UKC

Gemini or The shield direct?

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 French Erick 04 Feb 2015
I am increasingly confused by this:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=213292 for Gemini
and:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=251933 for Shield direct

From the guidebook I know they are close. I have never stood below them.
Who is going to unlighten me?
 DaveHK 04 Feb 2015
In reply to French Erick:

They look similar but note the easy angled ice of Waterfall Gully to the right of Gemini. Shield Direct is further left.
 Brian Pollock 04 Feb 2015
In reply to French Erick:

We got them mixed up on the day. I think Gemini is identifiable as the start to waterfall gully is directly beside it. Shield Direct starts with just a single ice smear running down a corner with nothing either side.
 The Grist 04 Feb 2015
In reply to French Erick:

I got confused as well a few weeks ago. I did the first pitch of shield direct (which we split into two pitches) and then traversed right (by walking not really climbing) and got onto Gemini. I had intended to do Gemini from the start.

Incidentally the first pitch of the shield direct is pretty tough. Not desperate but it felt considerably harder than the crux ice pitch of Gemini.
 Lone Rider 04 Feb 2015
In reply to French Erick:

Please note that these two photographs of the same icefall so they are either Gemini or Shield Direct but not both.
1
 GPN 04 Feb 2015
In reply to Lone Rider:

> Please note that these two photographs of the same icefall so they are either Gemini or Shield Direct but not both.

Nope, I'm pretty sure Dave Kerr has it right!
OP French Erick 04 Feb 2015
In reply to French Erick:

It's that groove thing in the left wall. They're not photos of the same season... I am not sure that it is that obvious. Ready to satnd corrected but.
One of my pals did it today (shield) and was slightly disappointed so ... eyes on something else.
 Lone Rider 04 Feb 2015
In reply to French Erick:

The ramp to the left of the climber in yellow in the one image is the same groove as that in the other image to the left of the climber with the blue harness just that there is much more ice coming down that bit of cliff. The blue ice pillar to the right looks like it could be Gemini and the climber is climbing up Shield Direct. See the following image for comparison. Might just confuse things.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Shield+Direct+winter+Ben+Nevis+images&...
 Lone Rider 04 Feb 2015
In reply to French Erick:

Did the first pitches of Gemini many years ago Erick before we had to bale off after pick on mates ice axe snapped. Looks like both your images. Would be interested in seeing a proper topo of the routes hereabouts.
In reply to Lone Rider:

It is pretty simple, the iced groove left of Waterfall gully is Gemini, the vertical iced groove a lot further left is the Shield, the icicle hanging just left above the start of waterfall gully has not been climbed as far as I know, sharpen those tools, it seems the really thick ice that has formed in this area is quite exceptional!.
 GPN 04 Feb 2015
In reply to Lone Rider:

> The ramp to the left of the climber in yellow in the one image is the same groove as that in the other image to the left of the climber with the blue harness just that there is much more ice coming down that bit of cliff.

No it isn't I'm afraid. They're different places!
 DaveHK 04 Feb 2015
In reply to Lone Rider:

> Please note that these two photographs of the same icefall so they are either Gemini or Shield Direct but not both.

They are different ice falls but very similar so it's easy to see where the confusion came from. I had the same confusion as Erick a few days ago and did a bit of searching and I'm pretty sure I've got it right.

The Perroux guide has a good photo for locating both routes.
 TonyM 04 Feb 2015
In reply to GPN:

+2
To see a photo of Shield Direct in wider context here: http://pjmountains.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/26-01-15-ben-nevis-winter-climbin...
Virtually every guidebook of winter climbing on Ben Nevis seems to have the classic picture of the first pitch of Gemini, rising up L from Waterfall Gully. (The latter always forming ice more readily than just about every other route around that area of the mountain.)
 DaveHK 04 Feb 2015
In reply to TonyM:
That settles it.

There's also this recent pic of Gemini: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=252077 which shows how close the edge of waterfall gully is. Too close for the pic of the Shield above to be of Gemini.
Post edited at 21:12
 Captain Solo 04 Feb 2015
In reply to French Erick:

Hi Erick I've emailed you a pic of the area that will hopefully clarify things
In reply to Lone Rider:
> Please note that these two photographs of the same icefall so they are either Gemini or Shield Direct but not both.

No they're not. I climbed Shield Direct on Saturday and it is the second photo. The first photo is Gemini which is further right. The content of the photos do not overlap.

HTH
 Michael Gordon 05 Feb 2015
In reply to French Erick:

> I am increasingly confused by this:

> http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=213292 for Gemini

> and:

> http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=251933 for Shield direct

>

Not only are they different places, they also look very different, no?
 Tim Neill 08 Feb 2015
In reply to Lone Rider:

Climbed the neat ice pillar that often forms between Gemini and Waterfall Gully yesterday....it seems to form most winters when there's enough ice on the first pitch of Gemini and I'm sure has been done before being so convenient from the hut.
It made a good start for The Bewildabeast which turned out to be as good as the guidebook suggests...
It got 2 ascents yesterday and another 2 today.
 Neil Adams 08 Feb 2015
In reply to Tom Ripley Mountain Guide:
> No they're not. I climbed Shield Direct on Saturday and it is the second photo. The first photo is Gemini which is further right. The content of the photos do not overlap.

What was the upper half of Shield Direct like? We were thinking of doing it on Saturday but it looked pretty bare after the first couple of pitches. Was there ice hidden in the back of the chimneys?

It is, of course, possible that we were looking at the wrong line...
Post edited at 19:57
paraffin 09 Feb 2015
In reply to French Erick:

It has really made this an entertaining thread to read!
There looks at the moment to be so much ice, that there is perhaps too much choice?
LOL
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