UKC

Pretty much as it says in the title; ex-pat Brit coming back to UK. Super psyched to hop on some Scottish winter but unsure where to start with grades. I've led up to WI4- in Canada but that was in prime conditions. Have also followed 30-40m WI5 without much difficulty, but I know that Scottish winter doesn't compare. Where should I start ? Are 2s and 3s going to feel comfy or scary ? All I know is a lot of the routes I would love to do are in the IVs but I don't know if that's too ambitious for a first season.

Any advice appreciated. Also looking for partners !
 

Cheers,

Jacob

Your biggest challenge is going to be finding the right conditions. 

Last winter was poor with little snow and warm temperatures limiting winter climbing to those able to get out at short notice. If you can only do weekends and are based south of the central belt then opportunities might be scarce. Fingers crossed for a decent winter this year. 

Another thing that might take time getting used to is how miserable the cold dampness can be compared to Canada. I always take 2 or 3 sets of warm gloves as they eventually wet through,  the weight penalty easily offset by all day comfort. 

There is far more mixed climbing than pure ice in Scotland, I tend to treat the ice pitches as bonus sections rather than the norm. 

Having said all that, good conditions do occur, have fun!

2s and 3s will be easy. WI4 is comparable to Scottish V, but with the potential for worse conditions (aerated snow ice rather than bullet.

Just go out and do a II, if you were in the northern corries and are normal climbing IV, you could easily do two routes in day. The next day out try a III, build experience and you'll be safe and happy on IVs in no time at all. Winter is winter, there are just quirks, mainly down to the more fickle weather patterns and less stable conditions. 

I wouldn't recommend going to a big crag you've never been to before and leaping onto a long IV. Aonach Mor is good for 3 pitch routes, straightforward approach, easy walk offs and no shocking routes grade wise. 

I don't have lots of experience of Scottish winter, but enough to say that mixed climbing in Scotland is its own game. Take it easy and try some good IIIs before IVs.... or find a partner who is comfy at IV, who can lead anything you back off. Whatever plans you make will be unmade by the fickle weather. Enjoy! Just 6 months to wait!

Have you done much trad rock climbing? For many UK winter routes, that experience is more relevant than whopping in screws on a cascade. I did place one ice screw this past winter but it's not a super regular occurrence and it really does feel that even on the highest Scottish mountains conditions are becoming ever more fickle. 

Don't underestimate the mountaineering part of the day also. You may well climb a grade IV gully with zero issues to find your self battling wild weather, tricky navigation in very poor visibility, where getting it wrong can be dangerous. 

One more bit which i didn't mention, many Canadian/norwegian type water ice routes don't top out on plateaus, so you rarely have to tackle cornices, which can often be the scariest part regardless of the grade. There are a few different tactics depending on size, snow consistency etc.. swapping one tool for the last pitch to have two adze, cut a tunnel or channel, traverse to easier exits, belay just below and to side leaving the hard work for other leader! There's no right answer, just judgement based on previous errors. 

Thankfully I learned to climb in the UK so I’ve climbed mostly trad/alpine to date. Might have to get myself some hexes though ! Thanks for the reply
 

Loads of good advice already, but I'd reiterate in particular Toby's point about mountaineering skills: Scottish days often have long approaches and exposed and unprotected apron slopes, and can involve challenging navigation to get off the hill. The climbing is sometimes the most straightforward part of the day. Something like Good Friday Climb (III) on Ben Nevis is only about WI2 but it's got a 2-3 hour approach and you cover lots of serious and exposed ground before getting to the route. Then you've got to get down afterwards. Understanding conditions is the other x factor in Scottish winter: reading Chasing the Ephemeral is worth at least a grade! So take it easy for a few routes to start with, ensure 8-10 hour days in bad weather don't sound too exhausting, and practice your navigation. There's plenty of Scottish winter days which are type 1 fun and where you'll be back at the car in time for tea and medals, but be prepared for days where everything just takes ages and you are getting battered by the weather from the moment you get your boots on. It's all flipping brilliant.

Early on in my winter climbing I was pretty handy on pure ice from trips to cogne and rjukan but useless at mixed. Even though everything is encompassed by a single grade in scotland, ice and mixed are pretty much different sports in my head. Aside from the weather/mountaineering/crud aspects which other people have mentioned, you'll probably be comfy on a grade IV ice route whereas grade IV mixed will feel pretty extreme! I would recommend seeing how you get on with The Seam (IV 5), that really stands out as my first bit of actual sustained mixed climbing, rather than the short steps you tend to get on IIs and IIIs. 

I'm also moving back to the UK just in time for next winter! I think I have the opposite problem now- I wouldn't go near ice routes which are at my mixed climbing limit!

Nice, lmk if you are looking for partners and thanks for the route reccs! Think I'm gonna stick with my nomics for scottish, thoughts?

Nomics are fine but depending on your plans I have a set of picks for mixed that I can file sharp again and trash but a thin set of ice picks for the pure ice.