UKC

Howdy, I was thinking this weekend was going to be spent climbing indoors or sliding around in the wet on the mountain bike. However, the forecast for Saturday has improved a bit and now suggests mainly dry with a few showers.

So I'm thinking of heading up Ledge Route and down the CMD Arete, but not having done anything on the North face itself, I'm wondering if Ledge Route is amenable in the wet? I'm hoping it'll be fairly dry, but, worst case scenario it's wet, is it a greasy death trap or still quite grippy? I thrutched my way up a running wet and slimy 'crux' of Sron na Lairig in the rain a few weeks ago which was fun, but not keen to do something similar with the North face at my heels. If it's going to be trouser filling or needing a rope I think I'll leave it for another time.

Thoughts?

In reply to Taurig:

There is a short slab low down (on the traverse out from No.5 Gully) that can feel a bit insecure in the wet. This can be avoided by a long traverse rightwards across the top of Moonlight Gully Buttress and across No.5 higher up (follow the track rightwards until you reach a peculiar toadstool-like balanced block. The crest of the ridge from there onwards is straightforward with a couple of minor steps.

This way of doing the route is arguably more scenic as you go most of the way into Coire na Ciste before traversing back right.

In reply to Jamie B:

Thanks Jamie, I think I'll go for it then. I'm wondering if your alternative is the one I seem to remember being in Scrambles in Lochaber; don't have it to hand atm but it's good to have a few options if it's a bit too moist.

In reply to Taurig:

Don't have it to hand but not sure if the Death Guide describes that variation. But it's not difficult to find.

In reply to Taurig:

You can see the shelf system coming from well over to the left to join the second rightwards turn on here: http://i1124.photobucket.com/albums/l568/munro4396/Ben%20Nevis%20via%20Ledg...

In reply to Jamie B:

Death guide..? never heard it called that... is that a widely used nickname for it?

gregor

In reply to Jamie B:
Excellent annotated photograph. Thank you.
I wish more route discussions could include pictures.

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:


Haha, never heard it called that but when I read it I always get the impression it was written for someone with better route finding skills than myself.

In reply to Sharp: agree with death guide. Nearly lost my life following a 'scramble' in that book.

In reply to Erik B:


That wasn't on Stob Coire nan Death (Beith) was it? Everyone I know who goes onto that face has an epic.

It's actually a very good guide, bourne of a real enthusiasm for scrambling in the area. But that means that in its desire to be comprehensive it has included a number of more esoteric choices that are less-travelled, less solid and harder to routefind. These are a bit of a shocker if your frame of reference is well-scratched classic ridges!

In reply to Jamie B:

My one attempt on a summer route on Stob Coire nam Beith didn't end too well!

In reply to Jamie B:

Yes, I see what you mean...

Also SCnD(B)... I remember doing number 3 buttress, though using the Andrew dumpster book rather than the death guide... Thought the first section looked fairly sustained and so roped up... Then wished I hadn't bothered as the runner at 30 feet was the only one in 100ft pitch. It concentrated the mind a bit!

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Edit: dempster not dumpster, damned autocorrect..!

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:

Just had another look at no3 buttress SCnB in the logbooks, it wasn't just me that found it a bit interesting to start then!

Good route though, a memorable day out...

In reply to no_more_scotch_eggs:
Checked out no 3 Buttress on Stob Coire nam Beith for the forthcoming SMC Guide this summer, wimped out of the start twice, even in rock boots the second time - OK coming in from the left. Noel was having a good day that day (and it was the 1984 heatwave). My diary tells me I came in from the left back in 1985 too, and I had much more bottle then. Noel was and still is pretty good on scary rock (as well as being a really nice bloke) so occasionally his grades get a bit on the sandbag side (Lochan Approach on Bidean is another). Incidentally these days even he thinks the direct starts on Ledge Route and Castle Ridge are pretty hard.

In reply to Jamie B:

What's it like in the dark?

In reply to An Triubhas:


Err... dark and black and hard to see? Never been on it after hours, but I'd have thought that unless you knew it there'd be a fair bit of potential for drifting on to loose and unpleasant terrain.

OT - but Death Guide has been well used for Steve Ashton's Snowdonia book. Had plenty of fun out of that one. Some of the Lochaber routes do look "interesting".