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NORTH-WEST
HIGHLANDS NEWS REPORT:
Sat
Feb 6th 2010: After
heavy falls of snow a week ago, a slow thaw has moistened the
snowpack at all levels, but there remains a near-complete cover
above 700m. With renewed freezing the conditions for mountaineering
will be superb. All gullies are filled and higher ice pitches
are surviving. The highest buttress routes - above 800m - have
a rime coating and lower buttresses have snow on ledges and
frozen turf.
Links
for further information:-
www.mwis.org.uk : Mountain
Weather Forecasts for the Scottish Highlands
www.sais.gov.uk
: Scottish Avalanche Information Service
Jan
24th - 28th: Our
two Winter Mountaineer groups had a great week, opening with
a majestic day of ethereal mists, fresh snow and shafts of sunlight
up on the North Gully and Ridge of Aonach air Chrith (the
hill of trembling) in Glen Shiel. Monday saw us all on the
Liathach traverse in near-perfect conditions of hard neve snow.
We put crampons and rope on at 600m on the south flank and took
them off at 600m in the Toll Ban 6 hours later! If our teams
weren't competent in crampons before this day they most certainly
were after this airy and exposed traverse. After a techniques
and navigation day on Tuesday (ie. a rest!) one group set off
to snowhole on The Saddle. However, a rapid overnight thaw coupled
with heavy rain had stripped much of the mountain's snow cover.
The planned snowhole was abandoned in favour of a traverse of
the Forcan Ridge, return to base and a traverse of Beinn Alligin
in renewed wintry weather on Thursday. The other group, meanwhile,
got holed up by a warm fire in Shenavall bothy then started
very early on a traverse of An Teallach on Thursday morning.
They yomped round to the Toll an Lochain at dawn, dumped the
overnight kit then ploughed up soft snow in the Cadha Gobhlach
gully. The ridge crest was back in full winter condition with
verglas, rime and sticky fresh snow that balled on crampons.
Sadly, the fog stayed clamped on the mountain all day but the
atmosphere and sense of seriousness were enjoyed by all. The
circuit of the pinnacles and two Munros took just over 5 hours
and the team splashed down the sandstone pavements back to Dundonnell
in heavy rain.
I
never cease to be amazed at the ambitions and plans of some
of our mountaineering guests. Last week we welcomed "Antarctic
Anna", who had responded to an anonymous advert in Trail
magazine, which turned out to be a recruiting post for a traverse
of the Antarctic landmass in 2011. Anna climbed Mont Blanc with
us last summer, and is now beginning training in ski-ing and
kite ski-ing to prepare for a 3 month adventure. Then, this
week, Patrick Hutton joined our mountaineer course in preparation
for a 6 month odyssey to follow the full course of the Amazon
river, starting with an ascent of a 5600m peak in Peru. Just
21 years old Patch will be away with just three companions for
the next 6 months, canoeing nearly 3000 miles from headwaters
to deltas. He is doing this on a budget of £6000, with
no support team, no web-site and no fanfare of publicity - in
the best traditions of adventure travel. One might question
the sanity of such enterprises but one cannot but admire the
audacity of those who dare. It's wonderful to know that the
spirit of adventure still burns bright among the younger generation.
Perfect
frozen snow on the Liathach traverse Jan 25th 2010: climbers
(L to R): Patrick Hutton, Matt Alexander, Lyndon Marquis, Chris
Couper
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CUILLIN
TRAVERSE ATTEMPT: 6th - 7th Jan 2010: Mike Coppock and
Alex Moran (pictures
by Alex)
Below:
Sgurr Fionn Choire and Bruach na Frithe from the Tooth;
and Right: Dawn over Sleat and the mainland
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"Have
we vanquished an enemy? None but ourselves. Have we gained
success? That word means nothing here. Have we won a kingdom?
No and yes. We have achieved an ultimate satisfaction...fulfilled
a destiny. To struggle and to understand- never this last
without the other; such is the law..." (George Mallory)
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Am
Basteir and Sgurr nan Gillean from An Caisteal
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The
Bhasteir Tooth and Sgurr nan Gillean
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Mike
approaches the summit of Bruach na Frithe in virgin snow
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The
long walk home: dusk over the Glen Brittle moors
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Go
to Martin's Blog
Page for earlier reports, diaries and topics
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Martin's
Sponsored Diet: For
14 days from Jan 23rd to Feb 5th inclusive Martin Moran
undertook to live solely off £1 per day for all
food and drink, without any scavenging or eating leftovers.
The diet consisted almost solely of Tesco Value products - based
on oats, rice, lentils, pasta, potatoes and veg fat spread with
some peanuts for protein - giving 2400-2500Kcals per day. All
sponsorship is being sent to the Haiti Earthquake Relief fund,
and as of Feb 6th £910 had been raised, thanks
to the generosity of family, friends and guiding clients. A
competition was run for all contributors to guess Martin's finishing
weight. He began the "experiment" at 73kg and after
6 days guiding work had dropped to 69.5kg. A long day's climbing
on Beinn Eighe on Feb 5th dropped the finishing weight down
to 69.1kg and the winner is Brian Slater of Nottingham,
who can claim a £50 discount off any of our future courses
or expeditions or a £25 voucher to spend in Macphersons
Mountain Sports shop of Inverness. Sponsorship donations can
still be made using the Further Payments page of our
secure bookings form.
Martin
commented: "The diet experience was highly instructive.
I got the idea from Paul Doran, one of our recent clients, who
had done this while a student for 60P a day. Seeing that 60P
a day would be absolutely brutal in terms of food depletion
I went for £1. Weight loss was substantial which shows
that I must be burning 3500-4000Kcals on winter hill days. In
terms of perormance my fitness levels actually improved despite
a regular feeling of hunger. Chin-ups are distinctly easier
with just a 3kg weight loss, and I finished the diet with an
18 hour day new-routing on Beinn Eighe (having reserved 5 chocolate
digestives and a whole packet of peanuts for this). However,
once the body turns to burning muscle mass, a gradual degeneration
would probably set in. The biggest misses were fruit, milk,
green vegetables and protein. Otherwise, rice and dahl and roast
potatoes made a perfectly tasty and filling meal, while a huge
bowl of porage for breakfast staves off hunger pangs for several
hours. Sometimes we ask for too much from fancy diet and exotic
foods. The basic staples are just as satisfying, and it's important
for us realise from time to time that half the world's population
lives on a similar basic diet and cost budget. As I sit replete
after a celebratory tuna steak and salad on completing the 14
days, my respect for Himalayan porters and Mahatma Gandhi has
been further increased. And I've gained just a small awareness
of what it's like to live in real poverty."
Don't
hesitate to send reports of your own expeditions and climbs
in the NW Highlands to me on: martin.moran@btinternet.com
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ALPINE
COURSES 2009
ALPINE
2009 HIGHLIGHTS Left-
Des Winterbone and Roger Owen descending the N Ridge of the
Weisshorn 8pm Aug 5th 2009. Right: summit of Mont Blanc 8.45am
Aug 24th 2009
BEST
OF THE ALPS 2009 PHOTO GALLERY
Our
summer course season was blessed by unbroken good weather giving
excellent conditions for all the "grandes classiques"
like the Dent Blanche, Matterhorn, Eiger and Mont Blanc. 15
out of 16 of our Mont Blanc course clients reached the summit
including 9 in a day on Aug 24th. We achieved another season
of 100% success on on the Matterhorn for all 10 clients on our
one and two week courses. The Dent Blanche received many ascents,
and 8 lucky climbers enjoyed the thrilling Mittellegi Ridge
on the Eiger.
The
Arolla peaks saw plenty of visits with numerous traverses of
the Pigne d'Arolla, Mont Blanc de Cheilon, the Dent de Tsalion
W Ridge and Aiguille de la Tsa and a couple of ascents of the
elusive South Ridge of L'Eveque. Our Oberland Odyssey groups
both made ascents of the Finsteraarhorn and one brave team plumbed
the depths of the savage Fiescher Glacier
Among
the more prized objectives of the season the Weisshorn traverse
stands out. Robert Gatt traversed the Schaligrat (D, IV) and
E Ridge (AD) in July. Then Roger Owen and evergreen Des Winterbone
(just 66 years young!) did the Schaligrat and NNW Ridge (AD+)
in a magnificent 19 hour expedition. Stewart Mechie and Bill
Shaw braved the sensational exposure of the Diable Ridge of
Mont Blanc du Tacul (D+, V) with its 5 granite pinnnacles, all
above 4000m in altitude. Bill and Stewart also enjoyed some
of the best rock routes in the Alps in the NE Face of the Kingspitze
(TD, V+) and the magnificent 15 pitch slab routes of Septumania
(E2, 5c) and Motorhead (E2, 5c) on the peerless orange granite
of Eldorado at Grimsel.
All
our groups were fun to guide and fully entered into the spirit
of a mountain holiday. Friday night in Evolene was often party
night! Our cook and domestic goddess, Judith, did an amazing
job of organising people, chalets and catering. Afternoon teas
were sumptuous and the thought of fresh scones, cream cakes
and gateaux at the end of the day gave many the crucial incentive
to get down the hill. All our guides showed tremendous enthusiasm
to give everyone a great time. Thanks to Guides: Anthony
Franklin, Graham Frost, Neil Johnson, Owain Jones, Dave Kenyon,
John Lyall, Stu MacDonald, Andy Perkins, Walter Phipps, Jonathan
Preston and Andy Teasdale, and to Aspirant Guides: Phil Ashby,
Tim Blakemore, Hannah Burrows-Smith, Matt Helliker, Pete Rowlands
and Paul Warnock.
We
are already talking about objectives and challenges for 2010.
Hope you can join us then!
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NANDA
DEVI EAST EXPEDITION: 14th MAY - 23rd JUNE 2009
Our
team of 6 spent a varied and rewarding five weeks in the Nanda
Devi range of Kumaon in India with the blessings of good weather
and a safe return. A beautiful 5 day trek took us from the roadhead
at Munsiari up the Gori Ganga gorge, then up the Lawan valley
to a base camp at 4280m under the awesome 3000m SE wall of 7434m
Nanda Devi East. Base camp was an extensive flat grazing meadow
with fresh running water and a carpets of primulas.
The
Heroic Poles: A Polish expedition was already camped nearby,
in the final stages of their attempt on NDE to celebrate the
70th anniversary of the historic first ascent in 1939. Jan Lenczowski,
grandson of first ascensionist Jakub Bujak, was the leader.
The 1939 climb of the SE Ridge was the hardest pre-war route
in the Himalaya by a considerable margin, and has only been
repeated a handful of times, all with extensive fixed roping
apart from an impressive Alpine-style ascent by British Guides
Roger Payne and Julie-Ann Clyma in 1994. The subsequent story
of the 4 Polish engineers who pulled off the magnificent first
ascent in 1939 is harrowing. Two were killed by an avalanche
on Tirsuli three weeks after the NDE climb. The other two, Bujak
and Klarner, were unable to return to Poland due to the outbreak
of war. Bujak went to Britain, worked in the war effort, then
disappeared in mysterious and unexplained circumstances in Cornwall
in 1945, just after the war's end. He never saw his wife or
family again after leaving for Nanda Devi. Klarner wrote a book
on the trip, returned to Poland after the war, but then disappeared,
presumably into one of Stalin's gulags in 1949. His daughter
published the book in 1956.
Nanda
Lapak (5782m): The
whole team (Jim Finnie, Paul Guest, Rob Jarvis, Martin Moran,
John Venier and Leon Winchester plus our LO, Luder Singh from
Kulu) warmed up with an ascent of Nanda Lapak, an excellent
training peak on the ridge east of Nanda Devi. From a comfortable
camp at 5100m an AD standard climb was made to the summit, with
a section of 80m of hard brittle glacier ice at 60deg angle
forming the crux. The views were exceptional, probably the best
of the trip.
Longstaff's
Col: Meanwhile
the Poles gave up their brave attempt on NDE, having fixed ropes
to 6900m. They had been hampered by deep snow and strong winds.
It was sobering for us to see these hardened climbers (one had
summitted Everest sans-oxygen!) retreat through exhaustion.
Nonethless, we made our first foray to Longstaff's Col. At 5910m
this col is a historic gateway to the Nanda Devi peaks, first
reached by Dr Tom Longstaff in 1905. The problem with the col
is that can only by accessed by a 40 to 50 deg snow/ice couloir
which is no less than 1000 metres in vertical height! Add a
16kg load plus the essential need to reach the col soon after
dawn before the sun loosens the snow and avalanches commence,
and you have a challenge. We set out at 1am. In fog and light
snowfall we took 8 hours to reach the col. John, who was carrying
an enormous sack, dropped out half-way. Longstaff's Col would
be fine if a nice cosy snow hollow for a secure campsite could
be found; but no, the col is a knife-edge with a 900m plunge
into the Sanctuary on the far side. We hacked two tiny tent
platforms on the crest and prayed that it wouldn't be windy.
This is no place to trip over a tent guyline! The day was probably
the most exhausting of the trip, but ended with a majestic sunset
over the Sanctuary.
Nanda
Devi East Pinnacles: Over
the next two days Martin and Rob with Leon and Paul explored
the route across the pinnacles towards NDE. The Polish team
had done a superb job of fixing 8mm ropes to an assortment of
old pegs hammered into rotten rock. The pinnacles were snowed
up and very airy. The climb across the three towers was totally
exhilarating - akin to the Eiger Mittellegi ridge. Martin and
Rob continued up the next buttress, looking for a potential
campsite at 6100m. However, the fixed ropes ran out and a long
exposed snow ridge continued to the next step with no sign of
a campsite. Deterred, they returned to the col, and on the evening
of June 1st the 6 climbers descended to base camp for a rest
and a rethink.
Changuch:
A
recce was then taken under the south wall of unclimbed Changuch,
a beautful peak of 6322m south of base camp, which had resisted
three previous attempts. We spotted a feasible route up couloirs
and ramps to gain its NW Ridge. After tactical discussion we
decided to forgo a slim chance of getting up NDE for the chance
of getting our names on the first ascent list! Meanwhile Jim
was suffering from a strained knee and John was struggling with
health and fitness. With little chance of climbing Changuch
they both decided to leave the trip early and departed for home
on June 7th. While Rob, Paul and Leon made an initial foray
to Changuch NW Ridge Martin faced the unenviable task of going
back up to Longstaff's Col with high-altitude porter Heera Singh
to retrieve some 35kg of equipment and tentage. They left Advance
camp at 4870m at 7.15pm , reached the col at midnight and got
back to camp just as the sun hit the couloir at 6am.
On
the night of June 6th/7th Rob, Paul and Leon climbed the couloir
and ramps to gain the Changuch NW Ridge at 5800m. After a tough
all-night climb hopping in and out of avalanche runnels they
established camp with two single-skin tents on an exiguous site
at the col, and rested for the next 36 hours. Martin and Luder
followed the route the next night joining the col camp at 3am.
After a fine hot spell of weather a more unsettled phase took
hold with afternoon snowfall blowing in from the south. However,
the nights were still fine and after shaking off several centimetres
of fresh snow the team emerged at midnight on June 8th/9th.
In Rob's tent Luder was sick, vomiting his breakfast back into
his mug. But this boy is made of tough stuff - within a few
minutes he declared himself ready to start. Martin was suffering
paroxysms of finger and toe pain, contracted from spending a
cold night bivvying outside. Nonetheless, the teams were ready
to move at 12.30am. Martin led the first 130m of mixed ridge,
then Rob took over to make a sterling lead of the exposed snow-ice
slopes above. We moved together across a 250m 55deg traverse,
then Rob led 4 steeper 60m pitches to gain the undulating upper
arete. At around 9am he pulled on to the summit crest. The highest
point was a crumbling pinnacle 30m across the crest.
We
downclimbed the route to regain the col just as the afternoon
blizzard began at 1pm. After a cramped and pensive afternoon,
the decision was made to bale out as soon as the storm ended.
We couldn't afford another 24 hours trapped on the col. At 6.30pm
descent was started. The slopes below the col had a thick cover
of fresh snow. Once we had satisfied ourselves that they were
safe the downclimbing was easier than we might have expected
in bare icy conditions. At midnight we emerged into phantasmagorical
moonlight on the Lawan Glacier, and wandered back to base camp
in an exhausted reverie. Naveen produced tea, soup and dahlbhat
at 3am and we turned in to bed at dawn!
Traill's
Pass : After
three days of complete rest the team were ready to tackle the
final phase of the trip - a crossing of Traill's Pass to Pindari.
Britain's first commissioner to Kumaon, Mr G.W.Traill, had crossed
this 5312m pass in 1832. Due to glacial retreat the crossing
became much more difficult in the 20thC and the only recorded
crossings were made in 1941 and 1994. Leaving base camp on a
glorious morning on June 14th we climbed a glacier and 300m
45deg gully to reach the col and camped on the plateau beyond.
That night the weather was warm and misty and we had a tough
job trailbreaking over the plateau next morning to reach a rock
shoulder at 5425m where a mighty downfall broke away into the
Pindar valley. As clouds boiled up and snowfall commenced we
tackled a tricky descent of a 55-60deg snwo/ice gully, then
dropped off a glacier shelf on foul exposed and vegetated ground.
With clear weather we might have safely reached Pindari by early
afternoon, but fog and blizzard complicated routefinding. We
could not risk a blind descent to the valley with so many cliffs
in the vicinity. After many false starts and the best part of
400m reascent we finally bushwhacked a line into the valley
and reached the shepherds huts at 6.30pm - all of us totally
blown! Luder asked the shepherd, Amar Singh, if he could offer
any food and 90 minutes later we were sat cross-legged in his
hut enjoying a magnificent if spicy dahlbhat. The next three
days were spent wandering down the gorgeous Pindari valley,
happily little-changed since my last visit in 1995. We ended
with a knee-crushing 1500m descent to the roadhead at Song.
On
June 20th we were reunited with our superb base camp team of
Naveen, Mangal and Heera at Berinag. A delightful night was
enjoyed in the bustling hill resort of Naini Tal before the
final weary bus ride back to Delhi and the furnace-like blast
of an air temperature of 43degC! Thanks to Guide Rob Jarvis,
to Mr Pandey and his dedicated staff at Himalayan
Run & Trek, to Mountain Equipment (in particular
Duncan Machin) for generous support on purchases of clothing
and equipment for the team, and to our peak-bagging LO Luder
Singh for helping to make this one of our most memorable
trips.
Photo
Galleries: Enjoy our NANDA
DEVI 2009 , Himachal
Pioneer 2007 and Ladakh-Kang
Yatze 2006 photo selections and check our
web pages for full details
of 2010 expeditions; book early for extra discounts:-
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NORWEGIAN
ICE 2009
An
excellent ice climbing fortnight was enjoyed in the valley
of Laerdal by our 14 clients
with guides Tim Blakemore, Matt
Helliker, Martin Moran and Martin Welch with a
total of 8,000m of graded water ice ascended. Weather
conditions were varied, with some cold sunny days and
other periods of strong Fohn winds. Temperatures remained
low enough to guarantee good climbing at all but the lowest
levels.
Long
hard routes climbed included the majestic 400m Kjorlifossen
(Scottish VI, 7 or WI5+) (ascended by David Horwood
and Tim) and the superb Seltunfossen
(200m, Scottish VI, 6 or WI5) (Chris Franks and
Steve Potter with Matt).
Likely
virgin routes were established up the Forestadfossen
(Scottish IV, 6) a 600m gully akin
to a giant Lakeland ghyll (Donnie McKechnie, Willie Munro,
David Horwood, Rod Hogg with Tim and Martin W) and Paradise
Lost - a lovely 150m plug of grade
III water ice high in the side valley of Rasdalen (Richard
Ausden, Andrew Hoffman and Martin W).
In
Mid-Laerdal Martin M climbed the excellent Skorifossen
(Scottish V, 6 or WI 5, 180m) and Drosingenfossen
(Scottish IV, 5 or WI 4+, 160m) with Mark Bull
and Gillian Duncan
Many
of
our clients also enjoyed some leading on the 80m icefalls
of Hoggeberg which offers
over a dozen lines from WI2 to 5+, and is the perfect
coaching venue. In 2 weeks of climbing we saw one only
other team, this in a valley 1000m deep and some 35 km
in length!
Explorations
to neighbouring valleys revealed some astonishing ice
lines of world-class scale and grandeur, plus a hidden
gorge offering a wealth of unclimbed lines up to 150m,
equal in scale and quality to the honeypot of Rjukan.
Full details will be revealed if you book with us for
2010! And you can particpate in the pioneering
and development of a new ice arena.
Watch
out for details of next year's courses and book early
for a great week's climbing.
Norwegian
Ice courses
Check
out our photo gallery for the best of our Norway climbs:
Norway
Ice 2005
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NORWEGIAN
ICE 2009: An
excellent ice climbing fortnight was enjoyed in the valley of
Laerdal by our 14 clients Tim
Blakemore, Matt Helliker, Martin Moran and Martin Welch
with a total of 8,000m of graded water ice ascended...
.JPG)
