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How was this season for you?

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 LakesWinter 10 Apr 2015

As the title says, how was this season for you?

What was the best route you did?
What was your favourite day out and why?
Did you have any particular goals at the start of the season and did you achieve them?
Also, in the interests of finding out what the mean maximum grade for winter climbers may be, what was the hardest route you led this year?

I'll kick things off....

Best route, that's tricky but in terms of quality climbing to plodding ratio then it has to be the Curtain as we did it when it was thin and not stepped out at all and the weather was terrible all day.

Favourite day out was Clogwyn Ddu Left Branch in Wales on a stunning sunny day with perfect ice all the way.

My goals at the start of the season were to climb over half the routes I did at grade IV or above, lead grade V ice and do at least 20 routes. I met all these goals, which is pretty unusual for me. I also had an aim of doing at least 10 grade V routes but I missed that and managed 4.

Hardest thing I led was V 5.

Over to you, lets share stories and get psyched for the next season already!
Post edited at 17:38
 Nick Russell 10 Apr 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:

Best day out (and best route) was Western Gully on the Black Ladders. It was a bit of unfinished business for me, having backed off it 2 years ago. Conditions were thin, but good enough and it felt pretty tough for me. We only saw one other party all day, near the base, and only briefly.

I didn't have any goals from the beginning, but somewhere in the middle of the season decided that leading a grade VI was achievable. Between Western Gully (guidebook V, but hard for the grade) and El Mancho (guidebook VI but climbed in easy conditions) the next day, I'll take that.

In answer to your last question then, going by guidebook grades the hardest route I did was VI,7
OP LakesWinter 10 Apr 2015
In reply to Nick Russell:

That sounds amazing, I'd love to do Western Gully, it's near the top of my wish list - it looks brilliant.
 BnB 10 Apr 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:

A bit frustrating for me as, despite making lots of time for climbing, I seemed to pick either warm or avalanche prone weeks and partners who were having a crisis of confidence, this lowering ambitions. Three trips to Scotland, including next week, have so far yielded very little for the investment of time and money but some good days were had. Best lead was SW Ridge on Douglas Boulder at IV 5. Knocked off a bunch of IIIs but I'm finding those a bit tame nowadays. Nevertheless I would say Pinnacle Ridge on Gable was the best day out this winter despite being an easy outing.

Still hoping I might catch something on the Ben next week but forecast isn't great.
 Nick Russell 10 Apr 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:
>I'd love to do Western Gully, it's near the top of my wish list - it looks brilliant.

I'd fully recommend it!
OP LakesWinter 10 Apr 2015
In reply to Nick Russell:

Cool, super psyched for whenever it next comes in
 Exile 10 Apr 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:

Hi fella

Goals for the winter - concentrate on mixed and lead VI 7. Both done, VI 7 was Cutlass on the Ben. This was also my hardest lead.

Best route was Pisgah Buttress on Scafell (guide book V 6 but we thought VI 6) - superb sustained route with the crag in exceptional condition and only one other team there.

Many very good days out, but favourite, if it wasn't one of the above, was probably Gargoyle Wall on the Ben - blue sky, no wind, superb condition, we were going well so it was entertaining rather than desperate, and back in the Lakes for 8.00pm having stopped for tea at The Food Stop!

I'll add a category - route that was very good that we had few expectations for was Rib and Groove on Cambridge Crag, (V 6 in the guide, but I though possibly sneaking V 7.) Great climbing and worth at least a couple of stars.
In reply to LakesWinter:

Not the greatest but OK. Several outings in The Lakes and a week in Glencoe and I categorically found no neve whatsoever. Pretty much par for the course these days but still made the most of it doing mainly ridges and mixed stuff.
OP LakesWinter 11 Apr 2015
In reply to Exile:

Excellent, Rib and Groove can go on the Lakes list then, sounds exciting.
OP LakesWinter 11 Apr 2015
In reply to Exile:

Btw we thought about getting on Cutlass last week but we could never find it white enough on a day with semi-acceptable weather so we got on some great ice routes instead, another one for next season's ever growing list!
 JackM92 11 Apr 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:
Best route - Orion Direct or The Resurrection (Sgurr Mor)

Best Day out - Climbing Caledonia and Indicator Right Hand, topping out on a still, sunny evening and walking off with the sun setting.

Goal at the start of the season was to lead a V, climbed 22 routes in total, of which 10 were at V, all on ice. The hardest lead was probably on The Message, hadn't really done much mixed climbing before that and missed at least half of the axe placements, ended up doing some really big moves!

Aiming to get a lot more mixed climbing in next season, really enjoyed the bits and pieces I did and the walk-in to the northern corries is so short meaning more climbing and less walking!!!
Post edited at 14:36
 Exile 11 Apr 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:

We did it mid Feb - ice down the crack in the corner of the main pitch and snow stuck to some bits of the side walls. I'll email a couple of pics over later.
 Mike Lates 11 Apr 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:

A great season full of surprises that tested and rewarded. Credit goes to the wild weather; Skye and Scotland needs weather to create such good conditions.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=253479

Ironically the Main ridge only came into good nick for a single day that I'm aware of and that was the Thursday before Easter, totally unexpected. Not choosy enough to label best days but 3 hours from An Dorus to Banachdaich hardly touching rock had me grinning like a Cheshire cat. No winter traverses that I'm aware of all season but there's fresh snow today so possibly some instant neve & someone's proving me wrong at this very moment.....

Mixed. A beauty torquing crack in p1 of Gully A & establishing it it is definitely not III was an early highlight of the mixed season; virtually everything else was ice.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=249799
Following James "arms" Sutton on Con's Cleft was an education in technique & inspiration to become a gardener rather than walking up hills all year; nice one J. Opening up the closest crag to home, at last, with 2 quality routes & proving to myself it can be a good venue was very satisfying
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=254689

Ice. Placing screws in the Black Cuillin is very unusual but placed more before xmas than any previous season's total (12). We had "the Perfect Storm" scenario repeatedly producing thick ice where only smears had formed before and there were plenty of active folk around to take advantage, particularly during the Skye Winter Festival. 40 folk over a fortnight fairly mopped up with over 20 new routes included. Plenty of these were fantastic long snow runnels giving plenty of grade I to III lines for a guidebook update.
http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=253482

Highlight of the season, I'm almost pained to admit, was on the Ben but having watched Cubby in "The Edge " climb Mega Route X so many years ago & stood at the bottom in awe a couple of times I never expected it to happen. To get it in such beautiful nick, nail it so comfortably on a quiet (apart from the mystery screaming) day in perfect weather and with excellent company will stay with me for ever.

Goals. Always explore and then make the most of what the winter gives; tick. To spread enthusiasm for Cuillin winter; tick. New crags, new routes, new friends; tick

Well, you did ask
OP LakesWinter 12 Apr 2015
In reply to Mike Lates:

Only slightly jealous...! Although I did get my first winter day in Skye this year on the NW ridge of Bruach na Frith, it was amazing, hopefully I'll be back for more next year.
 drsdave 12 Apr 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:
Well I've done fine this year considering I've climbed on a left frozen shoulder with labrum tear and a right S.A.B compression and labrum tear and 2 cracked ribs with traumatised muscle healing. So;

Best route: uum close toss up between Raeburns gulley Lochnagar and the Runnel, Cairngorms.

Favorite day out: Raeburns, actually has someone to do it with.

Personal goal: Actually being able to climb. My goal was Raeburns, tick

Hardest: Polyphemus Gully Lochnagar (climbed by mistake): lead solo'd most of this route with a mate in clagged out conditions and cruddy ice. Got to the small ice cave where we then chose to belay from to finish the route off - we thought it was Raeburns, took us 3 days to realise it wasn't and wake up to what it actually was, a proper newbie mistake. At the time we decided that this was the worst route on the mountain and probably wasn't worth mentioning in SWC - but then I think this was a measure of how we were feeling at the time a ascent :-I
Post edited at 10:37
 alexm198 13 Apr 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:
This season was an absolute corker. I moved myself up to Aviemore for a good chunk of the winter, and it was super productive.

Best route in terms of the sheer quality of the climbing had to be Gargoyle Wall. Pretty short, and required a long slog up from the CIC but it's 100% worth it. Made better by the amazing weather and some great company.

Favourite day out would probably have to go to Sticil Face, partly because I'd wanted to do it for ages, partly because it was another fantastic route, and partly because of the fact that it was a huge privilege to climb on the Shelterstone. It feels so big and imposing, and it was strangely rewarding to have a proper, full-on day, leaving the car super early and coming back just as the sun was setting.

Goals wise, I'd aimed to consolidate at the grade I was at last season (IV) and hopefully tick a few Vs. I exceeded my expectations here, managing to climb 13 grade Vs and 3 grade VIs, and definitely felt steady. Only ended up ticking 5 grade IVs! I had wanted to get a few days skiing in but the reality of it was that whenever the weather was decent I'd just end up going climbing...

Hardest route I (alternate) led this year was VI 7.

Super psyched for next season already. Love that feeling of moving up a grade and being able to look at all the new classics in the guidebooks you previously dismissed as being too hard!
Post edited at 22:13
OP LakesWinter 14 Apr 2015
In reply to alexm198:

Sounds like an awesome season, good work!
 paulh.0776 14 Apr 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:

A good season for me, I managed to do a couple of climbs that have eluded me for the last couple of seasons, but more than that I've gained confidence in my own ability to climb, without being intimidated by the reputation of a route.

Window Gully on Great End and Good Friday Climb on the Ben were the highlights for me.

a few images at:
http://paulhorsmanphotographer.blogspot.co.uk

 alastairbegley 14 Apr 2015
In reply to LakesWinter:
Felt like I had a pretty damn good season, although was still well short of the number of routes I completed a few years ago. I certainly felt like I had to earn lots of my routes this year due to lots of pretty poor weather.

Best route
It has to be with Nick on Western Gully in the Black Ladders, a full on day out in lean conditions. http://mp-m.uk/LWCAz

Best Day Out
Best climbing day was certainly Western Gully, but my best winter day out is a toss up between:

  • Western Gully - Great route but it was certianly type II fun at times...

  • Learning to ski tour by attempting to ski tour the caingorm 4000ers - http://mp-m.uk/KKDjt - Fun two day advernture in snowy mountains

  • Traverse of an Teallach - http://mp-m.uk/JRrhj - Classic route in fantastic conditions


Goals
I wanted to do some harder mixed climbing which I guess I did with Western Gully and El Mancho. Finally visted the Northern Corries for the first time as well, but was introducing a friend to winter climbing so we were only on grade III routes.
This will still be my goal for next year, turns out mixed climbing is good fun!
Post edited at 12:49
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