much for organising and delivering a great two days on the Winter Hills weekend course.
I definitely will be booking on the week long course, and keen to do one of the scrambling courses.
Look forward to working with you again.
Best wishes
Dhush  Winter Skills Weekend, Scotland, March 2014

Sunshine in the Cairngorms

There was a real East, West divide in Scotland today wit lots of rain and warm temperatures bringing a high avalanche risk to the West so we ran East to the Cairngorms. It proved a good choice as we enjoyed some lovely sunshine whilst we covered some further crampon skills, winter navigation, approaching an edge using a rope and enjoyed a journey into Sneachda, up towards 1141 and down Fiachall Coire Cas, experiencing some fairly strong winds on the ridge. It was gratifying to hit the wall of rain as we headed back to the Fort!

Stunning Stob Coire nan Lochain

It has been another day of superlatives here in the Highlands, blue skies, stacks of snow, sunshine and very little wind combining to give a brilliant second day out on our winter skills course. We headed up Stob Coire nan Lochain in Glencoe and I think the photos speak for themselves!

Beautiful day

It has been a truly beautiful day here in Scotland. The overnight snow fell with little wind giving ankle deep fresh powder across the mountains. The skiers were whooping and hollering with delight and we enjoyed the sparkle of fresh snow under the bright sunshine as we started our 5 day winter skills course. It was an ideal day to look at avalanche avoidance which became the focus of our day, along the way we introduced axe and crampon skills and found this very impressive lump from a recent cornice collapse. A stunning day. 

Winter Skills in Glencoe

For the second day of our winter skills course the boys and I used the avalanche forecast and weather forecast to come up with a plan for the day and then headed down Glencoe. We had a beautiful start to the day and brushed up on our knowledge of avalanche avoidance, when to use axe and crampons and route finding as we made our way to the summit of Buachaille Etive Beag. The wind really picked up on our ascent so we dropped down fairly quickly and looked at use of a rope to aid winter navigation and approach a cornice, emergency snow shelters and a bit of snow profiling too. Another great day out with great company, cheers boys.

Scottish Winter Skills

I am back in the Highlands this week and have kicked off with a winter skills weekend. I have been joined by Ben, Ian, Andy, Duch and Steve and we enjoyed some beautiful views, light winds, great neve and no rain or snow at the Nevis Range today. We looked at avalanche avoidance, ice axe and crampon skills including movement and ice axe arrest and it was a pleasure to be out in such great weather!