Skye Winter Meet no.3 report. Sun 5th Feb.
A stunning dawn on approach today.
Platinum pink clouds approaching Coire Lagan
All of us (Paul & Brendan, Simon & Karen & Susan & Mike)were worried that too much damage had been done by the rain with the cliffs clearly darker. The rain had damaged Karens elbow on yesterdays walk too much to swing so she & Simon climbed up Bomb Alley (I) to Bealach Mhichoinnich for the view.
I was mighty relieved to see my predictions of good ice were right once we actually got up close & familiar. We discovered pretty soon that things were actually better than Friday but both teams had opted for easier objectives by then. Brendan led off into the depths of Gully C.
BC Buttress routes. Probably the most reliable winter crag in the Cuillin?
Red-Gully B VI,6, Blue- Gully C III, Green- BC Buttress IV,5 & Direct variation V,6, Yellow- Vent du Nord V,6, Orange-Diedre Blanc V,5
The screams I heard blown up the Stone Shoot were the audio aid needed to get through the initial squeeze. Far worse than the hole in Crypt Route apparently and the excuse for no photos was that all pockets had to be emptied.
Susan & I were somewhat obliged to make a direct ascent of Gully E that we had abseiled on friday night because I got the ropes stuck. Matt & I had climbed mostly on the left side of the gully last year because of deep powder. The direct version in such great condition gave a grade III well worthy of a few stars. Susan suggests it is called E is for Eejit!
Lovely ice in Gully E, III. My DMM axes in need of a respray already!
Unsticking & hauling up the ice-laden ropes left us on the Ridge with huge sacks.
Trying to seperate & coil the iced ropes!
Susan is off to China this autumn so we decided to see how far we could traverse for some real big mountain practice.
High Vis girl on the 2nd abseil off N. end of Thearlaich
Concentration on a banked out Collie’s Ledge
Traversing from Thearlaich to Bealach Coire Lagan took us close on 2 hours; 2 hours of great mountaineering that tested the concentration & techniques- Collie’s Ledge in full winter garb was a first for me too and one I’m glad to have found in pretty amenable conditions.
