Sunday, 16 December 2007

Endless Gritstone Possibilities

After a visit to the dentist I drove over the Snake to Stanage, stopping off to take pictures of the rather scary sluice by the Ladybower dam...
Walking under the crag from High Neb to Stanage End, I was inspired by the wealth of fantastic looking lines to climb on an area of the crag I hadn't seen before - definately a place for multiple return visits. Although the rock looked fantastic in the crisp dry air, it was a little too cold over there for prolonged climbing with ice forming over the top of the crag...
After getting wooden fingers soloing a short VS I beat a retreat to the Buckstone and enjoyed a great circuit on magnetic rock around the Plantation before the sun dropped.
Next day at Burbage North it was even colder, with more moisture in the air and rime on the boulders making the valley was a pretty dank and unfriendly place. Didn't get much done and slipped painfully off Banana Finger Direct before making a hasty retreat to the warm blowers in the car.


Tuesday, 11 December 2007

Close to the sublime

The north face of Ben Nevis was an awe-inspiring sight today.

A Golden Eagle high above Observatory Buttress

Number 3 gully with Konnie & Sam on Gargoyle Wall (VI) and a team on Darth Vader (VIII)

The final pitch of Gargoyle Wall.

Otters

Monday, 10 December 2007

2007 in pictures...

On a number of occasions this year I'd thought it would be a nice idea to have a blog as a way of keeping a diary of trips and sharing pictures. The end of a year and the start of a new one seems like a good point at which to begin...

February: Looking across Tower Ridge to Carn Dearg from the top of Good Friday Climb Direct, Ben Nevis

March: Sam starting up Cascade (IV, 5), Ben Nevis

March: Chris & Sam after Cascade & Raeburn's Easy Route, Ben Nevis

April: 1st pitch of Pushover (HVS), Stac an Fharaidh

April: The Link Road Boulder, with the melting snows of Coire an Lochain behind.
Back to back sunny weekends in April gave false hopes of a long dry summer that sadly never was. April: Gareth at the top of Condor Slab (VS), The Roaches.

May: Rachel, Sgorr nam Fiannaidh at the end of the Aonach Eagach ridge.

June: Rachel between the pinnacles of Fingers Ridge (Diff) , Coire an t'Sneachda

November: Gareth shelterting under the roof of the Heather Hat, Glen Nevis - the only dry area of rock in Lochaber on a very wet weekend