Final PYB MIC week….
Perfect climbing on Minus 3 Gully
My last week working for PYB in Scotland coincided with some great conditions in the mountains. Our intro day in SCNL was met with a falling mercury and rising pressure as we arrived into the corrie. By climbing up Dorsal Arete then back down Very Broad Gully a number of skills were addressed setting us up for the next 4 days.
Looking along the famous Eastern Traverse of Tower Ridge. Orion Face to Gardyloo Buttress behind….all in mint condition!
We climbed for the next 3 days on Ben Nevis leaving our equipment up near the NE Buttress to make light packs. By climbing up Green Hollow Route, Ruddy Rocks, Minus 3 and Platform Rib and descending Slingsby’s Chimney a few times ticked more climbing aspects of the syllabus driven course. The mountaineering style rope work was worked out on a perfect Tower Ridge.
Dave Rudkin strapped to the Great Tower
Nice to summit the Ben on the best day of the winter so far!
Good symmetry at the top of Gardyloo Gully. Challenging/impossible exits all round!
The dry air was replaced by humid muggy weather on our final day, and so as is traditional on those types of days we clambered up Curved Ridge on the Buachaille and concluded with some more descent work in Coire na Tulloch. Our week of minimal avalanche hazard was given a little reality check with the huge debris in the gorge at the foot of the corrie.
Glacier or avalanche debris? Impressive scale….
Good to share the great conditions with such enthusiastic candidates….hope your assessment gives such generous conditions too!
