Winter So Far
Will Hempstead, December 2024
Boggle, Blood, Sweat and Frozen Tears, Astroturfer, and Dark Angel all feature in a unique start to the 2023-4 winter season.
We are once again in the predictable part of the Scottish Winter season where it is plus five degrees on the summits, the promising fresh snow has all melted, and new UK high temperature records are being set. I have however managed to scrape together some very memorable days from the variable conditions we’ve been grappling with, including my original ‘dream route’, which has been something like six years in the making.
I had some enjoyable days out in the Northern Coires with Nathan and Hannah in October and November, although trying to climb around unfrozen turf hidden by a foot of wet powder and hooking gravel on Pot of Gold reminded me why you should avoid lower angled routes at the start of the season. The Northern Coires and, to a lesser extent, The Ben, have become a ‘last resort’ venue for me however, and I have been making a real effort to get out to some more remote and interesting crags.
This all started off with two days on Beinn Eighe with Will Rupp and Reuben Kouidri, two friends from the Sheffield days. We had a spectacular forecast with days of very low temperatures and high pressure, and slogged over to the Far East Wall in perfect sunshine. Last year, myself Rob and Murray had no success on Beinn Eighe in very snowy, but totally unfrozen conditions. This time we had the complete opposite problem – the crag was frozen solid with smears of ice, but it was totally black. Trying to explain to two climbers who had just travelled from Bristol why we shouldn’t climb what looked like an amazing route with a dribble of ice running down the first pitch made me realise the ridiculousness of it all. The decision was made when Will pointed out a picture in the guidebook of winter climbs in similar condition, and Reuben started us off up Boggle. The crux move involved a lock off on an ice tool in a blob of ice to rock over and catch a small crimp with the gear way below. A very fine lead from Reuben! Will then took us up an enjoyable steep pitch featuring lots of torques and a move off of a heel hook. I took over for the top as it was getting dark. Unfortunatly the headtorch which had been fully charged the night before gave up after five minutes, and I had to feel my way to the top, taking off my gloves to find turf to then swing into. A new experience for me! The lack of headtorch ceased to be an issue when we topped out to the bright Northern Lights over the Beinn Eighe summit.
The next day we went into West Central Gully seeking a little more snow. Blood, Sweat and Frozen Tears had certainly caught more white than elsewhere on the crag but it was still pretty lean! Down we went, and started off with Will leading a steep pitch one. The top is gently overhanging but has perfect torques and gear – one of the best pitches I’ve ever climbed! I took the middle pitch, tapping up turf blobs to pull out onto a slab split by a perfect pick crack. It was not over however, and a tricky overhang above succumbed to some power screams when a foot blew leaving me hanging from one axe. Reuben then led the top 50m pitch in the dark up an icy corner…another very fine lead for someone who barely winter climbs!
We made it back to Inverness for midnight and I felt pretty weary at 6am the next morning getting up to go into the norries with Hannah and her friend Matt. Fortunatly I was just tagging along on their plans and we had a very chill day climbing Astroturfer (*** for the name), a real step change from the previous two days.
To be honest, I view our two days as quasi-winter. Blood Sweat felt more legitimate as it is really turfy and the top was extremely icy, however Boggle involved a fair bit of ungloved crimp-pulling. However I don’t really care. The conditions were totally unique and it was mad to be swinging an axe into ice holding a crimp! To me the most important factor in conditions is the turf being frozen, beyond this it becomes about personal style. I won’t be going around claiming to be a grade VIII onsighter after those two days however!
Part of the charm of Scottish Winter is the variability, and after two days of drytooling I knew the weather gods would get their own back. Sure enough I found myself a week later strung out on the crux of Dark Angel above some very uninspiring cams in an icy crack, desperatly scraping away to find a hook. It all felt a bit tricky for the advertised grade of VII 8, and as I got more pumped pulling hard on a rattly torque opposed with a front point on a ripple I caved in and rested gingerly on the most inspiring looking cam to arrange some better protection. With a wire in place, I then found a hidden pick crack and proceeded to the top, but not before another rest. Bloody hell, Heilliker, Bullock and Whittaker are a bunch of sandbaggers! We all agreed that the pitch was technically harder than the VIII’s we had done before, but utterly amazing. Deserves more attention!
This bought us to Christmas, and for me a break down south away from this strange hobby. Tune in to part two of the round-up for what has been an adventurous January in the next post.