Red Gully Split Shift Mission

So with working at Glenmore in the kitchen you have 7ish hour off in the middle of the day. Witch means if you fast you can get a route in Stob Coire an t-Sneachda. When it being amazing sunshine today it would have been mad not to make the most of it. 

Head in with Jack thinking of doing Fingers Ridge. But miss read the start and ended up the Red Gully. This did not work out as a bad place to send up as the ridge was white and would have been lots of digging. There was lots of people about climbing and skiing in the coire making the most of the great weather before the warming up over the weekend. 

T-Shirt for the walk in

Jack on the first pitch

Soler on Goat Track Gully

Jack coming up to the second 

What a nice sunset

Catch up

Well its been some time since I have blogged about things. What has happened then?

The end of last year as a bit mad with a mix of work and holiday and seeing friend.  Fun time climbing on the Ben Nevis with Adam and Suzana.

Them off to Norway for wee holiday for 10 days for walking, climbing and a bit of a chill out time. I would say I have fallen in love with the place a want to get back to explore it some more.

After this I got a job in Hong Kong for the Autumn working for Asia Pacific Adventure. Hong Kong is cool place with a full mix of west and east. There is far amount of climbing within a small place and great mix of single and multi pitch climbing.

After working the session there head up to China to a place called Yangshuo. Where is this some of the best sport climbing I have ever done. There is so much rock there that is mad. Another place that I will been to get back too!

Then it was back to the UK for the winter at Glenmore Lodge to work in the kitchen that gave great time off to get out and play. The session start off will getting back into using ice axe again after sport climbing but feet strong from it. 

Sadly this feeling of being strong would be a down fall to me. In one week I did the one thing that you should not do in winter and that Fall OFF. Both of the routes I could say are sandbags but real if they where. I should have thought of what grade I was and how I was feeling. That was not good. I did not realize how easily I could chat yourself into that it will be find and get on it. Now I have bad a good long brake for climbing I have lost this mine set and much more can i or can i not. There need to be more black and white for me in winter now. Its not summer and if it goes wrong it goes really worry. I was luck this time I could walk away and lough with meets about. 

Within that break form climbing I got into winter walking as it still keep me out on the hill and late me rest shoulder.

As well as the walking there was some kayaking too shadowing for my 4 Star White Water Kayak assessment in May on days that seem to have no water but lost of sunshine on the hills

Well thats me pretty much up to date will try and keep on top of blogging a we bit more now.

Cullin Ridge in a day!

Had a great week. Started off with a day assent of the Cullin Ridge with Nathan. How knows the way amazingly well so not much need for navigation even when the cloud come in. We did pretty much the hole ridge but for Gars Bheinn. To save a bit of time we missed it out but as we both where kaker by the end was a good plan. Tho it does mean will have to go back for the full thing. We did it in 12 hour 10 mins from van to pub. Not to bad for a first go.
 

Sunrise

 

Along way to go

Happy lad

Monday ended up climbing with Adam at Creag Dubh. This being the first time for me there. Got to get routes done King Bee and Erase. Dafo got the climbing psych back and feeling good on what might get done this summer.

 

Heading up the Bee

 

Bit of a wet second pitch on Erase

 

 

ML Assessment

Just had my ML Assessment last week. I sadly did not a pass but a deferral to get the logbook up to the level needed. Mike and kenni gave some great feedback all week. Not only assessing us but still giving bit of advice too. 

We had a mix bag of weather for the assessment form sunshine and cloud for the steep ground and... Then on owe 3 days exped mix of sun to start to full on rain and navigation inside a cloud. Safe to say that I not think there as a person waterproof that gave in it was that wet. Will not to head back to the hill to the east of Inverailort and special to the ridge of Druim Fiaclach.

Now need to find time to 10 more day in them that will be me holding my ML. 

Views on day one of the exped
exped

Things got very wet on day 2!

A wee birthday walk from Corrour to Kinlochleven

So today was Erika's Birthday and for a random outing. The plan was simple of first train out to Corrour and then walk back to Kinlochleven. Easy as that... Ooo and we had to be back for 7.30 for drinks and food. Leaving Carrour Station we headed to Carin Leum Uilleim which was a mix of soft snow and heathery patches. Quick progress brought us to the start of the ridge where we put crampons on. Shortly after entering the cloud, creating moments of whiteout conditions. Managed well with navigating using timings and bearings, but dropped the ball walking off Beinn a Bhirc where we ended up heading to Blackwater. Once out of the cloud managed to work out where we were and relocate. Below the cloud level we made good time round to Kinlochleven and even managed to get back to Fort William for half four.

Horse on the train

No to the cloud we go

Following the deer

Even a wee bit of blue sky came out

Eating on the good

Finding are way again

Zig Zags in winter

What a mega day out yesterday was. One of then days that make you think you should do more walking and not to be look to climb all the time. We head down to Glencoe for the day to go up the Zig Zags on Gearr Aonach. The walk in was worryingly warm as it could have been done in a t-shirt. The snow was soft under foot all the way up with water running under the snow too. Once on the ridge was in the cloud so not much to look for the day. At the top on Bian got a bit moist and bumped into Neil how had solo Dorsal Arete and heading back down. Dropping off Bian to Sgreamhach we came out of the clouds to Blue sky and amazing views!! We had back down down into the lost valley with a shot down climb with the longest bum slide I have ever done (500M at High speed). This mean the first past of the walk of fun but some it was onto poor snow with hidden holes under it. But still a great day. Will have to head back into to do Beinn Fhada as the ridge looks great! Winter just keens giving. Tho today is sadly a uni day.

Looking over to Rannoch Moor

Beinn Fhada

Last bit

Sunshine

Great views at last

Maga bum slide

My rainbow