Monday, February 25, 2013

Ben Nevis : Mountaineering Skills

Paul and Paul walking up to the hut with the Orion Face looking spectacular 

NE Buttress and Coire Leis 

Getting sorted !

Car Dearg and Castle area dwarfing the helicopter can you spot it ! 

Paul coming to the top of
a short gully by Tower Ridge 

I headed into the Ben today with Paul and Paul on a mountaineering skills course. We headed into towards the hut but had a look at some crampon skills along the way by getting into the river and following various steps up until we jumped out and walked up to the hut.
It was a superb day with wall to wall blue skies teams where to numerous to mention but all the classics where being tackled. As we left there was a large gathering still in the basin on the Orion Face so perhaps some late finishers but with a bright moon no need to rush.
We headed up into Coire Leiss area to practice a few things and to refresh skills. The snow is an great shape making it pretty easy to travel anywhere on snow.
There was some impressive flying going on from the rescue helicopter which seemed to be around the Castle area and was able to get with in what looked like just a few meters of the wall and stayed there for some time.
Today I was working for Alan Kimber, West Coast Mountain Guides