Alpine Ben Nevis - Alone on The Orion Face
Alone on the Orion Face at dawn. A classic alpine Ben Nevis experience...
What could be more quintessentially alpine than a pre-dawn, moon-lit start to a days climbing? Crunching plates of ice beneath your feet on the path. The sound of sharp crampons biting stiff melt-freeze crystals and keenly anticipating the looming icy face ahead....
Steadily emerging from the dawn into a frosty but encouraging alpenglow. Starting up the face with a sociable gaggle of head torches bobbling up the Glen. Their heading this way. And why not? Conditions are perfect. Well almost. And who needs the Alps? For a few weeks anyway. THE BEN is providing a genuine alternative to the Easy Jet run to Geneva. Alpinism par excellence dans l'haute Montagne Ecosse.
I had a day off guiding on the Ben today and enjoyed moving freely about the hill, climbing, watching and chatting with the many folk keen to enthuse about the weather and conditions. I finished the day on Godfrey Perroux's excellent route between Burrito's Groove and 2 Gully Buttress - J.P. is back. A little gem which I'm surprised doesn't get done more often, especially when there are 4 teams in the nearby Comb Gully!
Over on a busy Indicator Wall Iain Small and Simon Richardson added a fine new 4 pitch route up the obvious rib between Riders and Albatross.
Despite the excellent conditions there was a slight end of term feel with many teams eyeing up the warm sunny slabs on Carn Dearg and thoughts turning to the rock - I for one am looking forward to a lie in and spot of cragging for tomorrow at least!
