Splitter Couloir….Scottish style
I woke up to drizzle early this morning. After yesterdays amazing conditions I rolled back over to sleep! I woke again mid morning to a hint of blue sky through the window. An 11 oclock start for the Ben isn’t normal……
I headed up into the cloud on the start of Orion Direct and finished by the eye catching “splitter couloir” of the Epsilon chimney. It’s the original finish of Orion Face and can only be seen from high on other routes to its right. You can touch both sides all the way up if you have a decent arm span …… a very good stretch of climbing. My little bubble popped on arriving at the “Mantrap” high on NE Buttress. It was living up to its name and trapping quite a few people, so I nipped out onto the top part of the Orion headwall to the summit.
No views today, so made coffee in town just before 4!
Up the Epsilon chimney on Orion Face.
View down Epsilon Chimney to Orion Basin
