UKC

Hi there,
This is one for those of you who have done aonach eagach traverse east to west in winter.
How long did it take you?
How much did you rope up if not soloed?
Thanks

In reply to twm.bwen:

Done twice, just under 4hrs and second time 6.5hrs, both car to car (including walking back up the road : (
One roped, moving together trip and the other solo (but with a partner) with one abseil at the start both times.

In reply to twm.bwen:

3 times, solo, each took about 3 hours, got a lift to the start, so that was the time for the traverse. The awkward bits are the Am Bodach descent and the pinnacles, but there are big holds.

In reply to twm.bwen:

I've been along the ridge in a variety of conditions. Deep snow, lean icy conditions, and recovering from a double hernia op. Six hours Glen to Glen is an average time (for me) taking it slow and easy and enjoying the views and situations. Some fell runners will traverse it in a blink of an eye. Normally deploy the rope for the pinnacles otherwise it remains in the sack. Due to it's ever increasing popularity, a midweek traverse is highly recommended. .

In reply to twm.bwen:

Yes, bear in mind that these threads are an excuse for folk to mention their record times! Take an average on the above, erring either side depending on experience/fitness.

In reply to twm.bwen:

I sense some trumpet blowing here. If you are doing it for the first time in winter conditions and finishing or starting from the youth hostel (as recommended) don't bank on doing it in much less than 8 hours.

In reply to alan.rodger:

What Alan said. I've done it myself and with customers on everything from perfect neve (4 and a half hours, easier than summer that time) to knee deep powder (10 hours+). Its very variable and your own fitness and experience moving on that type of ground and in those conditions will make a good deal of difference.

In reply to twm.bwen:

To balance out some of the sppey ascents:

I've done it once in winter, a group of 5 of us. We left a car at the youth hostel and drove another to the start. Soft powder throughout, and breaking trail as we were the only ones on the ridge that day, possibly because it had forecast gales (which never arrived).

Mostly soloed, but roped up for the pinnacle bit, and abbed one descent. Darkness arrived on the 2nd Munro (it was late December).

Took us 12 hours car to car!

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

Worth also noting that poor conditions can quite often result in benightments due to the inescapability on the ridge, especially in December and January.

In reply to twm.bwen:
8 hours for us, as a 3. Roped up for the descent of Am Bodach. We had two cars, one at each end of the ridge, so saved ourselves the major hassle of walking back to retrieve a vehicle. Conditions were proper winter but consolidated so no unexpected delays. With the exception of Am Bodach we moved quite quickly - 6 hours or below would be really fast I'd have thought.

In reply to twm.bwen:

Thank you all.
I knew I was going to get some variation in times and would normally assume I will be at the longer end, but that is a massive range!

We are lucky to be taking two cars and I'm mainly concerned about passing the main technical bits before dusk. so a 6am start at the cottage to reach top of Am Bodach for dawn sounds like it leaves a realistic amount of time to get to Scor nam Fiannaidh before sunset.

Thanks again, but any more times from people are still welcome.

In reply to twm.bwen:

Times are always going to vary a lot with conditions - I suspect 3 hr times aren't going to have any snow on the initial ascent. If you're not breaking trail it really shouldn't take much longer than 8 hrs, and may be considerably less in good/dry nick.

In reply to twm.bwen:

It took us 7 hours from the normal start finishing at the SYHA. We abseiled the descent from Am Bodach then soloed all but one pitch around the pinnacles. We're pretty fast walkers but couldn't have gone much quicker as we had a lot of snow to plough through.

In reply to twm.bwen:

I have a photo in my massive gallery of 3 which shows what the climb down from Am Bodach is like in winter. Not sure how to post it in this thread though.

In reply to twm.bwen:

Did it on my first winter trip, took 14 hours not including getting back to the car.... But that was inexperience causing us to pitch anything remotely technical and being just not in a good place physically (i hadn't eaten anything the night before due to car sickness of all things).

Obviously this is an extremely slow time but shows its not to be underestimated.

Having said that it was one of the best mountain days i have ever experienced, get it done!

In reply to twm.bwen:

3 of us did it last winter with some tat and a 35m skinny rope for abseiling. I think it took us about 6 hours. It's one of those comitting routes where it could be quite easy to lose your calm if the weather turns. We had it nasty and one of the guys did get a bit wobbly. Goggles are key.

In reply to twm.bwen:

We did it as a pair in 2016. Had a mix of nerve and wind-blown-powder. 1st in the ridge after the initial ab - we just coiled the rope and moved together. We had a good day and started early so down for an early lunch at Lagangarbh.

In reply to twm.bwen:

Great outing.
Conditions vary wildly... you are on a high ridge.
Last time i did it we had 30m skinney rope which we used on the first step (the snow was not good) either as a classic abseil or a handline. Did the rest unroped. Just after that descent there was one short ramp which was a bit exposed, but it is the sort of route that (there isn't alot on your profile so need to assume you are happy soloing G2 scrambles and easy snow gullies) if you start wanting a rope you are probably not on the 'best' line.
And, once started don't drop off early... (or you will)
Two cars are good (or learn to hitch).

In reply to twm.bwen:

Some of the times given above are impressively fast for a winter traverse. FWIW I've done it 7 times in winter in a mix of conditions though can't for the life of me recall times. I took a rope on a couple of occasions when I was with someone but didn't use it, however at the time I'd been along it summer 20+ times and knew the terrain like the back of my hand.
I suspect that for every person who does it in 3 or 4 hours there are likely 10 or 20 who get their headtorches on before the pub. If you regard it as a full on day, start early and walk up in the dark you'll be giving yourself a better chance. It's a magnificent day and not to be missed.

In reply to twm.bwen:

I know I've told this story before but I did it in winter 1980 with two experienced members of a West Midlands town club and an ill-equipped and inexperienced woman who was prospecting for membership. We started too late and quite soon the other couple abandoned us, leaving me to shepherd the novice. The fast-moving couple shot over the Pap and glissaded down to the pub but we ran out of daylight at the top of the Clachaig gully. My companion turned out not to have a torch so there followed an agonising couple of hours while the two of us edged down the icy gully in the dark, me dry-mouthed and praying my battery wouldn't run out. When we reached the pub exhausted they were well into their drinks and dinner and seemed unconcerned. That was when I decided that club was not for me.

In reply to twm.bwen:

Can't remember exact times, but....

My mate and I did it in March 2008. We camped on summit of Am Bodach night before to ensure maximum daylight. We left just after first light, traversed in great conditions, dinner at pub, then walked back up side of A82 then back up to camp again. We were back in tent by dusk.

We moved together, abseiled Am Bodach downclimb, pitched the Pinnacles and 1 or 2 other bits, and blasted down south to A82 from SNF summit.

Hope this is of use.

In reply to twm.bwen:

I did it going west-east. It was in pretty much perfect condition (consolidated snow, clear, calm day), and it seemed like that direction was probably more straightforward in winter - nowhere felt like an abseil was the best option.

If you're walking back to your start point, pack some trainers - stomping along the A82 in winter boots is no way to round off a good day out

In reply to twm.bwen:
Did this years ago in full winter, descent of Am Bodach was fully banked out with fresh snow, cornices and beneath this, ice. We set of from the car at first light, completed the traverse and remember a bit of a hairy descent on the Clachaig end, getting back to the road just as darkness was falling, that having to walk several miles back up the road in the dark to retrieve the car. We used no ropes (nor did we carry one), single axe and crampons only.

Not sure what time it took as can't remember whether it was Dec, Jan or Feb and daylight times vary? Guessing around 8 hours though from car until back to car - basically it's a full day outing. We were young, fit and overtook an awful lot of people on the ridge. Suspect the people saying 3-4 hours for the round trip might be related to the late, great Ueli Steck!

So I'd say, start off at or just before first light and expect to be descending into the dark. It's a great day out, and hopefully someone will give you a lift back up the road, as we know from first hand experience, it's a long old walk in the dark.

In reply to twm.bwen:

Two things I omitted to mention:

If it's a nice day and you are moving fast it is inevitable that you will be held up occasionally by slower parties. Queues are not unknown and they tend to coincide with an absence of passing places;

Unless you know it well, which I'm guessing you don't, avoid the Clachaig Gully path. It's steep and loose and much of it is right on the edge of the gully. There have been many accidents over the years, including more than a few fatalities. Either flog down to the road from near SnF or better still go on to the Pap so you can take in the sunset and reflect on a fantastic day.

In reply to Removed UserStuart en Écosse:


or in my case, stagger on down blindly in the dark.

In reply to twm.bwen:

First time on the ridge today, deepish powder and snowed up rock condition. Took rope for a walk in the end. Took our time and enjoyed the day, was seven hours Glen to Glen going East to West if anyone's interested.