A back log of events. December

So since I haven't been on here and updated whats been going on or what I have been doing so you may think I have not been doing anything. Quite the opposite I can say. I haven't blogged since before Christmas for a number of reasons but might as well get back to it.

A quick catch up and hopefully you will understand the lack of updates.

View from summit of Beinn Starav down to Loch Etive

12th of December : Went up Ben Starav & Glas Beinn Mhor with friend and work college Rich. It was a cold crisp morning that promised to be a cracking days walking in clear blue skies and outstanding clarity in the air. And it delivered like UPS express. We were on the hill for 12 hours slogging up and down the huge slopes of the Etive hills while wading through powder snow. Hard work, sinking and swimming through the snow but every time you looked up the suffering was worth it. Stonking day that ended with watching the sunset from the summit of Glas Beinn Mhor.

Sunset summit, great end to the day. 

15th of December : A day of seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Lots of hilarity, stag impressions and I'm sure they were all very hungover, but to there credit though they all made it up and on the hill. Kintail was the play ground and the hill, A'Ghlas Bheinn. Another successful weekend meet with the mad crew, more of the same in 2013 I hope.

A bit of nav. practice. 

16th of December : Headed up into the "Hurt Lochain" for a look around and some phys. Wasn't overly psyched, so a head down and slog it kind of day in which I marched around the lochain and back down the path.

18th of December : Glover's Chimney, Ben Nevis. I have a feeling that some of you reading this may already know or have heard something about this day. I will not name the others in my party for a number of reasons but if you know them or me you will know who I was out with this day. 

0500 start, standard for a long day on the North Face of Ben Nevis. My initial plan was to go solo either North Gully II or Number 2 Gully II and be down by lunch, I met with some friends in the Fort and gave them a lift up to the top car park. Leaving the car park at 0600 After a fast march up to CIC, we stopped and had a chat about the day and plans. After some but not so much convincing and the chopping and changing of my mind I decided to join the party heading for Glover's. We left the CIC at 0730 after donning crampons and helmets. We approached our route by heading towards Douglas boulder the sun beginning to put some colour in the sky, we followed the snow ramp that traverse's along the bottom of the the boulder and west side of Tower Ridge which flanked us and blocked out the rising sun.

On the approcah.

After another hour and a half or so in darkness we reached the start of the climb, geared up and got the psyche. The sun was up now and the views out west were immaculate. Crisp and clear views while surrounded by the cliffs of the North Face. 

Cracking views.

 Everything was going to plan, the climbing began and it was sweet, the first pitch grade III ice was in good nick and was a great start piece to the route. After the first pitch there was some swimming through deep sugary powder to do up a long easy angle snow slope that we did in 3 pitches to reach the base of the chimney.

Note the ropes crossing the gap above.

The psyche building for this climb.....as the lead was on, there was 2 parties that crossed Tower Gap while we were in the chimney, snow poured down on us and lead climber took the brunt. After the lead up the chimney was sent and second followed I began to make my ascent of it, I had been on the belay for approximately 1hour 20mins and was absolutely freezing!!! I began to warm up and was making progress up the chimney when it all went wrong. I must have been 5 or 6 meters from topping out when I began to get cramp in my left leg while trying to make an awkward move up. I stepped down and tried to push up with my right leg and it cramped up as well. Now I have had cramp, we've all had cramp. But this was like nothing I have ever experienced before, pain that hurt so much that my legs became useless. I couldn't lift,move or use either of them and still had 6 or so meters of climbing up to do before even thinking about getting down off of Ben Nevis. This was a shit situation to be in, and not so much for me but the other two in the party. I had just become a problem. Communication between all three of us had all day been; humorous and full of banter while sharing a great days climbing but now it was serious. The guys at the belay were quick into action while I continued to struggle my way up the chimney. They rigged up a haul and put it to good use. They got me up the last few meters with my arms doing the rest. Getting both axes up into the gap was a great feeling and there was some elation and relief but then a cold wind and view down into observatory hit home and my legs weren't working. Then the realisation was as fast as the wind hitting us on Tower Ridge. We still have to get down. The guys had been on belay exposed and cold but had been sharp and switched on when it hit the fan. We stacked an abseil and and got off tower ridge as quickly and as safe as possible. Abseiling when your legs ain't working properly is like a new born giraffe on an ice rink. I dragged down the 50m of rope and got down and off the ridge and out of the the full brunt of the wind. Here we assessed the situation and weighed up our options. I personally was physically useless from the knees down and every step was agony and precarious enough that I could have taken a tumble and fallen the 800m or so that was below us in the dark. What to do, We knew our decent route and what we needed to do. The decision to call MRT was not taken lightly, I didn't think or feel the situation required a call out even though it was myself that was incapacitated. But after humming and hawing the call was made. I never spoke with anyone on the phone, that was another member of the party who had all the contact with Police and MRT. Making the call was in the end a good decision because it informed the authorities that we were on the hill and having some difficulties. 2 traverses, 5 abseils and we were getting ourselves down. The other 2 in party worked like clock work building and stripping belays as fast as possible. We got onto easier ground and took a breather, I ingested some pain relief and some water while we decided on how to continue getting down. I dug deep and the slow and painful walk down to the CIC hut began. We made it to the hut at around 2240hrs, and being here by no means safe felt like arriving home after a night on the piss. another 2hours and we were back at the car. 23hours after leaving. The guys i was out with were shit hot every step of the way before and after the shit hit the fan and I still owe them pints.

Pegs are invaluble