Misty Mountain Hop

Maximum Granite Weirdness on the Dubh Loch Monster

29 Apr

The Scottish mountains under the spell of a spring high pressure system are a special place – within two weeks we had gone from icy gullies on Lochnagar to contemplating big rock routes on Creag an Dubh Loch. Could it...
Read more »

Salbitchin’ on the Sudgrat

26 Sep

Following some great routes but mixed weather in the Grimsel Pass, the perfect window presented itself for a much bigger mountain objective. The famous Sudgrat of the Salbitschijen was the ideal target, with its 16 pitches offering 600m of golden granite...
Read more »

Gripped for days in Rjukan

26 May

After a fickle start to the 2018/19 Scottish winter season, Andy and I wanted to guarantee some time on ice and where better than the ever-reliable Rjukan! We had both been there a few times before but given the simple...
Read more »

It all came together on The Hoarmaster and The Message

22 Jan

When it all comes together there really is nowhere else I would rather be winter climbing than Scotland. Even if that does mean another trip to the ever-reliable Norries… Cold north-westerlies earlier in the week had rimed the buttresses facing...
Read more »

More Than We Bargained For on Parallel Gully A, Lochnagar

21 Dec

It’s becoming a common theme that my first winter routes are getting later and later and more and more challenging conditions-wise. The start to this season has been characterized by short cold snaps and strong thaws and it was right after one...
Read more »

Feeding the King Rat on Creag an Dubh Loch

13 Jul

Life admin was making a day in the hills difficult and as the incredible run of hot, dry weather continued I began to get cabin fever. Thankfully, the amazing rock climbing conditions showed no sign of disappearing and with psyched...
Read more »

No. 6 – The Number of the Mini Beast

22 Mar

As the mini beast from the east reigned windy terror at higher elevations, Ric and I sought shelter at low altitudes on a westerly aspect. We made for the classic No.6 Gully (IV, 4) on Aonach Dubh, which has been reliably in...
Read more »

Seeing the Light on Deep Cut Chimney, Hell’s Lum

24 Feb

After a sharp thaw and hard re-freeze, reports of stellar conditions all over the Highlands were flooding in. Not wanting to miss out, Andy and I hatched plans for the Loch Avon Basin in the heart of the Cairngorms. Having...
Read more »

The Dog’s Danglies on K9 and Window Gully

20 Feb

A week of heavy snow on gale-force south westerlies rendered many approaches to the popular north and east facing crags fairly serious and covered the cliffs themselves in powder. Wanting none of the peril and the arduous clearing required on...
Read more »

Getting the Blood Flowing on Coronary Bypass

12 Jan

Climbing on powder-choked crags was very much the theme during the first week of January, with plenty of snow falling and no thaw-freeze cycles to provide any consolidation. Despite the inevitability of a day of excavation, Andy and I plumbed...
Read more »