Conditions, Decisions and Head Games

Saturday was an interesting day spent with Alfie in the very busy Northern corries of the Cairngorms. Plan was to go climbing, and we made a good start but very quickly let our heads get the better of us and we ended up backing off Yukon Jack, IV,4 although probably only III,4 at present if that. But the lack of gear + head not in the right place and impending sense of air time made us sack it off. We bimbled back into the corrie defeated and disheartened by lack of psyche to get up the route. My mind began to implode on itself,so quickly had to do something to change the self wallowing. We decided to ditch our rucksacks behind a rock, take one axe only and race around the corrie, we ended up over near the Twin ribs area and Fiacall Buttress where we moved up, across and over solid neve, and some interesting rock & ice steps,  before ending up on Fiacall ridge. We nipped along the ridge moving quickly and freely with no bags to slow us down. When we topped out onto the plateau we made the decision to do some nav practice and skills via the rim of the corrie to make a loop and journey to salvage the day and erase the failure of earlier. We made it round and back down into the corrie in good time to then have to try and remember which rock our bags were behind. After locating bags we walked out with the wind at our bags and smiles on our faces. As we could already taste the Mountain Cafe food!

Alfie,Not a happy man at this moment

Me(james) on Fiacall Ridge,II. Moving fast but i'll never be light.

on the plateau 

Today I was out with Alfie again but also had the company of Mark Warner. We decide to have a go at ascending Curved Ridge,III. on Buachaille Etive Mor. The sun was splitting the sky in Glencoe and it was very warm on the walk in. We reached the snowline in quick time and made our way quickly up to the very banked out first step of the ridge. We solo'd up round the corner into Crowberry basin which is full of snow and banked out like I have never seen before. After ascending for 100m or so things began to change very quickly, it was almost like the mountain was telling us, warning us to get off. Debris was falling down all around as the air temperature rose quickly and pushing the freezing level way above the summit of Stob Dearg. Big bits, little bits, all sorts and sizes of snow, ice and rock moving at us quickly with gravity speeding them up. A decision was made pretty quickly and sensibly that we should GTF of the hill in one piece, we retraced out steps down and made it to some relativity safe ground where we could relax. There was a lot of nervous laughter and piss taking to ease the mood and keep us sane and I am not scared to admit that the experience of today has shook me a little, mentally. But it was and has been a good learning experience......for now,  

run away!

not happy in the sightest