Winter Skills, Wicked ticks and Wild First Ascents...

                January 20th : Left wall of  "Curve Gully" - Corrán Tuathail.

Today I headed back up to an extremely Wintery and snowy Curve Gully high on Corrán Tuathail with my good mate Nigel from Alpine Sports for a bit of exploring and "going with the flow"...Deep deep soft snow made the climb up to Coimín Uachtarach and Curve gully totally exhausting but still well worth the tough slog. Climbed up the main gully of Curve for approx. 30mtrs before exiting out left onto the face. Pitched this from here straight up to the summit cross with pitches of mixed II-IV. Some super bulgy ice on the lower pitches and decent mixed climbing on the top half. Turf is well frozen higher up by now and this along with the well rimed rock provided us with great sport and a great day for sure throwing plenty of shapes!!!
 

A wild windy cold day and real Winter mountain feel for sure as we topped out just as the skies momentarily broke.
A definite first for me today as I belayed Nigel up the final pitch using a sling around the cross.
Descended easily down the Ladder and could even glissade a large portion of this :-)
Another brilliant day Winter Mountaineering in the magnificent Reeks...




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January 22nd : "An Cumar Clé" - "The Step" II - Corrán Tuathail NE Face from Coimín Láir.

Headed back out on Corrán Tuathail today with Sean and Noel for a bit of sport. Had plans to climb "The Lick" but after beginning the climb we decided the snow was just too soft with no visible ice and mushy turf and so we retreated from t...his and instead climbed the enjoyable Grade II snow line called The Step or “An Cumar Clé”.

From the summit we headed across a spectacular Binn Chaorach Ridge as far as the its end and then had a SUPERB glissade the whole way down to Loch Coimín Uachtarach – so much fun!
Another truly phenomenal and hugely satisfying day on spent on the Reeks and a real Alpine feel with the virgin snow and sun shining.

A top day with great company.
  

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 February 1st : Winter Skills Course - "Curve Gully" I/II - Corrán Tuathail

Well Winter's well and truly returned in force and we're back again running our popular Winter Skills courses in Curve Gully on Corrán Tuathail. Today we had Kevin and Denis from Kinsale in Cork enjoying a hugely informative and spectacular... days climbing on the most pristine of Winter days and both "Experienced the Adventure" BIG TIME!!! Congrats and well done boys!
Lots of new skills learned by the duo from Crampon and Axe techniques to Avalanche assessment and awareness, to self arrest, equipment, movement and finished off with a super glissade down to the Eagles nest from just below the Heavenly Gates.

Plenty of others out and about climbing all manner of routes and no better day for it I tell ya!!!
Still a few people venturing into the hills without the necessary equipment or experience despite all the warnings and even witnessed one individual climbing to the summit in runners and SHORTS..... I kid you not!!!!

Remaining cold for the week so looking forward to a mad week of Winter fun and perhaps a new route or two!

 

 

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                        February 3rd : "An Streapa" - III - North Face of Caher.

Today was a nice break from guiding and time to get out and play and so I headed to the massive steep North Face of Caher with Sean, Alan and Tony to climb the sensational Ice/Snow gully route called "An Streapa".
I had climbed this with two other mates about a year ago and back then we had climbed a new variant as the last pitch and this time it was nice to do the established finish instead. 

A big walk in for sure but more than worth the effort as this face has a really remote and serious feel about it and a pleasant welcome change from Corrán Tuathail. The bottom grovel step was totally banked out with waist deep powder which didn't make this section any the easier and generally the turf is still surprisingly soft due to it being insulated from the cold with its snowy jacket but where exposed it is good and solid with some decent enough ice now beginning to form.
A tetchy final pitch on the more open face with a 12inch top slab layer about to slide and glad to reach the summit...

A marvellous day with great company climbing a fantastic route...

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         February 4th : "Aibíocht" - IV 5  - East Ridge of Binn Chaorach, Coimín Láir.   
                                          F.A - P. Kelly & J. Hussey  

A truly phenomenal day today climbing a super New grade IV ice route on the East Ridge of  Binn Chaorach in the Reeks.

Spotted this line last Sunday and looked like it would be mint after a few more days of col...d so after making enquiries and hearing it had never been done, myself and a mate headed in this morning to give it a go...
As it was South facing and hence in the morning sun and at the relatively low elevation of approx 750 metres we were a bit apprehensive regards the thickness and quality of its ice especially on its 90degree crux 2nd pitch. We decided we would give it a go...nothing ventured nothing gained and all that!!!

As we started to climb the route was back in shade and at least that might turn the tap off!!

Glad we did...what a cracker. New route now called "Aibíocht"
First pitch 40mtr grade III and 2nd pitch steep and committing 60mtrs going at grade IV 5 ***
Initially we graded it as a V but think the slight downgrading is more a true reflection due to the relative short length of the crux section..

Topped out into the sun in Alpine like conditions and continued on to the summit of Binn Chaorach with simply mind-blowing views. Dropped down onto the ridge to Corrán and enjoyed a super bum slide from here the whole down to Loch Coimín Iachtarach.

As good a day as it gets for sure!


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                February 5th : "Luigi's Gully" - IV - Corrán Tuathail North Face 

Today it was a route I'd been wanting to tick for a long long time and boy was it worth the wait!!!

The ice route up - Luigi's Gully - grade IV- nestled high up on Corrán Tuathails North Face was a pure joy and without doubt one of the very best Winter routes I've ever climbed in the Reeks!!! 

 The first pitch was banked out totally and was more of just a snow romp but the 2nd pitch was truly fabulous with up to 60mtrs of sublime ice climbing with every whack of the axe as positive as could be and ate up every ice screw I had ....
Absolutely sensational days climbing yet again with great company and on another stunning day...
Descended via the Heavenly Gates and glissaded from here almost the whole way down to the emergency hut


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              February 6th : "Nick of Time" - IV 4 - Fhaill Dubh - Coimín Uachtarach,   

F.A : Piaras Kelly, Howard Hebblethwaite & Peter Keane

 

Today I was out with two true gents from over East - Howard Hebblethwaite and his good mate - Peter Keane showing them some of the superb Winter lines and fun to be had in these all too rare recent conditions in the South West.

We strolled in the Glen at a relaxed hour this morning to find a noticeable overnight thaw and changed things somewhat and our put a spanner in our initial plans at perhaps having a crack off the super grade V - "Death and Destruction" on Corrán Tuathail .
We arrived at its base to find the unexpected warming had not done any favours to it's lower pitches and so we changed plans and instead decided to head to higher elevations and up to the 3rd level, Coimín Uachtarach. Even the high mountain Loch had now lost much of its frozen crust but still very Wintery up here compared to lower down.
A few iced lines snaked their way up this impressive back wall and one in particular not only caught our eye but looked the best nic of the lot. It was the one on the left hand side of this steep cliff and we agreed to give it a go....

What a cracker!!!

Howard led the first pitch which was a gnarly and scratchy affair but after the first 30mtrs or so the turf began to freeze up nicely and the ice just got better and better. Pitch 2 was mine and was a hugely enjoyable one too with the first of our screws now beginning to be confidently placed and the route steepening all the time.
Peter was happy to leave the leading to myself and Howard and so we swung leads for the remaining 3 pitches and topped out on a cloudy but wildly atmospheric Binn Chaorach ridge at approx 4:30.




A satisfying and truly great route and a phenomenal face to climb on with the now frozen lake far far below our feet.
Just coiling up the ropes and shaking hands on our ascent and I happened to get a quick call from Con Moriarty asking if I was out and about and what was I up to. He confirmed what I'd already suspected, that it was definitely a first ascent and after a trio of congratulations we traversed East along the icy ridge and descended down O'Sheas Gully and finally made our way out the Glen by torch light...

What a day and what a week. Two first ascents, loads more super Winter lines ticked and some truly stunning days spent in the magnificent of mountains with the very best of company. 

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February 7th : More Winter Skills in "Curve Gully" - I/II - Corrán Tuathail.

Back to work today after my great week of Climbing in the Reeks and back giving another of our successful Winter Skills courses to 4. What a truly spectacular day with wonderful welcome sunshine above the low lying cloud base.

Followed ...up our hugely informative skills module with a cracking ascent of one of Corrán Tuathails Classic grade I/II Winter routes - Curve Gully.    

Descended slowly and carefully via the slippy snow filled Devil's Ladder out of the sunshine and reluctantly back into the cloud and leisurely made our way back to Cronins Yard where we topped off a most marvelous day with coffee and cake!

Back out playing again tomorrow and just can't believe how good it's been and it ain't over yet for sure!

 

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February 8th : "Looking Glass Full" - IV 5 - Coimín Uachtarach,  F.A : P. Kelly & N. Dixon

 

 

 

What an end to a truly sensational weeks Winter Climbing in the mighty MacGillycuddy's Reeks!!!

Headed in this morning with my mate Nigel with the high hopes of ticking off the Classic Ice line - "Death and Destruction" on Corrán Tuathail... but a rapid onset of a major thaw had totally wiped out its bottom steep pitch and so to our dismay it wasn't too be.
Decided to head up a bit further to our plan B up in the upper next level of Coimín Uachtarach to another Ice line I'd been watching during the last few days, - the superb grade IV single pitch Ice climb called "Looking Glass Falls" located at the back left wall above the high frozen Loch . I'd spotted a continuation Ice line leading from the top of this existing 55mtr route and normal traverse off bench and winding its way up from here for another 4 pitches up to finish on the Binn Chaorach ridge. I'd mentioned this to Con who'd assured me it had never been done so it was there for the taking!!! 

Nigel lead off on the 1st pitch an already established line, a super grade IV of pure ice. Quality wasn't too bad, initially tenuious but improving by the metre. From the top of this we had the choice to skirt off left and end it at that but my mind was on finishing off a brilliant week of climbing with another first ascent and going for the hat-trick!!!

After a rising traverse across a sketchy snow slope I got a decent belay at the base of the next Ice pitch and after being joined by Nigel and getting all the gear I was quickly off...
Over the next few hours we scrapped and scraped, scratched and swore our way up the next 200mtrs swapping leads until finally topping out exhausted but euphoric on the snowy and Alpine-esque Binn Chaorach ridge. Yahoooooooo....First ascent of the continuation line of "Looking Glass Falls" - IV calling the top 4 pitches "Looking Glass Full" -IV,5 !!!


Traversed along this taking in simply mind blowing sensational views and descended O'Sheas gully to witness one of the most phenomenal and exquisite views I've ever seen in my entire life with the orange sunset illuminated summit of Cruach Mhór relected in the perfectly still waters of Loch Caillí far below in the Hags Glen...A truly special moment and a perfect end to a magnificent week. 

 

 

 

 

In world wide terms these mountains aren't that big, they are mere hills compared to what many countries posses but they don't need to be high for you to have BIG Adventures I tell ya...What a week!

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            February 9th : Winter Skills - "Curve Gully" - I/II - Corrán Tuathail.

Back to Curve Gully today giving another of our popular Winter Skills courses to three.
Yet another truly spectacular day with wonderful blistering sunshine shining above the low lying cloud and freezing fog .
Followed up our hugely informative skills module with another cracking ascent of one of Corrán Tuathails Classic grade I/II Winter routes - Curve Gully.  

Lots of subjects covered as per usual such as :
* Selection and organisation of personal kit appropriate to Winter hill walking
* Personal movement skills on snow, including kicking steps and using the ice axe for walking, self-belay, cutting steps, and self-arrest & movement skills using axe and crampons in ascent and descent.
* Use of crampons in ascent/descent
* Avalanche awareness and safe route choice
* Movement over grade I/II winter snow and ‘scrambling’ type terrain.
* Basic rope work and belaying using the rope alone as well as with a sling and krab,
* Constructing and using snow anchors (such as buried axe and Deadman)

Descended slowly and very carefully down the slippery compacted snow filled Zig-Zags track out of the sunshine and reluctantly back into the cloud and leisurely made our way out the Hags Glen as the evening light began to fade...

Off for a few days and plan on taking a break from the hills as the body is beginning to ache a bit to be honest!!!

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Scottish Winter storms and return to welcome white Reeks...

Yet again it's been too long since I sat down to update this Blog!

As has been the usual pattern with doing this it's always something I've seemed to put off, always too busy, too tired or perhaps for a day when the weather has forced my hand and I've finally caught up with the mundane office stuff and this seems the very last on the list. I suppose this time it's due to all of the above.
It's been some Winter I tell ya!!!
It started in early December with a brief tease of a cold snap that didn't materialise and was gone as rapidly as it appeared. The Christmas season was both a windy and damp affair....cold but nowhere near cold enough and with no promise of falling temperatures in the near foreseeable future and so we reluctantly greased O' Learys sleazy paw and booked a RyanAir flight to Scotland...


The Winter Climbing rat needed fed and it couldn't wait any longer...

But it wouldn't be as simple as that.....Not a chance in hell!
Myself and my good mate Mick and been there enough to know that booking in advance was practically like throwing a dice, a spin of roulette. Our chances though far better than Kerry were still hugely stacked against us....but at least there was still a chance.

A week to departure and now at least we could start to Google conditions forecasts...
We scoured for glimmers of hope..."You want the truth?"...."You can't handle the truth....!!!!"

Forecasts could always be worse, but man they could definitely be better. Worst start to a Scottish Winter season in years they said. First half decent snows of the season so far had just begun to consolidate but a rapid thaw had now set in. Reports of cornice collapse on the Ben could only mean one thing...Thaw. All our worst fears were coming true...And the rat didn't like it one bit!!!




Sure we'll just make the most eh!?! I hadn't seen my best mate Mick in ages as he now lived in London and he hadn't even seen a mountain in ages and was just looking forward to getting out, so what ever the weather or quality of route sure it was still gona be a cracker...

The long drive North had been fun. Time to catch up on lifes latest. Good to be back here again together and reminiscing of previous climbing trips and memorable days. We never feel we've arrived in Scotland proper and the adventure's truly begun until catching sight of the mighty Buachaille...

This most majestic and imposing of summits - Buachaille Etive Mór - this grandest of all these rocky pyramids rises almost vertically from the Northern end of the level plain of Rannoch Moor and seems to guard the entrance to the Highlands. We'd finally arrived but the temperature read out on the dash was a disappointing 13 degrees in the positive. Not the side of zero we were after. I suppose the flooded roads as we'd driven North along Loch Lomond had reaffirmed this fact . We cursed the cars full of ecstatic smiley white water Kayakers as they drove past with bananas strapped to racks, willing on the dreaded melt.

We arrived at our chalet after stopping en-route and grabbing the food (and drink!) supplies for the week. Going by the forecast we probably should've got more drink supplies in....
Following day was expected to be an extremely wild and stormy affair and so as we were both feeling pretty exhausted and wiped out after the long spin North we decided to just take it easy, chill out and spend our first day sorting ourselves, unpacking and packing our kit and hopefully the storm would clear through rapidly with perhaps a slight break in behind. Realistically we knew this wouldn't be the case with the MWIS forecast telling us that the next few days would have storm front after storm front sweep across from the South West with only brief lulls in the extreme winds of up to 120 MILES per hour!!! 


And so chill out we did...One day down but still plenty more to go. It was a longer trip than we had normally gone for so surely it would come right!
It couldn't be bad every day....or could it!?!

Day 3 and there was a slight respite in the constant ferocious gales forecast to last 'til early noon, so we rose before sun up and drove East to the Cairngorms with the aim of quickly snatching a route. Our thinking was we'd save valuable time by driving high up the mountain to the ski centre and hence avoid any epic walk in. The corrie from here is only a 30 minute or so easy stroll from the car with an all too easy walk off again so that way we'd be off the hill before the next front swept in. Only a handful of vehicles in the car-park when we arrive.
Shivering as I haul on the boots and a face I recognise pops out of a tasty campervan. Hey man...It's Paul Swail...A lad I know from Belfast...sure is a small world!
Only other mad enough to be heading out in this happens to be Irish too....We chat a short while and wish each other well before shouldering heavy packs and striking off into the bitter cold wind.

The day goes well. First route of the trip ticked. Off the mountain as the cloud sweeps in. We make the return journey back to Fort William in good spirits with the tunes pumpin'. We arrive at the chalet and it's blowing a gale...again! What transpires over the following days isn't at all pretty. The weather really couldn't be any worse to be honest. Day after day is spent exhaustingly slogging high up into deep corries and valleys with slim hopes of ticking off some route to sheepishly slog back out again with tails between legs. You wouldn't put a dog out in this and yet here we are. Stress and pressure building by the hour. We've long since torn up our tick list. Anything will do us now. Our plan A's scrapped as they're not in condition. Plan B's the same and they're not even there...Plan F's now. Plenty of F's and B's coming from our mouths as evenings are spent with noses in guide books and stressing over forecasts. At least it's finally snowing. Winds now more Northerly. Now we have to start scrutinising avalanche reports. Slope aspects, wind direction, windward slopes, leeward slopes...Risk increases from Considerable...then up to High, and even a Very High!!!  Nowhere is safe at the moment...People die regularly over here from not heeding the signs you know and remember this was supposed to be a holiday...Doesn't feel like it now though...Need more beer in Mick!

Two days left. There's still enough time for another....A plan is made yet again and this one would surely pay dividends. 

We decide to return back East to Aviemore. That spin up to the ski centre was a god-send and the walk in would be easy even in the deep powder.
An hour or so into the journey and Mick has had enough. The stress of the driving is telling. Heavy falls of snow blind our vision. The road has long since disappeared, now replaced with the Nordic stage from Grand Turismo. Deep drifts on the verges at least stop the car from sliding off and Mick needs a moment to compose himself. Even getting moving again isn't easy as the traction is now difficult to gain but again we continue the gripping journey. We've come this far and it'd be a hell of a shame to turn back now. The tunes aren't pumping this time as full concentration is needed on this one. Epics don't just happen on mountains you know! We arrive in Aviemore much later than expected and priority now is a caffeine fix so a quick stop at a Costa sign and the trembles subside, life's good once again. Now the short spin up to the road ski-centre...Surely the ploughs have been busy. As we round the corner at the base of the hill we hit the stream of parked cars in the lay-by. Barrier is down, Ski-Centre closed and no cars allowed up today....WHAT!!! Is this a wind up...?!? Ski-Centre closed due to SNOW!!! WTF......

Without saying a word we both start to get ourselves ready. We've just gone through way too much in the last two and a half hours or so for it all to be a waste and neither of us wanting to face into the stresses of the return journey again so soon.

Slogging up the icy ski-road I feel like throwing a tantrum. Bag is aching my shoulders and Mick is way out in front now, head down in his own little bubble and hasn't looked round in ages. I may aswell have come on my own sure. I'm definitely not feeling it today...this is crap! Why do I bother with climbing....pointless waste of energy with little or no reward. He still hasn't turned around...I could be after dropping dead with a heart attack for God sake...We near a chicane and I decide on the shortcut. I climb the crash barrier and cut straight across as he continues along the road and slogs round the bend. I struggle up to my waist now in soft powder and feeling and looking like an complete ejit as I clamber over the higher barrier after my off-piste battle. Now I'm even further behind and I try not to allow him hear my swearing.

Finally we arrive at the ski-centre with Snow ploughs only now getting moving. I see Mick head for the toilets and pretend I've not seen his B-line. As I head for the trail head which leads you onto the open mountain I see him out the corner of my eye exit the loos and now up my pace. Within minutes and in view of the ski centre I soon lose the trail and in deep snow I trudge around in circles for a few minutes trying to find it again. 
I hate Winter Mountaineering...I hate the cold...I hate these boots...I hate this bag....this is pure shite....I wish I was at home!

Once back on the trail I make some progress but it's an altogether more difficult slog in today compared to this exact same one last week. Visibility is down to 10 metres or so and stiff arctic winds find chinks in our gore-tex and primaloft suits of armour. Zips begin to freeze up and as we arrive in Coire an Sneachta we are the best of friends once again. We gain some decent shelter out of the wind behind a car sized high boulder and huddle while we take in some fluids. Ice has formed in our Nalgene bottles and brain freeze gives headache as we drink. Mick earlier took pics of the route topos with his smart phone and we are forced to shed gloves to use his touch screen. Can't bare fingers to this for too long and missing one vital page from our guide book. From our shelter stone we can't even make out the base of the cliffs and it's only 50 metres away.

A brief change in the shade of greyness and we pick out the start to a line. Over the whistling of the wind we can also faintly pick out the shouts of other climbers at the bottom of the face. "Climb when readyyyyy.....Climbinggggg!!!" This springs us into action. We weren't the only ones attempting to get something....anything done.
A brief thin window in the low cloud and we spotted the other party of 3 beginning their first moves up the icy white face. They were on the route we'd planned to climb - "Hidden Chimney" and we had no ambitions to shiver in a queue behind them as we waited our turn. Everything else on that side was above our grade and we had no plans whatsoever to make this day even more difficult than it was already turning out to be. We'd spotted another half decent looking line on our previous visit here and decided that though low in the grade, something was better than nothing, the day tipping on and we still had the long journey home again ahead of us.

As we geared up at the bottom of the gully and strapped on our crampons we started to feel the psyche. This is what it was all about eh!?! Full on Scottish Winter! Best worst time you'll have!!! Bollox...I still wish I was at home!
We tied in and just about to begin moving up when...Whoooossssshhhhhhh...... Soft powder avalanche pours down the slope enveloping us both and obscuring our views of each other. I shout out Micks name before it settles and relieved to see he's still just below me. Nothing serious to worry about, just a tame one brought down by gravity but still increasing the levels of adrenaline. I move up some more onto a steeper slab of ice and turn to look down and check that all's cool. Over this short ice section and powder's now waist deep and we struggle.
Mick is starting to mutter he's not happy and instantly I decide to call it and go down. In a split second I make one step downward but the rat tells me to snap out of it. Mick hasn't even clicked into retreat mode and already I'm climbing again. It'll be grand...come on man! We haven't come all this way to bale that easy have we?!?! Higher and higher we climb, or can you really call this climbing....swimming more like, but within an hour or so we top out of the relative shelter of the confines of the gully and into the teeth of the freezing wind.

Yes boy!!!! Result... enjoyable in a Masochist kinda way! Quickly we stuff the gear away in our sacs and begin the long descent back to the car...The form is good now...we're moving quickly and so we begin to warm. By the time we hit the ski-centre the head torches are on and the road back down to the closed barrier feels even longer than it did on the way up. Bags are thrown carelessly in the boot and Costa is back in our minds as we prepare ourselves mentally for the return Nordic rally stage...
What develops over the next few hours will be spoken about for many a trip to come! We drive through the night, light flurries turn to whiteout...passing flashing blue lights of Police cars dealing with jack knifed and immobile articulated lorries on route. In reality we were preparing ourselves mentally for a night spent sleeping in the car. We had all we needed. As we creeped slowly through one tiny village we notice the snow is now building up in peoples doorways. Then we strike it lucky. Sliding almost sideways around another corner and we tuck in behind a small line of cars following in the wake of the orange warning lights of a busy snow plough and 2 hours later we are home.
We collapse in the door of the chalet and crack open a cold one (sure everythings cold by this stage!) and toast to surviving another Adventure...Sure if it was easy everyone would be doing it. The rat is quiet now!!!

The long spin South back to London is an epic in its own right. Torrential rain and an annoying squeaky wiper blade don't make this part of the journey any easier or less stressful but positive reports coming in from Kerry are of Wintery hills. The Reeks are covered in snow with plenty more forecast for the coming days along with Easterly cold winds. And there I was wondering why I even bother... thinking of instead taking up sport climbing....sick of the shivering and hot aches....but now I'm getting excited.

And what a simply sensational few weeks of Winter climbing it turns out to be....

To be continued.....