Highland > Ben Nevis >
 
Observatory Ridge (Summer)*** VD

Adjacent Climbs
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Observatory Ridge >>
No description has been contributed for this climb.

Ticklists: Connoisseur's Classic Rock, Ultimate Scottish Rock, UK's best Diffs and V.diffs, Scotland's Mountain Ridges by Dan Bailey, Scottish 3 and 4 star multi-pitch routes, 2013 Scottish Multi Pitch Mission.

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PUBLIC LOGBOOKS
This climb is in 134 logbooks, and on 73 wishlists.

Martin Bennett - 2013

Martin Bennett - 2013

Hidden - AltLd - 07/Oct/12

Snow on the ledges for the last 100m or so.
Captain Solo - Solo rpt - 23/Sep/12

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 26/Aug/12

Easier after the first 150m, though heaps of atmosphere. Moved together after the first few pitches, another great day on the Ben!
Lawrie Brand - AltLd O/S - 26/Aug/12 with Sarah Laing

Hidden - Lead O/S - 11/Aug/12

Hidden - AltLd - 11/Aug/12

Climbed a mixture of styles: pitches, solo, and alpine.
olekemi - AltLd O/S - 05/Jun/12 with James C, Andrew T

Hidden - Lead - 04/Jun/12

Rob84 - Lead O/S - 03/Jun/12 with Becca Jury

Sam Warby - 30/May/12

ZA - Lead - 28/May/12 with Fiona, Catriona, ross mcw

Did it in 'big boots', wet with rime in places and soggy moss making it harder. Finished with 3 pitches of zero gully (suspect ice in places). Topped out to glorious sun. Great Day, great Route.
Andy Hewison - 2nd O/S - 22/Mar/12 with Mark Chadwick

Patzl - 2012

Narked4fun - 2012

In big boots, moved together up past crux, got icey up top so pitched a few bits.
Lamb - AltLd O/S - 06/Nov/11 with Mike Dunn

Solo up to the first greasy bit then moved together in boots
Blurgy319 - AltLd O/S - 27/Aug/11 with Andy Woolston

david0811 - AltLd - 19/Aug/11 with debbie, Dave Riley

moved together, took around 4 hours, awesome route, potentially better than NE Buttress....?
MrRiley - AltLd O/S - 19/Aug/11 with Debbie Lee

glenngordon - AltLd - 06/Aug/11 with bomber harris

Hidden - AltLd - 06/Aug/11

Hidden - AltLd - 30/Jul/11

joeydurkin - Lead - 30/Jul/11 with Chris W, Chick

madeleine - Solo O/S - 26/Jul/11 with Strachers

Hidden - Lead O/S - 24/Jul/11

lead 1st 3 pitches then soloed the rest, awesome day out
cornishbekx - Lead O/S - 24/Jul/11

Fantastic day out!
keith hal - AltLd O/S - 23/Jul/11 with Peter Berwick

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 22/Jul/11

Climbed in B3 boots
cmars89 - Lead - 13/Jul/11

Only pitched the first 4 pitches and soloed the rest.
Moonstone Hippy - AltLd O/S - 02/Jul/11 with Isi

Alt lead 4 long pitches. Not sure if we were on the described line, just took the bit that looked most fun. Soloed from there up.
isi_o - AltLd - 02/Jul/11 with Geoff

Alt lead 4 long pitches. Not sure if we were on the described line, just took the bit that looked most fun. Soloed from there up.
isi_o - AltLd - 02/Jul/11 with Geoff

Pete23 - AltLd - Jul/11 with Keith Haldane

emiln - AltLd O/S - Jul/11

Hidden - Lead - 28/Jun/11

mctinkno - Solo O/S - 23/Jun/11 with Calum

cat22 - AltLd O/S - 12/Jun/11 with Mike

Climbed as first ridge in attempt to complete all 5 Ben ridges in a day, moved together whole way in 2.5 hours to summit just before 7am, pretty cold especially as some fresh snow still lying from wintery showers the day before.
Elsier - Solo O/S - 11/Jun/11 with Katy, Amy

John Workman - AltLd - 30/Apr/11 with Chris D

Hidden - 2011

rossn - 2011

Hidden - 2011

Hidden - 2011

brighters - AltLd - Oct/10

Alastair MacSween - AltLd - 25/Sep/10 with Phil Warriner

Crowley6969 - 2nd O/S - 20/Sep/10

Spectacular climb, great views! Forgot head torches for the decent. :S
mr phil morton - Sep/10

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 29/Aug/10

Awesome day, up observatory, down north east buttress, up tower ridge, and down castle ridge, 9.5hrs car to car.
tallthinmonkey - AltLd O/S - 25/Aug/10 with Ben Wallace

The best of the classic ridges imo.
mikemartin - AltLd - 13/Aug/10

Captain Solo - AltLd rpt - 13/Aug/10 with Mike

GraemeDiack - AltLd O/S - 07/Aug/10 with Keith Alexander

simul climbed
KeithAlexander - AltLd O/S - 07/Aug/10 with Graeme Diack

Bron - AltLd O/S - 23/Jul/10

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 26/Jun/10

default_slipper - 14/Jun/10

JP78 - 12/Jun/10

Moved together on the first half, mostly rock, a bit of snow and soloed the top snow and ice.
jonnie3430 - Solo - 13/Apr/10 with Graham

Jaqi Pairman - AltLd - 2010

Placed protection the first couple of pitches, then moved together the rest of the way. great day out!
Couby - AltLd - 17/Oct/09

Soloed first 150 then moved together.
Pete Main - Lead O/S - 01/Oct/09 with Andrew S

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 01/Oct/09

cold. wet. hungover as hell. epic.
timcussins - AltLd O/S - 19/Sep/09

Moved together for much of top part.
stephenmckenzie - AltLd O/S - 17/Sep/09 with Mike Cross

Lovely weather and superb climb. Only downside of the day was dropping camera on second pitch! Doh! It was inside a hard case but when we came back round to get it from tourist path we found it to be broken. Och well at least it wasnt one of us whole fell.
mauchie - AltLd - 10/Sep/09 with Adele Martin

lawrenceK - AltLd - Sep/09

gregoldridge - AltLd O/S - Sep/09 with Tim Cussins

Hidden - Lead - 08/Aug/09

Hidden - AltLd O/S - Aug/09

Moving together most of the way quite quick, a bit nasty in the trainers I was wearing!
BUZZ1984 - 2nd - 28/Jun/09 with Stephen

easers - AltLd - 09/Jun/09 with Doug Aitken

Heavy snow on top!
Peter Metcalfe - Lead - 07/Jun/09 with John Metcalfe

Jeniinej - 2nd - Jun/09

AnTeallach - 2009 with Julian Barber

rossn - 2009

Mark Wilson23 - 2nd O/S - 26/Sep/08 with Paul blanchard

HannyHancock - AltLd O/S - 08/Aug/08 with Dave and Joe

Brilliant climb, felt a hell of a lot longer than 450 metres.
Joegriff - AltLd - 08/Aug/08 with Dave Trueman, Owen

nathan_kelly - 05/Jul/08 with Dave Gleave

Hidden - AltLd - Jul/08

HIGHTOWER - AltLd O/S - 21/Jun/08 with Tim

joeydurkin - 2nd - 31/May/08 with Steve Campball, Tim

Jordan, Jess and I did this moving together wearing walking boots, which made the VDiff more interesting. Amazing location, superb rock. Terrific views. Topping out on the summit plateau on a cloudless blue sky day was amazing.
Humpty Dangler - Solo O/S - 25/May/08 with Jordan Lane

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 25/May/08

slippery underfoot
latitude - Solo - 17/Aug/07

With Sarah Knowles
ollythomas - 17/Jun/07 with Adam Henley

Hidden - Solo - 28/Apr/07

timmy-ts - 2007

timmy-ts - 2007

mike.moss - AltLd O/S - 2007

Hidden - Lead - 03/Nov/06

Captain Solo - AltLd - 15/Jul/06 with Jim Marshall

NickBrown - AltLd O/S - 01/Jul/06 with Tim

Big boots & Pack Wet day.
Danny Boy Dunbar - AltLd O/S - 03/Jun/06 with Tim Sugars

creag - 2006

DaleB - 2006 with DG

centurion05 - 2006

Hidden - 2nd - Nov/05

blakey - AltLd - Sep/05

Hidden - Solo - 08/Aug/05

decs - Aug/05 with Tom

Hidden - AltLd - Aug/05

Hidden - AltLd - 28/Jun/05

andy hunter - 2nd - May/05 with graeme w 7 JOHN

Hidden - AltLd O/S - Sep/04

Hidden - AltLd O/S - Jul/04

it rained snowed and hailed when we did this nearly got benighted got semi hypthermic was all a bit exciting
Sam and will - AltLd O/S - Jun/04 with Anthony Bennett

joe king - Jun/03 with amanda

Hidden - Lead - 2003

Great weather suffered dehydration on descent via the CMD arete
rossn - AltLd O/S - Jul/02 with Dave Stapely

luckyjim - Solo - Aug/00

Hidden - Lead O/S - Jul/00

Alastair MacSween - 2nd - 04/Sep/99 with A N Other, Kevin Higgins

ill_bill - AltLd - Jun/98

Mike - 24/May/98 with Jacquie Ballinger, Mark Turner

Jamie B - AltLd - May/98 with Ian Smith

Tarquin - 1998

Iain Thow - Solo - 22/Sep/97

Hidden - Solo O/S - 1996

Hidden - Mar/95

DavPk - AltLd - Aug/94 with Gareth Wood

Stuart S - Lead - Aug/92 with Hal Taylor

Hidden - Lead - Jul/92

Hidden - 1992

Neil Henderson - Solo - Sep/91

johnkeith - Solo - Jun/90

Hidden - AltLd O/S - 1989

Hidden - AltLd - 06/Jul/85

neil3965 - Solo - Aug/84

Hidden - AltLd - 1982

6hrs from FW and back.
Lone Rider - Solo - 31/Jul/79

Hidden - AltLd - 1977

With John Grieve. No snow on ridge, soloed apart from one step. Moved into Zero Gulley in upper part. Climbed on a number of occasions including an attempt on all the 4 Ridges in a day in the 90's
David Smith - Apr/64

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Voting
Total votes cast 55
hard HVD0 of 28
HVD0 of 28
easy HVD0 of 28
hard VD0 of 28
VD24 of 28
easy VD4 of 28
hard HD0 of 28
HD0 of 28
easy HD0 of 28
3 Stars27 of 27
2 Stars0 of 27
1 Star0 of 27
0 Stars0 of 27
Bag of .....0 of 27
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Style of ascent

Soloed16 of 134 (11.9%)
Lead17 of 134 (12.7%)
Followed9 of 134 (6.7%)
Alt Leads64 of 134 (47.8%)
Unknown28 of 134 (20.9%)

'Climbed'85 of 134 (63.4%)
clean O/S47 of 134 (35.1%)
clean rpt2 of 134 (1.5%)